Key Takeaways
- ZKcandy’s parent company, iCandy, owns studios with direct links to AAA gaming publishers and developers such as Square Enix, Sony, and Naughty Dog.
- ZKcandy is a gaming-centric Ethereum-based L2 built on zkSync technology.
- Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) is officially launching an L2 on The Open Network (TON).
Telegram’s gaming scene is set to level up in 2025 as layer-2 (L2) network ZKcandy sets out to build the first Telegram-based Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) gaming ecosystem, flush with AI gaming agents.
Following a successful $4 million private funding round, gaming-centric L2 ZKcandy has announced its intentions to leverage the capital to build the “first Telegram-based EVM gaming ecosystem.”
ZKcandy has also hinted at its plans to develop AI agents for gaming and enhance adoption by working with major intellectual property (IP) holders.
EVM Gaming on Telegram
ZKcandy is an L2 designed for Web3 gaming on Ethereum (ETH). It is currently in a testnet phase with plans to launch the mainnet by mid-2025. Presumably, further details will outline how the team intends to build a Telegram-based EVM ecosystem.
A direct link between Ethereum-based games and Telegram’s 900+ million users could prove extremely fruitful for Web3 gaming, though only if ZKcandy can cook up the ideal solution.
The announcement is also scarce with details regarding “AI agents for gaming.”
It is unclear if these will power in-game characters and events or fulfill another role, but it is expected that these would differ from Telegram’s chat “bots,” which are essentially gateways to Web3 apps and HTML5 mini-games such as Catizen (CATI).
It’s also unclear if the move will see ZKcandy launch an L2 on top of Telegram’s native chain, The Open Network (TON). That said, regarding its ability to connect with AAA gaming studios and IPs for partnerships, there’s a lot to be said of ZKcandy’s backers.
AAA Gaming Links
What makes the development somewhat promising for the Web3 gaming scene is that Zkcandy is operated under the umbrella of Southeast Asian gaming development behemoth iCandy.
It has a portfolio of renowned studios including Lemon Sky Studios, which provided art and animation to some of the biggest titles and publishers in gaming.
This includes Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix), and StarCraft: Remastered (Blizzard), as well as working with the Web3 game The Sandbox (SAND).
Aside from its AAA gaming prowess, iCandy has an extensive mobile gaming portfolio exceeding 300 titles and counting. With direct ties to some of the best talent, publishers, and studios in modern gaming, there’s a chance that Telegram’s gaming scene can finally evolve past the tiresome and overpromised play-to-earn (P2E) airdrop titles.
Telegram L2s
The news follows a similar recent announcement from Telegram’s superstar P2E title, Hamster Kombat (HMSTR), which through a community vote, has also decided to launch a layer-2 network on TON.
The rationale behind the move is akin to that of any Ethereum-based L2: reduce fees, speed up transactions, and improve scalability.
As Hamster Kombat builds out its gaming ecosystem, it appears to be gearing up to be a hub that can accommodate Telegram’s Web3 gaming scene.
This could place it in stiff competition with ZKcandy, which is yet to gain a foothold in Telegram’s bustling gaming market.
Eddie is a gaming and crypto writer at CCN. Covering the often weird and wonderful world of Web3 with an adoring, but skeptical eye.
Prior to CCN, Eddie has spent the past seven years working his way through the crypto, finance, and technology industry. He began with PR and journalism with Bitcoin PR Buzz and BitcoinNews.com, eventually working his way to become a copywriter with a dozen firms, including the likes of Polkadot before returning to journalism in 2023.
Having studied Radio production and journalism at University in the UK, Eddie spent a few years making podcasts and presenting on a local London radio station as he built up his writing chops.
A lifelong skateboarder, Eddie can often be found at the skatepark or touring the streets looking for something new to try. That, or kicking back playing JRPGs on his original PSP.
