Key takeaways:
- Decentralized Games has rolled out an upgrade to reduce ICE token emissions by 55%
- Delegated players will be earning “banked ICE” instead of earning ICE directly
- The change is designed to improve the sustainability of the project
ICE Poker, the metaverse poker game by Decentral Games, has rolled out a major upgrade. Decentral Games announced on September 28 that it has rolled out a plan to cut ICE token emissions by 55%.
Considering how popular ICE Poker has become in recent times, it is important to understand what this change means and the impact it may have on the community. ICE Poker fans shouldn’t be worried at all, as the implemented plan is primarily aimed at maintaining the sustainability of the platform.
How the drop in ICE token emission is achieved
The 55% drop in ICE token emission is achieved by adjusting the reward system without compromising gameplay or players’ interests. However, there is an adjustment on the type of rewards that could be earned by delegated players who rent the wearable NFTs they use for the game. This class of players will now earn “banked ICE” instead of direct ICE rewards.
The obvious difference between direct ICE rewards and banked ICE is that the former is a direct token that can be redeemed while the latter has some forms of restrictions. The banked ICE can be used to purchase wearables and shine for ICE Poker Sit-n-GO, which is what they need to join its tournament. Banked ICE can also be used to purchase NFTs, among other possibilities we will get to soon.
It is important to mention at this point that the implemented change does not affect players who own their wearables. Apparently, Decentral Games is pushing for the change from the Play-to-Earn model to the Play & Own model. Banked ICE gives players the right incentives to acquire their own in-game assets.
What does this mean for ICE Poker?
By becoming more dependent on player ownership, ICE Poker will boast of a stronger community of committed long-term players who will hone their crafts and advance the fortunes of the platform.
As it stands, delegated players constitute a whopping 90% of the ICE Poker player base. These players mostly sell their earned ICE immediately after playing, extracting value from the gaming ecosystem without giving much back. With banked ICE, they will be more inclined to own assets and become long-term players.
To keep the record straight, banked ICE can still be redeemed on the ICE Poker platform. However, the minimum balance must be up to 6,666 banked ICE before a withdrawal will be successful. Again, the delegated player will incur a 70% penalty for choosing this path.
Speaking about the new plan, Decentral Game’s CMO, Mathew Howells-Barby, said:
“The existing play-to-earn model is broken. While offering limitless rewards to those that have invested nothing can be incredible for bootstrapping player liquidity, they are unsustainable. We’ve seen this with nearly every GameFi project that kept this model. We’re taking a different approach. Our focus is on the long-term and it centres on enabling our players to own in-game assets through their gameplay while managing the token emission we create so that the player base can scale without issue. This is what’s going to set us apart over the next 12-18 months.”
Wrapping up
Decentral Games (DG) have implemented a superb plan that will surely have a positive impact on ICE dynamics and the entire ICE Poker ecosystem. The wearable and shine system is great not just because it will bring more long-term players to the platform but also because it will sustain a balanced economy where burns will be constantly higher than new emissions.
