Bear in mind Blankos Block Social gathering—the colorful on-line recreation stuffed with vinyl toy characters that made waves a number of years in the past?
If you happen to have been following gaming traits, you may recall when it burst onto the scene as one of many first mainstream titles to experiment with blockchain expertise. So much has occurred since then!
Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at what made the sport stand out, why it disappeared from PC gaming, and what could be subsequent.
Key Insights
Blankos launched “playable NFTs” via customisable digital toys owned by way of blockchainBlankos is the primary web3 recreation 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 artistic and monetary stakeIn 2023–2024, the sport transitioned to the Polkadot blockchain
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringThe place did Blankos Block Social gathering come from?
Blankos Begins (2018–2020)
Blankos started as a ardour mission from Legendary Video games, a studio fashioned by business veterans who had labored on franchises like Name of Responsibility 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 really 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 a whole bunch of 1000’s of views, and mainstream gaming websites like IGN took discover.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringMomentum Builds (2021–2022)
The sport opened to the general public in June 2021 via early entry and surpassed a million registered gamers by the tip of the 12 months—spectacular for a blockchain-based title.
This development part 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 stunts—they represented a singular mix of gaming, style, music, and blockchain.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringIn September 2022, Blankos made headlines once more by turning into the primary blockchain recreation to launch on the Epic Video games Retailer. That second adopted a 12 months of negotiations with Epic to deal with age rankings and blockchain insurance policies.
The total launch launched Season One, including new modes, character lessons, and power-ups. A partnership with Toho introduced Godzilla, Mothra, and MechaGodzilla into the sport as limited-edition characters.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringPlatform Shift (2023–Now)
In 2023, Blankos continued to evolve with new content material. Season Two launched redesigned characters, development programs, battle royale modes, and crafting mechanics. Updates to the social hub saved the multiplayer expertise full of life.
Then got here a significant shift. Legendary Video games introduced that it could sundown the PC model to deal with cellular. CEO John Linden defined that buying new PC gamers had grow to be too expensive, whereas cellular offered a clearer development 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 cellular model.
That very same 12 months, Blankos moved to the Polkadot blockchain, which supplied sooner transactions and decrease charges. The swap aligned the sport with Legendary’s different titles, equivalent to NFL Rivals, laying the groundwork for potential cross-game options sooner or later.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringHow did Blankos impression NFT gaming?
Blankos Block Social gathering performed a key position in shaping the early NFT gaming house.
It helped deliver 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 data, 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.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringWhat’s it wish to play Blankos Block Social gathering?
At its core, Blankos was a celebration recreation 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 talents, and the sport included a “mash-up” system that allowed gamers to mix Blankos to create rarer variants.
The Unboxing Mechanic
A key characteristic was the unboxing mechanic. New Blankos arrived in digital bins you could possibly preserve them mint-in-box (like a pristine collectible) or “unbox” them to begin taking part in.
As soon as opened, they couldn’t be reboxed, including a component of shortage over time.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringTotally different Recreation Modes
The sport featured a number of aggressive modes:
Quick-paced races with parkour elementsShooter fashion 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 via 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 recreation ranges—no coding required.
Neighborhood creations ranged from easy racetracks to elaborate platforming challenges. Legendary often spotlighted standout builds, encouraging creativity and selection.
Market and Financial system
The in-game NFT market allowed gamers to commerce characters and objects, largely utilizing fiat foreign money.
Legendary offered 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 payment—so creators or collaborating manufacturers continued to profit from secondary gross sales.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringWhat’s subsequent for Blankos Block Social gathering?
With the PC model now offline, the main focus has shifted completely to cellular. Legendary is constructing greater than a easy port—they’re aiming for a completely redesigned cellular expertise, with contact controls and recreation modes tailor-made to cellular customers.
If profitable, Blankos might grow to be one of many first mainstream web3 video games to thrive on cellular. That may be no small feat, given the tough approval course of for crypto-adjacent apps. Different initiatives, equivalent to Nakamoto Video games, are already making ready cellular releases, suggesting that this may very well be the subsequent large wave in web3 gaming.
The transfer to Polkadot additionally introduces technical advantages, like sooner and cheaper transactions—key enhancements for cellular scalability. Now that Blankos shares infrastructure with different Legendary titles, there’s additionally potential for shared property and crossover occasions. Sooner or later, objects from Blankos may seem in NFL Rivals, or vice versa.
Polkadot’s deal with interoperability means the sport might ultimately bridge to exterior marketplaces like OpenSea, making it doable 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 grow to be extra open to NFTs and digital collectibles, as others like Moonray put together for console launches in 2025.
Supply: Blankos Block Social gatheringA Defining Chapter in Web3 Gaming
Blankos Block Social gathering has performed a major position within the evolution of blockchain gaming.
From its early days in 2018 to a multi-year run on PC and now a pivot to cellular, it has constantly pushed boundaries. It launched tens of millions of gamers to the thought of digital possession, championed creator economies, and confirmed how model partnerships might reside inside recreation 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 cellular and Polkadot represents a strategic shift, not a retreat. Blankos might now not be the one web3 recreation within the highlight, however it’s going to seemingly be remembered as one of many first to mix blockchain, creativity, and mainstream enchantment in a means that truly labored.
Whether or not or not the cellular model turns into a breakout hit, Blankos has already earned its place in gaming historical past.
