Leading gaming studio and Ethereum-based Layer 2 platform Immutable has announced the introduction of an innovative new system called Immutable Nexus.

What Is Immutable Nexus?

Immutable Nexus is an ecosystem of Dedicated zkEVM gaming chains powered by the Immutable zkEVM chain that will provide shared liquidity and feature full platform support to allow AAA game developers to create complex games that each use their very own chain. By allowing studios to set up game-specific chains that use the same tech stack as Immutable zkEVM, developers are able to create massive games on secure blockchains capable of supporting huge transaction volumes and unique customization options such as turnkey blockchain hosting, dedicated block space and the ability to configure native ERC-20 tokens for gas and staking, according to the announcement.

The ecosystem will be supported by a cross-chain liquidity service and a variety of partners that include marketplaces, on-ramps and more that will all help in delivering a consistent experience across all chains, providing “critical services to fuel their economies.” The cross-chain liquidity service is said to be a group of APIs that allows funds to be moved between chains within the ecosystem. This allows gamers to enjoy a seamless experience where wallets have a single balance and funds are easily and quickly transferred between chains when needed, and players won’t even know that they’re actually making cross-chain transactions.

Accessibility is at the core of this ecosystem, and it needs to be so should it be ready to properly onboard millions of gamers into Web3. This is why Immutable is focused on creating an environment that hides all the blockchain tech intricacies, providing a user-friendly experience with aggregated balances, invisible bridging, seamless cross-chain interactions and more accessible features that will make jumping into blockchain gaming simpler than ever before. While players will get to experience a new level of accessibility in Web3 gaming, developers will still be able to benefit from shared liquidity, security, and blockchain technologies that help in creating immersive interoperable gaming experiences connected with all other games, marketplaces and projects part of the Immutable platform.

“Immutable Nexus ensures that games building on Immutable blockchains, regardless if it’s Immutable zkEVM or a Dedicated zkEVM, receive optimal liquidity, security, and accessibility. Dedicated zkEVM chains will allow Immutable to support the largest game studios in the world while maintaining product interoperability across all games building on Immutable. â€

The Benefits of a Dedicated zkEVM Chain

According to the announcement, a Dedicated zkEVM chain brings various benefits to developers looking to create a large on-chain game, as such a chain specific to one game is said to provide significant benefits to scalability, customizability and monetization. While the increasingly-popular public Immutable zkEVM is likely good enough for most games, Immutable also wants to support developers who want to run their own zkEVM gaming chain, as running one does come with increased scale and customization options that some studios may need due to the size and complexity of their games.

Scalability

By having one chain specifically dedicated to one Web3 title, a studio doesn’t have to worry about competing for block space in a public blockchain, as it gets to enjoy dedicated block space on its very own chain. This eliminates scalability issues and gives gaming companies freedom to build large on-chain games capable of supporting a high number of transactions that happen quickly without significant setbacks. With a dedicated gaming chain, studios are also able to customize the number of validators, giving developers room to choose whether they’d like to focus on improving scalability or decentralization, or try and balance between both.

Customization

Operating your own blockchain grants a variety of customization options that help in enhancing the overall user experience. Developers are given options to adjust the validator set, block size, block period and gas token, while utilizing security mechanisms and employing sequencing to add restrictions at the RPC layer.

Furthermore, a Dedicated zkEVM from Immutable brings a host of beneficial platform integrations that are EVM compatible. These include gaming SDKs, blockchain data APIs, the Immutable Orderbook and the Immutable Passport. The Immutable Orderbook brings shared liquidity throughout the ecosystem by allowing assets and NFT orders to be shared across all Immutable-powered marketplaces, while the Immutable Passport is a non-custodial wallet and authentication solution that features automated wallet creation and social login options to make it easier for mainstream gamers to jump into Web3.

Monetization

Being in control of your own chain also grants you the ability to add more utility to the game’s native token, making it possible to use custom ERC-20s for gas and staking, which the official post says is “a significant monetization opportunity” for many teams.

At the end of the day though, Immutable encourages developers to carefully think about their choice of chain, suggesting that focus should be placed more on delivering quality gameplay experiences while “building in a shared environment.”

“The recommendation we’ve made to many games is to start by building in a shared environment, and then to migrate all or part of your game to a Dedicated zkEVM when and if you actually need the scale or customization. By building with Immutable, you’ll be able to migrate without losing your connection to the best marketplaces, wallets, and ecosystem in web3 gaming.”

When Does it Launch?

Details on when Immutable Nexus will officially launch do not seem to be available at the time of writing, as the company is prioritizing the public release of the Immutable zkEVM Mainnet, which is currently available in Early Access to select partners.