The International Olympic Committee, a Switzerland-based non-governmental sports organization, has partnered with game developer nWay to launch a play-to-earn multiplayer game that incorporates digital collectibles.
The mobile game called Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022, allows players to compete in a series of winter sports to earn Olympic NFT digital pins. These pins will grant players exclusive access to higher levels, certain character skins, and other in-game utilities such as tighter control and greater speed.
Commenting on the move, CEO of nWay, Taehoon Kim, said:
The Olympic Games are the world’s largest sport celebration. We can’t think of a better genre than party games to get everyone across different gaming skills involved for this global celebration in a massive way.Kim explained that the new game would "let gamers and NFT collectors alike to not only engage with the Olympic Games, but also own a piece of Olympic history."
The game is free and does not require a crypto wallet to play. It is set to launch a day before the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 opening ceremony.
nWay is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, a company that has invested heavily in blockchain startups. Animoca is the parent company of the popular metaverse game The Sandbox. In December, the company teamed up with the Bored Ape Yacht Club to create a rogue blockchain game. Earlier this year, it led an $8 million Series A round for crypto startup Burnt Finance.