Pudgy Penguins, an Ethereum-based NFT collection, showed a trailer of its upcoming 3D browser game Pudgy World during Art Basel in Miami. The game is scheduled to launch in alpha in 2024. After a change in leadership due to controversy surrounding the original owner, Pudgy Penguins created an advisory board, secured $9 million in funding, distributed plush penguin toys to more than 2,000 Walmart and Hot Topic stores across the U.S., and garnered millions of views through viral videos on social media.

In the Pudgy World lobby, fans will be able to take their first steps on virtual ice. When the game is fully released, owners of NFT and Pudgy Penguin plush toys will be able to adopt a 3D character similar to their collectibles in the game. Pudgy World will be a free-to-play game that allows gamers to explore the virtual world, customize their characters with acquired traits and embark on a story-driven journey, according to an official statement.

Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz emphasized the importance of the alpha launch, saying that Pudgy Penguin owners will be able to interact with their Pudgy Toys without prior knowledge of blockchain technology.

Pudgy World will utilize Matter Labs’ Ethereum Layer 2 scaling protocol, zkSync, which incorporates zero-knowledge (ZK) blockchain technology. ZK proof-of-stake provides increased user privacy compared to traditional transactions on public networks such as Ethereum. While the exact implementation of zkSync in Pudgy World has not yet been disclosed, Michael Lee, SVP of development at Matter Labs, said that ZK technology will enable new business models and gaming experiences for players.