Ubisoft is ending Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, its Web3-enabled, turn-based strategy game. The title launched in 2024, during the peak of interest in NFTs and blockchain gaming.
A notice published on the game’s website and its Discord server confirms that the servers will close on October 30. Ubisoft said it had reached the decision to sunset Champions Tactics after careful consideration.
Champions Tactics moved away from Web3 features
The shutdown will not have come as a complete surprise to the remaining player base. In May, Ubisoft said the game would move away from its Web3 systems following unspecified changes to the Oasys blockchain infrastructure.
Blockchain ownership was central to the original design. Players could mint the units used in battles and trade them through a blockchain marketplace in exchange for money or OAS, the Oasys cryptocurrency.
For readers following the wider arcade and gaming news, the closure is another reminder that online games can depend on services, communities and infrastructure that may not last. That is a very different ownership model from a dedicated arcade machine or a physical game setup.
A non-NFT version failed to find a large audience
Ubisoft also released a separate free-to-play edition on Steam last year: Champions Tactics Reforged. It removed the main NFT functionality in an apparent attempt to make the game more accessible to players who had no interest in blockchain technology.
However, the Steam version received mixed reviews, suggesting that removing the NFT systems did not create enough momentum to bring in a substantial audience. Players looking for more lasting physical gaming setups can compare options in the arcade machine buying guide, including upright arcades and compact bartop cabinets.
Ubisoft points players towards a new card game
The publisher is now encouraging some of the remaining community to try Might and Magic Fates. The collectible card game entered early access in February, and high-ranked Champions Tactics players are being offered exclusive in-game rewards if they make the switch.
Might and Magic Fates has a stronger Hearthstone-style presentation, while its planned marketplace will let players buy and sell cards for cash or cryptocurrency. Some messages in the Champions Tactics Discord indicate that the community remains sceptical about the new game’s prospects.
With the original title leaving its blockchain model behind before its servers close, Ubisoft’s latest attempt to connect collectible game items with real-world trading now faces an uncertain future.
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