Everything You Need to Know About Blankos Block Party

Keep in mind Blankos Block Occasion—the colorful on-line sport crammed with vinyl toy characters that made waves a couple of years in the past?

In the event you have been following gaming developments, you may recall when it burst onto the scene as one of many first mainstream titles to experiment with blockchain expertise. Lots has occurred since then!

Right here’s a better have a look at what made the sport stand out, why it disappeared from PC gaming, and what may be subsequent.

Key Insights

Blankos launched “playable NFTs” by customisable digital toys owned by way of blockchainBlankos is the primary web3 sport on the Epic Video games Retailer in 2022 and collaborated with main brandsThe PC model was sundown in December 2023 as Legendary Video games pivoted to mobileBlockchain options have been absolutely built-in however non-compulsory—85% of transactions used fiat currencyUser-generated content material and resale royalties gave gamers inventive and monetary stakeIn 2023–2024, the sport transitioned to the Polkadot blockchain

The place did Blankos Block Occasion come from?

Blankos Begins (2018–2020)

Blankos started as a ardour undertaking from Legendary Video games, a studio shaped by trade veterans who had labored on franchises like Name of Obligation and Skylanders. When the sport was revealed at SXSW 2019, it gained consideration for its daring idea—a vibrant world of digital vinyl toys that gamers might actually personal.

In 2019 and 2020, Legendary continued growing the sport, launching a non-public beta and providing “Founder’s Packs” that granted early entry and unique Blanko NFTs, beginning at round $25.

The beta launched on Home windows, with future plans for Mac and console variations. Trailers pulled in lots of of hundreds of views, and mainstream gaming websites like IGN took discover.

Momentum Builds (2021–2022)

The sport opened to the general public in June 2021 by early entry and surpassed a million registered gamers by the tip of the 12 months—spectacular for a blockchain-based title.

This progress section noticed Legendary safe $75 million in funding, revamp the sport’s social hub, and roll out an in-game market the place gamers might purchase and promote collectibles.

Model collaborations additionally ramped up. Burberry launched a limited-edition Blanko, while Deadmau5 contributed his personal character. These weren’t simply advertising and marketing stunts—they represented a novel mix of gaming, style, music, and blockchain.

In September 2022, Blankos made headlines once more by turning into the primary blockchain sport to launch on the Epic Video games Retailer. That second adopted a 12 months of negotiations with Epic to deal with age scores and blockchain insurance policies.

The total launch launched Season One, including new modes, character courses, and power-ups. A partnership with Toho introduced Godzilla, Mothra, and MechaGodzilla into the sport as limited-edition characters.

Platform Shift (2023–Now)

In 2023, Blankos continued to evolve with new content material. Season Two launched redesigned characters, development methods, battle royale modes, and crafting mechanics. Updates to the social hub saved the multiplayer expertise energetic.

Then got here a serious shift. Legendary Video games introduced that it might sundown the PC model to give attention to cell. CEO John Linden defined that buying new PC gamers had turn out to be too expensive, whereas cell introduced a clearer progress alternative.

PC servers shut down on December 18, 2023. Longtime gamers got a commemorative NFT and reassured that their collections would switch to the upcoming cell model.

That very same 12 months, Blankos moved to the Polkadot blockchain, which provided quicker transactions and decrease charges. The swap aligned the sport with Legendary’s different titles, similar to NFL Rivals, laying the groundwork for potential cross-game options sooner or later.

How did Blankos influence NFT gaming?

Blankos Block Occasion performed a key function in shaping the early NFT gaming house.

It helped convey the thought of “playable NFTs” into the mainstream, presenting itself as a enjoyable multiplayer expertise that used blockchain expertise behind the scenes. Most gamers by no means wanted a crypto pockets or any blockchain information, and over 85% of transactions used common US {dollars}.

As the primary blockchain title to launch on the Epic Video games Retailer—particularly at a time when Steam had banned such video games—Blankos opened doorways for different web3 video games. Legendary’s collaboration with Epic set requirements for future launches, like Engines of Fury arriving on the shop in 2025.

Blankos additionally stood out for its user-generated content material. Like Roblox, it let gamers create and share their very own ranges utilizing easy-to-use instruments. However not like conventional platforms, blockchain integration meant creators might design and promote distinctive collectibles, incomes royalties on each resale. It confirmed how blockchain might reward creativity in sensible, ongoing methods.

