Mobile game maker iBall Games has announced a partnership with web3 platform Immutable to introduce iBall Pool, a blockchain-based mobile pool game. The game is currently in beta testing, with plans for a full launch in early 2024. By teaming up with Immutable, iBall Games aims to expedite the development of its blockchain-powered title, offering players complete ownership of their digital assets and other innovative features.
iBall Games, a Singapore-based studio known for its highly popular mobile game 8 Ball Pool, which boasts over one billion downloads and more than 10 million daily active players, is behind the creation of iBall Pool. The development team, comprising Carsten Niemer and Thomas Elgaard, the original creators of 8 Ball Pool, along with iBall Games founder Jonathan Iverson, joined forces to bring their vision of a blockchain-based version of the game to life. The goal is to provide gamers with complete ownership of their assets within a cutting-edge gameplay experience.
Taking inspiration from their previous success with pool games, iBall Games built iBall Pool from scratch, incorporating their proprietary physics engine and graphics. The game offers a range of player-versus-player modes and a tournament mode, which includes an AI skill-matching engine.
Jonathan Iverson, CEO of iBall Games, expressed his belief in the strength of partnering with an exclusive gaming ecosystem that caters to all use cases. He praised Immutable’s continuous efforts to enhance its gaming ecosystem, developer tooling, and publishing capabilities, highlighting the recent introduction of Immutable zkEVM. Iverson looks forward to redefining the pool game experience with the support of Immutable.
iBall Games and Immutable Partner to Launch Blockchain-Based iBall Pool Mobile Game
The collaboration with Immutable and the utilization of its application programming interface (API) will significantly reduce the time and cost involved in game development for iBall Games. iBall Pool serves as the first of many games running on Immutable, utilizing the newly announced immutable zkEVM, which allows creators to incorporate advanced trading and game mechanics through smart contracts.
Andrew Sorokowski, Vice President of Global Business Development at Immutable, emphasized the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries and diversifying web3 games. He sees the addition of a popular genre like pool to the Immutable Blockchain family as a crucial step towards catering to a wide range of players.
Partnership with Immutable Enhances iBall Games’ Blockchain Title Development
In January, iBall Pool achieved a sellout within 30 minutes by minting 4,001 Genesis non-fungible tokens (NFTs) called Balldroids Gen0. To accommodate players who missed out, the team is expanding the NFT series by introducing a multiplayer Phase 2 game. Balldroid Gen 1 will act as an early access pass, and NFTs will be launched on the ImmutableX platform. Balldroid holders will have the opportunity to claim a special Game Starter Pack of NFT signs, currency, and the NFT Season Pass, unlocking exclusive rewards within the game. Additionally, Balldroid owners will enjoy an ad-free experience upon the mobile game’s release.
The full launch of iBall Pool on mobile devices is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024 on the immutable zKEVM, at which point the NFTs will be transformed into a game starter pack containing unique items. Meanwhile, gamers can sign up for teasers, early releases, and the NFT whitelist through the official website.
Immutable Gaming Platform simplifies the process for game studios to build and launch successful games on the Ethereum network. By offering zero-knowledge (zk) scaling solutions to the Ethereum community, including various zk-based scaling options for developers, Immutable aims to empower the blockchain gaming industry.
With 13 employees, iBall Games established its latest unit in July 2022. The company expressed excitement in exploring the potential of blockchain technology to foster interoperability and shared ownership, particularly after the success of 8 Ball Pool, the most popular mobile pool game to date. iBall Games seeks to revolutionize how players engage with pool games and aims to create an in-game ecosystem that caters to vibrant communities built around knowledge sharing, skills, influential figures, and friendships.
