SNEAK PEEK
- A playable demo of Star Atlas is launched for NFT holders through the Epic Games Store.
- ATMTA has launched a toolkit to allow other studios to link Unreal Engine 5-themed games to the Solana blockchain.
- Star Atlas shared updates about its governance structure through a DAO and a future digital graphic novel to build the lore for the sci-fi game.
Star Atlas, an ambitious NFT-based game, will take years to complete. However, eager players are no longer required to wait much to experience a small taste of the game, as a limited demo has been launched through the Epic Games Store.
Star Atlas: Showroom, a pre-alpha demo of the Unreal Engine 5 technology, allows owners of Star Atlas NFT to explore a 3D environment as well as take a look at the vehicles and ships they have invested in.
Right now, the access has been given to only those who have the NFTs. Upon acquiring a ship and joining an in-game faction of Star Atlas, they can get an access key.
Star Atlas Game Keys on the @EpicGames are LIVE! 💥
— Star Atlas 🚀 Join #426LIVE:NYK on Sept 29 (@staratlas) September 29, 2022
If you have at least one Seasoned Fleet Badge, get your game key on your https://t.co/wR7T7xSPwK profile page!
Then, redeem it in the EGS, download the Showroom launcher & see your ships! → https://t.co/eWJQxXAWrJ pic.twitter.com/JXs3P8OYTF
CEO and co-founder of Star Atlas developer ATMTA, Michael Wagner, shared that the demo includes one non-NFT ship to explore.
In the coming time, this year only, there are plans to expand the Showroom demo so as to feature extra features, including chat functionality, multiplayer capabilities and letting owners of NFTs take their ships out for a flight.
F-KIT, Foundation Software Development Kit, has also been released and refers to an open-source SDK to enable Unreal Engine 5 developers to integrate the Solana blockchain; thereby, allowing users to sign transactions and fulfill the entire in-game actions.
Wagner shared that two entirely different clients are being developed by ATMTA for Star Atlas. One is the Unreal Engine 5 version that will be released through the Epic Games Store and another one is a simple web-themed WebGL version. All the functionality regarding the game will be available via both these versions; however, a gaming-capable PC is a must for the Epic Games Store version. Wagner believes it will take five or six more years to develop Star Atlas.
However, the Showroom launch recommends the sort of incremental release schedule according to ATMTA. The Showroom will have more features by the end of 2022 and by the end of 2023, there are plans to release an overall vertical slice of the game.
Adding on, Wagner said:
We still have a long road ahead. But the idea is to continuously release these iterative features so that you’re constantly getting more engagement.