Model collaborations have been one other space the place Blankos led the cost. Restricted-edition releases from Burberry and Deadmau5 bought out rapidly, proving that luxurious and leisure manufacturers might discover actual worth in NFT-based in-game content material. It validated NFTs as greater than hypothesis—they may very well be fascinating digital merchandise built-in into gameplay.

What’s it wish to play Blankos Block Occasion?

At its core, Blankos was a celebration sport constructed round creativity, character customisation, and social interplay.

Characters and Customization

Gamers managed stylised vinyl toy characters—Blankos—every of which was a tradable NFT. These characters may very well be earned, bought, or swapped, and got here with equipment and outfits made in collaboration with real-world artists and types.

Levelling up Blankos unlocked new skills, and the sport included a “mash-up” system that allowed gamers to mix Blankos to create rarer variants.

The Unboxing Mechanic

A key function was the unboxing mechanic. New Blankos arrived in digital bins you can hold them mint-in-box (like a pristine collectible) or “unbox” them to begin enjoying.

As soon as opened, they couldn’t be reboxed, including a component of shortage over time.

Totally different Recreation Modes

The sport featured a number of aggressive modes:

Quick-paced races with parkour elementsShooter model the place Blankos tagged one another with toy-like weaponsCollection challenges that despatched customers exploring for vibrant tokensBattle royale matches added in later seasons

These modes have been accessed by a central multiplayer hub the place gamers might additionally hang around, chat, and full quests.

Consumer-Generated Content material

Blankos’ Construct Mode gave gamers instruments to create their very own sport ranges—no coding required.

Group creations ranged from easy racetracks to elaborate platforming challenges. Legendary commonly spotlighted standout builds, encouraging creativity and selection.

Market and Economic system

The in-game NFT market allowed gamers to commerce characters and gadgets, largely utilizing fiat foreign money.

Legendary supplied a custodial pockets system by default, making blockchain transactions seamless for newcomers. Superior customers might join exterior wallets for extra management. Crucially, each sale included a royalty price—so creators or collaborating manufacturers continued to profit from secondary gross sales.

What’s subsequent for Blankos Block Occasion?

With the PC model now offline, the main target has shifted completely to cell. Legendary is constructing greater than a easy port—they’re aiming for a totally redesigned cell expertise, with contact controls and sport modes tailor-made to cell customers.

If profitable, Blankos might turn out to be one of many first mainstream web3 video games to thrive on cell. That will be no small feat, given the troublesome approval course of for crypto-adjacent apps. Different initiatives, similar to Nakamoto Video games, are already getting ready cell releases, suggesting that this may very well be the following huge wave in web3 gaming.

The transfer to Polkadot additionally introduces technical advantages, like quicker and cheaper transactions—key enhancements for cell scalability. Now that Blankos shares infrastructure with different Legendary titles, there’s additionally potential for shared property and crossover occasions. Sooner or later, gadgets from Blankos may seem in NFL Rivals, or vice versa.

Polkadot’s give attention to interoperability means the sport might ultimately bridge to exterior marketplaces like OpenSea, making it attainable for gamers to promote or show their collections exterior Legendary’s ecosystem.

Gamers proceed to hope for a return to PC or perhaps a console launch. While nothing has been confirmed, Blankos’ format might simply translate to platforms like PlayStation or Xbox—if these platforms turn out to be extra open to NFTs and digital collectibles, as others like Moonray put together for console launches in 2025.

A Defining Chapter in Web3 Gaming

Blankos Block Occasion has performed a big function within the evolution of blockchain gaming.

From its early days in 2018 to a multi-year run on PC and now a pivot to cell, it has persistently pushed boundaries. It launched thousands and thousands of gamers to the thought of digital possession, championed creator economies, and confirmed how model partnerships might stay inside sport worlds—not simply exterior them.

While the PC shutdown marked the tip of a chapter, it wasn’t the tip of the story. The transfer to cell and Polkadot represents a strategic shift, not a retreat. Blankos could not be the one web3 sport within the highlight, however it would probably be remembered as one of many first to mix blockchain, creativity, and mainstream enchantment in a method that really labored.

Whether or not or not the cell model turns into a breakout hit, Blankos has already earned its place in gaming historical past.