Pudgy Penguins Announces Pudgy World Alpha Powered by zkSync at Art Basel Miami

The interactive experience will include the introduction of two “Hero Characters,” new story-driven missions, quests, and an open-world to explore.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Pudgy Penguins, the IP and brand development company behind the series of globally recognized characters and one of the most popular NFT collections, today announced the upcoming alpha launch of Pudgy World, with a trailer at Art Basel Miami. Pudgy World, powered by zkSync Era, is an immersive, digital environment accessible to Pudgy Penguins NFT holders, Pudgy Toy owners, the brand’s line of NFT-inspired toys, and adventurous gamers alike. Players will be able to explore an open world, customize their unique penguin characters, embark on a story-driven journey, and interact with friends along the way. The alpha will launch in Q1 of 2024.

The launch of Pudgy World plunges the company into Web3 gaming as the first-ever Web3 game with digital and physical collectibles. It is a testimony to the powerful progression of the brand, which now transcends well beyond NFT collectibles, and offers a unique approach to brand building by positioning itself as a fully immersive entertainment and lifestyle brand. Pudgy World’s alpha launch announcement also introduced Pudgy Penguins’ first “Hero Characters,” Pudgy and Peaches, that will drive the game’s narrative and guide players through the adventures that await them. The alpha will be a first-of-its-kind blend of entertainment IP and ZK (zero-knowledge) blockchain technology, a vital step towards mass adoption of Web3 technology.

Luca Netz, CEO of Pudgy Penguins, commented “Blockchain technology has historically been a B2B model, whereas Pudgy Penguins is direct-to-consumer retail, which reaches a considerably larger audience. The alpha launch of Pudgy World is a massive step forward for the Web3 and NFT space because Pudgy Penguin owners will be playing with their Pudgy Toys, without any pre-existing knowledge of the blockchain technology it is built on.”

Earlier this year, Pudgy Penguins launched the Pudgy Penguin Toy line in over 2,000 Walmart stores across the U.S. The success and expansion since the Walmart launch are a testament to the growing popularity of the Pudgy Penguin brand.

Each Pudgy Penguin toy comes with a QR code that allows the user to claim unique traits for their digital Forever Pudgy Penguin character inside Pudgy World. Gamers do not need to purchase a Pudgy Toy or hold a Pudgy NFT to play the alpha version of Pudgy World. From purchasing a physical toy, to exploring a blockchain-based digital world, each step has been carefully curated to create a rich user experience. The result is a highly customizable open-world game that enables easy onboarding into the Web3 ecosystem through art, play, and community. Since all of the toys are connected to existing pieces of NFT IP, the current NFT holders will receive licensing royalties for each corresponding toy. Pudgy World alpha will launch without tradability between users, meaning people can only get returns from the original sale. Players will eventually be able to partake in the Pudgy World game economy once the official Pudgy World exits a later phase.

“Pudgy Penguin fans have long been waiting for more ways to interact with their characters. Having a place like Pudgy World will allow players to take their fandom to the next level, ” said Netz. “We are thrilled to continue bringing innovative, new ways to have fun in the growing Pudgy Penguin community.We look forward to seeing everyone’s characters come to life in Pudgy World.”

A reliable blockchain with proven capabilities that is easy to access and built to scale is needed to keep pace with Pudgy Penguin’s global success. zkSync, along with the support of the zk community, is the only chain able to advocate for and bolster the success of Pudgy World and the Pudgy community as they introduce blockchain technology to the next generation of mobile gamers.

“Pudgy World leverages zkSync’s revolutionary zero-knowledge (ZK) technology to unlock new business models and gaming experiences, similar to the gaming industry’s transformative shift to mobile games,” remarked Michael Lee, former Activision Blizzard executive and current SVP of Growth at Matter Labs. “The launch of Pudgy World, in collaboration with Walmart, stands as a remarkable testament to the capabilities of our joint development teams. Whether you’re a seasoned NFT collector or venturing into crypto for the first time, Pudgy World aims to welcome millions of gamers into web3 to have fun, as well as forge lasting friendships.”

The Pudgy Penguins team selected zkSync because it was the first zkEVM and fastest proof system in production to scale Ethereum to a million developers and a billion users. Moreover, the technology allows Pudgy World to seamlessly interact with all the notable IP and big brands building on zkSync — making future collaborations easy as a single line of code.

Lorenzo Melendez, President of Pudgy Penguins, comments, “zkSync was selected as the underlying technology for a plethora of reasons, which includes, but not limited to, the trustless and secure technological superiority of the blockchain, as well as the reliable, accessible, privacy-preserving, and hyperscalable nature of the ZK Stack, setting Pudgy World up for success.”

Art Basel Reveal

At an exclusive event during Art Basel, Pudgy Penguins CEO, Luca Netz, addressed attendees to announce the launch of Pudgy World accompanied by an animated video detailing the expansion. The video included new quests, and neighborhoods, and introduced the two first Hero Characters, Pudgy and Peaches, their personalities, and how they are important to the overall growth of Pudgy Penguins.

About Pudgy Penguins

Pudgy Penguins is dedicated to making Web3 accessible to everyone by creating innovative products that enable seamless onboarding. Their focus on community empowerment and building brand awareness has made them the leading IP in the Web3 space while also disrupting the traditional IP sphere. They’re committed to impacting the everyday consumer and shaping the future of IP, Web3, and beyond. Visit pudgypenguins.com to learn more.

Instagram: @pudgypenguins

Twitter: @pudgypenguins

YouTube: @pudgypenguinsofficial

About zkSync

zkSync is cutting-edge zero-knowledge (ZK) technology to scale Ethereum and bring crypto to the mainstream — reaching millions of developers and billions of people in need of a technological solution for achieving progress and prosperity. Deeply rooted in its mission to advance personal freedom for all, the zkSync blockchain network makes digital self-ownership universally available. It is trustless, secure, reliable, censorship-resistant, privacy-preserving, hyperscalable, accessible, and sovereign. To learn more about zkSync, visit www.zksync.io.

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