Sky Mavis Cuts Ties With Ragnarok: Monster World Dev Over Secret Blockchain Deal Allegation

Nearly a year after Ragnarok: Monster World launched on Ronin, Sky Mavis announced the sudden termination of its partnership with the game’s Singapore-based developer, 0x&. 

Sky Mavis Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Aleksander Larsen said the decision came after it was discovered that 0x& had “secretly” entered into a deal with another blockchain, breaching a prior agreement. Sky Mavis is the team behind the Ronin Network, a gaming-focused side chain for the major network Ethereum.

Cutting Ties with 0x& and Ragnarok: Monster World

Larsen, known as “Psycheout” on X, stated in a post that they are ending their partnership with Ragnarok: Monster World developer 0x& due to repeated disregard for guidance and a secret deal with another blockchain, violating their agreement.

“The team behind the game ignored our advice and has since lost favor with the community. To make matters worse, they secretly signed a deal with a separate blockchain, breaching our agreement. Naturally, this comes as a surprise, given the support we’ve extended to them. The trust has been broken to such a degree that we are ending our professional relationship with 0x&, the team behind Ragnarok: Monster World.”

Aleksander Larsen, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Sky Mavis

The Sky Mavis COO noted that the breach of trust has led to the removal of the game and its assets from Sky Mavis products. While Ragnarok NFTs will still be tradable within Ronin’s open ecosystem, the project will no longer receive any promotion or support.

In addition, he stated that Sky Mavis is not supporting or endorsing the launch of the game’s token, $ZENY, adding that although the token generation event is technically allowed under Ronin’s open, permissionless system, it should not be seen as an endorsement or sign of affiliation.

Moreover, in an update, Sky Mavis acknowledged the community’s feedback and announced that instead of removing Ragnarok: Monster World’s assets from the Ronin marketplace, they will remove the project’s verification checkmark. 

This will clearly show that the game is no longer endorsed or affiliated with Sky Mavis, according to the COO. He also stated that this would be Sky Mavis’ final comment on the issue.

“The leadership at 0x& has made a series of decisions that have broken their commitments to us and the Ronin community. Despite our best efforts to persuade them otherwise, they have left us with no recourse. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in and support teams who are dedicated to building a strong [Ronin Network].”

Aleksander Larsen, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Sky Mavis

Ragnarok: Monster World’s Response

In its own X post, Ragnarok: Monster World responded and expressed disappointment over Sky Mavis’ announcement, clarifying that the situation impacts not just the developers, but the entire community built within the Ronin ecosystem.

0x& denied making any secret agreements, stating that discussions with other blockchains were transparently communicated with Sky Mavis as early as February 2024, including direct talks with the COO. 

They then emphasized that no agreements were violated and that all actions were taken in good faith. The team also noted that the idea of launching the $ZENY token outside Ronin was first raised by Sky Mavis, and discussions were held with the community’s best interest in mind.

Regardless of the fallout, the game developer stated that Ragnarok: Monster World will continue operating on the Ronin network and committed to providing alternative trading options for NFTs if support is removed from Ronin Market.

“We believe that decisions made without regard for the community ultimately hurt the very heart of what makes Ronin special. We remain here — standing alongside you — because Ragnarok: Monster World was built not by contracts, but by the passion and trust of its players.”

0x&, Game Developer, Ragnarok: Monster World

This article is published on BitPinas: Sky Mavis Cuts Ties With Ragnarok: Monster World Dev Over Secret Blockchain Deal Allegation

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