Pudgy Penguins has shut down its mobile game Pudgy Party less than a year after launch, redirecting focus to its own game, Pudgy World.
Pudgy Party Game Shut Down
The mobile battle royale game Pudgy Party, inspired by the Pudgy Penguins, has been officially discontinued as of Friday, less than a year after its launch. It is no longer available for download on iOS and Android devices.
Focus Shifts to Pudgy World
The Pudgy Penguins team announced the closure through a statement on the game's official X account, indicating a strategic shift towards Pudgy World, a fully owned gaming project. They emphasized that Pudgy World is experiencing significant growth and is poised to become the flagship game of the Pudgy Penguins universe.
Game Background and Performance
Pudgy Party was co-developed with Mythical Games, known for titles like FIFA Rivals. Launched globally in August, the game offered a unique multiplayer experience reminiscent of Fall Guys, where players navigated chaotic obstacle courses. It also featured a crypto element, allowing players to mint and trade NFT-based in-game items.
Despite achieving millions of downloads and recognition, including a Game of the Year award from Decrypt's GG, the project faced substantial financial losses. CEO Luca Netz shared with the community that maintaining Pudgy Party proved unsustainable, a sentiment confirmed by a Pudgy Penguins spokesperson.
Transition to Pudgy World
Pudgy World is described as an online playground reminiscent of Club Penguin, where players can own and trade tokenized items on the Abstract network, an Ethereum layer-2 solution. This transition indicates a shift towards a more sustainable model focusing on user engagement and ownership.
Market Response and Industry Trends
Following the announcement, the Pudgy Penguins token, PENGU, saw a price increase of over 10%, trading at approximately $0.0072. However, it has experienced a decline of nearly 15% over the previous month. The closure of Pudgy Party adds to a growing list of blockchain games that have ceased operations, reflecting broader challenges in the industry regarding player retention and funding.
In a related development, the creators of Fishing Frenzy, another crypto game, announced their own shutdown, citing difficulties in establishing a viable market fit for their product.
