Introduction

GUNZ is a specialized Layer 1 blockchain platform designed to revolutionize the gaming industry by giving players true ownership of in-game assets. Developed by Gunzilla Games, GUNZ addresses key issues in traditional gaming, such as centralized control over digital items and the inability to trade these items outside the game environment. By leveraging blockchain technology, GUNZ allows players to convert in-game items into Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), enabling them to trade, sell, or hold these assets independently.

The platform is built on an Avalanche Subnet, ensuring high scalability, low transaction fees, and fast transaction speeds—essential for maintaining smooth and responsive gaming experiences. GUNZ offers optional blockchain integration, meaning players can engage with NFTs or enjoy traditional gameplay without blockchain involvement.

The first game to use GUNZ is Off The Grid (OTG), a cyberpunk-themed battle royale. In OTG, players can collect valuable in-game items and convert them into NFTs, adding real-world value to their gaming efforts. This approach introduces a player-driven economy where the market is dictated by supply and demand, empowering gamers with more control over their digital assets. By bridging blockchain technology with mainstream gaming, GUNZ creates a platform that benefits players and developers, promoting ownership, economic opportunities, and a decentralized gaming ecosystem.

What is GUNZ?

Source: GUNZ website

GUNZ is a Layer 1 blockchain platform specifically designed for the gaming industry. Developed by Gunzilla Games, GUNZ aims to seamlessly integrate blockchain technology into video games, enabling true ownership of in-game assets. Unlike traditional gaming systems, where developers control items, GUNZ allows players to own, trade, and monetize their assets in the form of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).

Built on an Avalanche Subnet, GUNZ offers a scalable, secure, and efficient blockchain infrastructure. This ensures fast transaction speeds, low fees, and reliable performance—essential for maintaining a smooth gaming experience. The blockchain architecture of GUNZ is customized to support the high demands of gaming, providing developers with APIs and SDKs to integrate blockchain features into their games.

One of the distinguishing features of GUNZ is its “Play-to-Own” model. In this system, players can obtain in-game items through gameplay, convert them into NFTs, and trade them in an open marketplace. This allows players to benefit economically from their in-game efforts. Importantly, GUNZ allows players to use blockchain features, meaning participation in NFT trading is not mandatory to enjoy the game.

The platform’s native token, GUN, serves as the primary currency for transactions within the ecosystem. GUN tokens can be used for buying and selling NFTs, participating in the marketplace, and potentially for governance within the platform.

The first game to implement GUNZ is Off The Grid (OTG), a triple-A battle royale game. In OTG, players can extract HEXes, which can be converted to NFTs and traded. This integration demonstrates how GUNZ enhances the gaming experience by adding a layer of real-world value to digital assets.

History of GUNZ: Origins and Key Persons

Source: Website

GUNZ was developed by Gunzilla Games, a gaming studio founded in March 2020. Gunzilla Games was established with the mission of pushing the boundaries of traditional gaming by integrating blockchain technology. The studio focuses on creating high-quality, player-driven experiences, specifically emphasizing true ownership of in-game assets.

Founders and Key Team Members

Vlad Korolov (CEO & Co-Founder)
Vlad Korolov co-founded Gunzilla Games and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. He brings extensive experience in the gaming industry, having previously been part of the development team for Warface, a popular free-to-play first-person shooter known for its massive concurrent player base.

Alex Zoll (CSO & Co-Founder)
Alex Zoll, the Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of Gunzilla Games, also played a significant role in developing Warface. His strategic insights have been instrumental in shaping the vision and direction of the studio and the GUNZ platform.

Neill Blomkamp (Chief Visionary Officer & Co-Founder)
In 2021, Hollywood director Neill Blomkamp joined Gunzilla Games as the Chief Visionary Officer. Known for his work on films like District 9 and Elysium, Blomkamp’s expertise in storytelling and world-building has been pivotal in developing Off The Grid (OTG), the first game to utilize the GUNZ blockchain.

Origins and Development

Gunzilla Games was created to address limitations in traditional gaming, such as the lack of true ownership of digital assets and the inability to trade items outside of controlled environments. Recognizing the potential of blockchain to solve these issues, the team began developing GUNZ as a dedicated Layer 1 blockchain for gaming.

The platform’s foundation on an Avalanche Subnet was chosen for its scalability, speed, and low transaction fees—critical factors for maintaining smooth gameplay. The development of GUNZ was driven by the goal of making blockchain integration optional and accessible, ensuring that gamers could enjoy blockchain benefits without being forced to engage with complex crypto systems.

Gunzilla Games has also formed strategic partnerships to bolster the GUNZ ecosystem. Delphi Ventures, a well-known crypto investment firm, has become the largest validator of the GUNZ blockchain. This partnership provides financial and strategic support, helping ensure the platform’s growth and stability.

