Nike, a titan in the world of footwear and apparel, has started dropping hints about a potentially massive move: introducing a collection digital sneakers through special a sneaker hunt game inside Fortnite, the massively popular online game developed by Epic Games.
Rumors of Airphoria: A Possible Revolution in the Gaming Industry
On 6.20 the ultimate Sneakerhunt begins. 🏙️🌬️AirphoriaAirphoria pic.twitter.com/QgMyA1uXRT
— Nike (@Nike) June 16, 2023
A Leap Into Web3 for Nike with .SWOOSH
This wouldn't be . The company has been stepping up its efforts to merge its Web3 unit, .SWOOSH, into traditional gaming. Just recently, on June 1, .SWOOSH announced its intention to incorporate its digital assets into games developed by EA Sports, a household name responsible for the incredibly successful FIFA soccer game franchise, among others. Although it's still not confirmed which EA Sports games will incorporate Nike digital assets, this latest hint seems to suggest that Nike's integration into the gaming world might be deeper than previously anticipated.
Given .SWOOSH's involvement and Epic Games' known affinity for blockchain gaming, the speculations might come to fruition, and the move could provide a considerable opportunity for Web3 adoption amongst traditional gamers. Considering Fortnite's impressive player base of over 242.9 million active players in the past 30 days, as reported by Active Player, the potential impact could be monumental.
Nike has previously launched , as well as an earlier .
NOTE:
A previous version of this article stated the possibility of NFTs on Fortnite. This was not case, however, as the project launched without them.
This article has been updated based the information provided from the official press release, while representative from Epic Games has reached out to CryptoDaily with the following statement:
The connection between Fortnite and Nike doesn't integrate any NFTs or digital item trading marketplaces into the Fortnite world or its economy. Items recognized across these two ecosystems are purely for the enjoyment of the purchaser, and aren't tradeable, transferrable, or sellable, as has always been the case in the Fortnite economy.”