Blockbuster Blockchain Project Pixelmon Abandons Gaming Division

Pixelmon, the blockchain gaming project that raised $78 million from its NFT mint and seed round, has shut down its entire gaming division. The decision comes after external publishers evaluated the project's games for three weeks, concluding they were 'not too bad but not good enough.' The publishers suggested additional polishing and testing could improve the games' commercial viability, but Pixelmon management chose to shut down development instead.

The project laid off its gaming team, citing that severance and benefits had been provided. A smaller, multidisciplinary team will remain to explore non-gaming business models.

Pixelmon's 2022 mint became infamous for art quality issues, which the team spent years trying to overcome. The 2024 seed round of $8 million was meant to signal maturity, but now that gaming division is dissolved.