This Week in Crypto Games: Bonk ‘Kill-to-Earn’ Solana Launch, ‘FIFA Rivals’ Nears Release – Decrypt

It’s tough to keep tabs on the ever-changing crypto gaming space, thanks to the constant flow of news: everything from big game launches and fun degen experiments to token price swings and occasional project collapses. It’s a lot to follow.

Luckily, we’re plugged in at Decrypt‘s GG. We cover the biggest happenings throughout the week, and then this weekly roundup provides a quick way to catch up, as well as find a bunch of other little bits of news from throughout the week.

Top stories

Bonk Arena launches: Solana meme coin Bonk has launched its first official video game, Bonk Arena, developed by Bravo Ready. The fast-paced, top-down arcade shooter is playable through web browsers and the Phantom wallet mobile app, with plans for release on the upcoming PSG1 handheld device.

The game uses a “pay-to-spawn, win-to-earn” model where players pay 10,000 BONK tokens (just over $0.15 today) to spawn and inherit stakes from killed players. Half the revenue will fund BONK token burns, rewards, and charity donations, while the other half supports READY token buybacks.

Bonk, originally created after the FTX collapse to unite Solana community members, has become a symbol of the network’s resurgence, and continues expanding its ecosystem presence through various projects.

FIFA Rivals incoming: Blockchain-powered mobile soccer game FIFA Rivals will launch on June 12 on iOS and Android, bolstered by a multi-year licensing partnership with Adidas. The collaboration integrates Adidas products throughout the game, including digital kits, jerseys, and exclusive branded items tied to the company’s soccer heritage.

FIFA Rivals combines FIFA branding with casual gameplay, allowing players to build teams using major clubs and stars, compete in real-time matches, and trade digital player cards as NFTs on the Mythical Marketplace. The game follows Mythical Games’ previous NFL Rivals title, and is built on the Polkadot-powered Mythos chain.

Additional features include digital kit drops, boot releases connected to real-world player performance, limited-edition match balls, and training facilities for card upgrades. FIFA separately announced plans for its own Avalanche blockchain to support its FIFA Collect digital collectibles platform.

ICYMI

• Flappy Bird has renewed its Web3 push, teasing a new competitive version of the game with on-chain rewards, plus an IP protocol.