Gala Games is shutting down "The Walking Dead: Empires," a multiplayer survival game built around Ethereum NFTs. The game, based on the popular TV show, has been in open beta for the past year after its announcement in late 2021. The shutdown is scheduled after July 31.

"The Walking Dead: Empires" allowed players to craft weapons, build bases, and fend off zombies. Users would be able to buy NFTs corresponding to their in-game items like supplies, weapons or land deeds for base-building. These NFTs once commanded high prices.

High-Value NFTs and Market Impact

NFTs within "The Walking Dead: Empires" reached significant values. Legendary land deed claims went for as high as $67,000 in 2021. Just this year, a digital NFT-based handgun sold for a jaw-dropping $30,000. In fact, even some other lower-level items went for at least $1,000. Lands were sold for upwards of $10,000.

Regardless, the game’s demise has certainly ignited conversations among the NFT gaming community. Some users expressed disappointment and frustration over the project's end, especially considering the substantial investments made in the game's NFTs.

"The Walking Dead: Empires officially rugs on Gala" - Jesus Martinez

Compensation and Future Utility

To prevent this, Gala assured users that it would compensate all affected users through an airdrop of other NFTs from its larger gaming ecosystem. The company stated that the new NFTs aim to provide "equal functionality" to the existing "The Walking Dead: Empires" NFT holdings.

While the game's journey is coming to an end, we remain committed to ensuring that these NFTs continue to have utility" - Gala Games

Moving forward, the company plans to protect that value for its users behind the most popular in-game currency, even after the game’s closing.

Broader Context of "The Walking Dead" NFTs

The Walking Dead IP has previously been the subject of other NFT projects. These run the gamut from NFTs on the Eluvio blockchain to a recent collaboration with the Ethereum metaverse game, The Sandbox. The hit television series THE WALKING DEAD spooled out 177 hours of zombie-driven drama over the course of 11 seasons.