How Does GUNZ Work?

GUNZ is a Layer 1 blockchain platform integrating blockchain technology into video games, enabling true ownership and trade of in-game assets. GUNZ operates on an Avalanche Subnet, providing a customized blockchain environment tailored to gaming needs. The Avalanche Subnet ensures:

• High Scalability: Supports many transactions without lag, essential for fast-paced gaming.
• Low Transaction Fees: Keeps the cost of minting and trading NFTs affordable for players.
• Fast Transactions: Near-instant transaction finality ensures seamless user experiences.

This infrastructure allows games using GUNZ to maintain performance comparable to traditional games while leveraging blockchain features.

Players earn or discover in-game items (referred to as HEXes) during gameplay. These items can be used traditionally within the game and can be converted into NFTs for true ownership. When a player extracts or acquires a HEX, they can choose to convert it into an NFT. This conversion process registers the item on the blockchain, gives the player verifiable ownership, and allows items to be traded outside the game.

Players are not required to engage with blockchain features. They can enjoy the game without converting items into NFTs, making GUNZ accessible to those unfamiliar with blockchain.

Once an item is converted to an NFT, it can be traded on the in-game marketplace managed by GUNZ or an external NFT platform like OpenSea. The economy within GUNZ is fully driven by players. Developers do not sell in-game items directly, ensuring a fair and balanced trading environment where supply and demand are dictated by the player community.

Key Features of GUNZ

The GUNZ blockchain platform offers a set of features designed to enhance the gaming experience by integrating blockchain technology while maintaining accessibility for all types of players. These features address the need for true ownership, player-driven economies, and seamless developer integration.

True Ownership of In-Game Assets

One of the primary features of GUNZ is the ability for players to achieve true ownership of in-game items. In traditional games, developers retain control over digital assets, meaning players cannot fully own or trade their items outside the game. GUNZ solves this problem by allowing players to convert in-game items, HEXes, into Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Once converted, the player owns these NFTs outright and stored securely on the blockchain. This ownership allows players to trade, sell, or keep their items indefinitely without interference from developers.

Play-to-Own Economy

Source: Website

GUNZ introduces a Play-to-Own model, where players earn valuable items through gameplay instead of purchasing them directly from developers. Players can complete missions, win battles, and achieve milestones to obtain in-game items. These items can then be converted into NFTs and traded in the marketplace. This player-driven economy ensures that the value of items is determined by supply and demand within the player community, creating a more balanced and fair marketplace. GUNZ provides a new way to engage with digital assets by enabling players to profit from their in-game achievements.

Optional Blockchain Integration

GUNZ is designed to be flexible and accessible to a wide audience. Blockchain integration is entirely optional, meaning players who prefer a traditional gaming experience can enjoy the game without interacting with NFTs or cryptocurrencies. This approach lowers the barrier to entry, ensuring that players unfamiliar with blockchain technology are not excluded. Those who wish to participate in the blockchain economy can easily opt in, creating a seamless experience for traditional gamers and enthusiasts.

Native Token: GUN

The GUN token is the core currency within the GUNZ ecosystem. It serves multiple purposes, including paying transaction fees for converting items into NFTs, buying and selling assets in the marketplace, and potentially participating in platform governance in the future. Players can also earn GUN tokens through gameplay achievements and challenges. The use of a native token ensures a unified and streamlined transaction system within the GUNZ platform, supporting the overall economy and incentivizing player activity.

Scalable Blockchain Infrastructure

GUNZ is built on an Avalanche Subnet, offering high scalability, low fees, and fast transaction speeds. This infrastructure ensures that the platform can handle the demands of modern gaming, such as processing a high volume of transactions without delays or lag. The Avalanche Subnet allows GUNZ to provide a smooth and responsive gaming experience, even when blockchain interactions are involved. Low transaction fees make it cost-effective for players to convert items into NFTs and participate in the marketplace.

Developer-Friendly Tools

For game developers, GUNZ provides a suite of APIs and SDKs to simplify blockchain integration. These tools enable developers to incorporate blockchain features, such as NFT minting and trading, without extensive blockchain expertise. The platform’s flexible architecture allows developers to customize how blockchain elements are implemented in their games, ensuring that the integration enhances rather than disrupts the gaming experience. By offering these tools, GUNZ aims to encourage more developers to adopt blockchain technology.

Security and Transparency

GUNZ ensures that all transactions are secure and transparent. The blockchain’s immutable ledger records all ownership and transaction data, preventing tampering and fraud. Players can verify the authenticity and history of their NFTs, creating trust and fairness within the ecosystem. This level of transparency benefits players and developers, ensuring the economy remains fair and trustworthy.

Is GUN a Good Investment?

