- Dr. Disrespect, the popular YouTube streamer, started his own game studio, Midnight Society, with plans to create a first-person shooter game called “Deadrop”.
- “Deadrop” has ruffled feathers among crypto haters due to the release of 10,000 optional Polygon NFTs called “Founders Passes” for the unreleased game. During the pre-alpha gameplay test, “Deadrop” was played publicly to much fanfare.
- While “Deadrop” isn’t the first game to feature NFTs, the use of NFTs as optional perks rather than in-game advantages could provide a way for other game studios to explore the integration of NFTs in a more positive light in the future.
Disrespected Doctor
Guy “Dr. Disrespect” Beam, the popular YouTube streamer and former pro esports player, started his own game studio, Midnight Society, in 2021 with plans to create a top-tier first-person shooter. Plans for his first game, “Deadrop,” ruffled feathers among crypto haters because Midnight Society released 10,000 optional Polygon NFTs called “Founders Passes” for the unreleased game last year [3]. Now in its pre-alpha stage, “Deadrop” was publicly play-tested to much fanfare on March 17th, 2023, by the likes of esports stars Dr. Lupo, Scump, Zlaner, and other pro players.
In addition to the IRL audience, Dr. Disrespect’s livestream of the event saw roughly 22,000 concurrent viewers, and Scump’s stream of the event garnered 10,000 concurrent viewers. Opt-in NFTs for the game appear to function more as tickets to a membership club of sorts, granting holders a one-of-a-kind PFP whose visor can be worn in-game, voting rights on game elements, access to Midnight Society events, priority for merch, access to game builds, and other perks. The current floor price for a Founders Pass is 0.4 ETH, which is about $726 [1].
PVPVE
During the pre-alpha gameplay test, Midnight Society cofounder and ex-“Halo” developer Quinn DelHoyo explained that not only is “Deadrop” person-vs-person (PVP), but it also has a core person-vs-environment element (PVE), making it a bit like fellow PVP Battle Royales “Call of Duty: Warzone” or “Apex Legends,” but “Deadrop” has a uniquely retro aesthetic.
One element of “Deadrop” that makes it relatively unique compared to other shooters is the fact that “teaming” is allowed and actually encouraged by the devs. Teaming is when multiple players form groups in the game and agree not to kill each other, even though they could do so and reap great rewards. Teaming in “Deadrop” has its own issues, such as accidentally shooting your friends or grappling with the impact of betrayal [2].
While “Deadrop” may not be the first game to feature NFTs, the game grants Polygon NFT holders exclusive access and perks but no in-game advantages. With the use of NFTs and web3, gaming is changing, providing players with more ownership and control over in-game assets, as well as allowing creators to monetize their creations in new ways. The positive use of NFTs in “Deadrop” as optional perks rather than in-game advantages could provide a way for other game studios to explore the integration of NFTs in a more positive light in the future [1].
