- FTX-owned Web3 card battling game Storybook Brawl is closing down its servers.
- FTX’s ex-CEO noted the game as the frontier for Web3 gaming and was an avid fan.
- The game developers pointed to problems with FTX.
FTX continues to wreak havoc in the crypto industry, growing its list of victims. The exchange’s chaotic spree has yet to slow down despite already causing trouble for numerous A-list celebrities and crypto firms.
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This time, FTX has taken another victim – Storybook Brawl, a Web3 Hearthstone counterpart once cherished by its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried.
GG WP
On Wednesday, April 26, Storybook Brawl creators Good Luck Games shared that it’s shutting down its competitive card game by May 1 after struggling to find a “path forward” due to its parent company FTX shutting down.
The game studio could likely be on the edge of being liquidated following FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings, forcing the developers to close their servers and stop supporting the game.
Players have until May 1 to play the game, after which it will cease. The developers bid their farewell on Twitter and have yet to reveal where they’ll go.
FTX’s former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, who now faces 13 criminal charges, has cited the game as the “next big thing” for crypto gaming. However, the game’s story ends in light of the developers’ announcement.
A Short-lived Brawl
FTX acquired Storybook Brawl under its Gaming banner in 2022. Sam Bankman-Fried was an avid fan of the game, sharing it would help him “unwind a bit” and clear his mind.
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Despite being a small indie game, the card-battling game projected impressive numbers. According to StreamCharts data, Storybook Brawl’s all-time concurrent players peaked at 2,770 on Stream in September 2021 – six months before FTX acquired it.
However, the game’s player count slowly dwindled after the exchange acquired it, dropping by almost 60% from 820 players to roughly 330 on average. Many players expressed their frustration with the game towards “forcing” NFT integration on social media and in reviews.
With lesser players playing the game, the FTX fiasco hit the game hard, forcing it to cancel its World Championship event after the exchange filed for bankruptcy.
The game has since struggled to take off without FTX in the equation.
On the Flipside
- FTX has recovered nearly $7.3 billion and plans to relaunch its business in 2024.
- Sam Bankman-Fried has been charged with conspiring to make over 300 illegal political donations.
- Leading esports company TSM has found a new Web3 partner after suspending its $210 million FTX deal.
Why You Should Care
Many capable and exciting projects are fading out because of the disgraced exchange. Storybook Brawl could serve as a lesson for upcoming indie-game developers easily swayed by shady get-rich-quick schemes and exchanges.
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Sam Bankman-Fried: Crypto’s Fallen Hero?
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