The primary value of the GUN token lies in its utility within the GUNZ ecosystem. It serves multiple purposes, such as paying for transaction fees when converting in-game items to NFTs, facilitating trades in the marketplace, and potentially being used for governance in future updates. Because GUN is tied directly to player activity and the Play-to-Own economy, its demand is driven by the engagement and growth of the platform’s user base. As more players and developers adopt the GUNZ platform, the utility of the GUN token could increase, supporting its long-term value.

Like all cryptocurrencies, GUN is subject to market volatility. Factors that could impact its value include:

• Crypto Market Trends: Broader market movements in the cryptocurrency sector can influence the price of GUN.
• Adoption Rates: The success of GUN depends on the number of players and developers who use the GUNZ platform. Slow adoption or lack of interest could limit the token’s growth.
• Competition: Other blockchain gaming platforms and tokens may compete for market share, affecting GUN’s potential value.

Investors should consider these risks and stay informed about market developments and platform updates.

The GUNZ platform has a clear roadmap for growth, including expanding the ecosystem to support additional games, launching the GUNZ mainnet, and introducing more features for developers and players. These upcoming milestones could positively impact the GUN token’s value if they are successfully executed. A clear platform development plan adds confidence to GUN’s investment potential.

How Can You Own GUN?

The GUN token is the native cryptocurrency of the GUNZ blockchain platform, and there are several ways for players, investors, and enthusiasts to acquire it.

Earning GUN Through Gameplay

Players can earn GUN tokens by participating in gameplay in games that integrate the GUNZ blockchain, such as Off The Grid (OTG). This can include successfully finishing specific objectives within the game, achieving victories in matches or challenges, and collecting in-game assets (HEXes) that can be converted to NFTs and potentially traded for GUN. The Play-to-Own model ensures that GUN is distributed as a reward for skill, effort, and strategic gameplay, providing an incentive for active participation.

Purchasing GUN on Cryptocurrency Exchanges

Once the GUN token is launched and listed on cryptocurrency exchanges, users can buy it directly. This typically involves platforms like gate.io.

Participating in Token Sales or Airdrops

GUN may be available through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), Initial Exchange Offering (IEO), or other token sale events. Participating in these events allows early access to GUN tokens before they become available on exchanges.

Gunzilla Games or its partners may distribute free GUN tokens through airdrops or promotional campaigns. These usually require users to complete simple tasks (e.g., social media engagement) and hold specific assets or participate in community events.

Trading NFTs for GUN

Source: Gunzilla Website

In games like Off The Grid, players can trade in-game NFTs for GUN tokens in the marketplace. If you acquire valuable NFTs, you can sell them to other players in exchange for GUN. GUNZ supports integration with platforms like OpenSea, allowing players to trade NFTs outside the game and receive GUN tokens as payment.

Tokenomics of GUN

Source: Website

The GUN token has multiple use cases within the GUNZ ecosystem:

Transaction Fees: GUN is used to pay for converting in-game items (HEXes) into NFTs and for other blockchain transactions on the GUNZ network.

In-Game Marketplace Transactions: Players use GUN to buy, sell, or trade NFTs in the in-game marketplace or on supported external platforms like OpenSea.

Incentives and Rewards: Players can earn GUN tokens by completing missions or challenges, winning matches, achieving milestones, and extracting valuable in-game items.

Potential Governance: In future developments, GUN holders may have the opportunity to vote on key decisions related to the GUNZ platform, such as updates, new features, or ecosystem changes.

Roadmap of GUNZ

The GUNZ platform, developed by Gunzilla Games, is a Layer 1 blockchain tailored for the gaming industry. Its roadmap outlines the strategic milestones aimed at integrating blockchain technology into gaming, enhancing player experiences, and expanding the ecosystem.

April 2023: Gunzilla Games announced the launch of GUNZ, built on an Avalanche Subnet to provide a seamless, low-latency gaming experience.

2023-2024: GUNZ was set to debut as the supporting platform for “Off The Grid,” a cyberpunk-themed battle royale game where players can own and trade in-game items as NFTs.

Expansion of GUNZ Ecosystem: The platform is designed to support additional games, providing developers with tools like APIs and SDKs to integrate blockchain features into their projects.

Introduction of TECHNOCORE: TECHNOCORE, the first game launched on the GUNZ blockchain, allows players to navigate a drone through a desalination plant, collecting loot boxes and decoding them into rare NFT items.

Regular updates, including new seasons and features for games like TECHNOCORE, are being rolled out to enhance player engagement and expand the GUNZ community.

Conclusion

GUNZ represents a significant advancement in the fusion of gaming and blockchain technology. Offering true ownership of in-game assets and fostering a player-driven economy provides a unique and engaging experience for gamers. As the platform continues to evolve and expand, it holds the potential to reshape the gaming landscape, offering exciting opportunities for both players and developers.