Until now, many popular Web3 games have relied on simple gameplay mechanics, as seen in Telegram’s Hamster Kombat or the early success of Axie Infinity. | Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images.
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Key Takeaways
Star Atlas aims to rival traditional AAA titles with a new Web3 gaming standard for visual fidelity and gameplay depth.
Unlike traditional games developed behind closed doors, ATMTA has embraced a transparent development process for the title.
Despite losing half its treasury in the FTX collapse and laying off over 70% of its staff, ATMTA has continued development.
ATMTA’s Star Atlas, the highly anticipated Solana-based metaverse game, has been drawing attention with new gameplay teasers. The community has vowed to support Web3 projects that have committed to “building in public.”
In development since 2020, Star Atlas has built a loyal fanbase through its visually stunning Unreal Engine 5 showroom and its browser-based, on-chain strategy game, SAGE.
The latest teasers reveal gameplay that aims to rival AAA titles. An achievement rarely seen in the Web3 gaming space.
May Update Patch
On May 14, Star Atlas released its latest patch, introducing AI upgrades, dedicated servers for gunplay lobbies, and various multiplayer enhancements.
Currently, players can experiment with a space flight mode and a 3rd person shooter demo, while the rest of the game remains under active development.
Future features promised by the team include dedicated multiplayer servers, PvP combat, and more.
A Technical Leap for Web3
Until now, many popular Web3 games have relied on simple gameplay mechanics, as seen in Telegram’s Hamster Kombat or the early success of Axie Infinity.
Star Atlas aims to bridge the gap between traditional AAA gaming and the decentralized world of Web3.
It offers players ownership of in-game assets through NFTs and powers its in-game economy with the $ATLAS and $POLIS tokens.
On May 11, Web3 gaming and crypto content creator Inspector Mindblow commented on X that Star Atlas’ development highlights a key distinction between traditional and blockchain-based games.
It's awesome to see that one of the crypto gaming OGs is still building
Every gameplay video @staratlas drops looks amazing
It takes time to build a good game The difference between web2 and web3 games in this regard is that web2 games build behind the scenes and web3 games… pic.twitter.com/PsBUwMgjUu
“While previously we had multiple years of runway under our current operations, that has now been reduced by approximately one-half,” said ATMTA CEO Michael Wagner at the time.
As a result, the studio was forced to lay off over 70% of its staff and significantly reevaluate its development roadmap.
However, with a community eager to see a fully realized Web3 AAA game, Star Atlas is hoping to become the next breakout success in the industry.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
