Esports has experienced explosive growth in recent years, drawing millions of gamers and fans into thrilling competitions and events. By 2024, the global esports audience is projected to surpass 577 million people, with the industry generating over $1.8 billion in revenue. However, amid this meteoric rise, game studios face an increasing challenge: attracting and retaining players in an oversaturated market. With countless titles competing for attention, game developers are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance engagement and maintain a loyal player base.

One emerging trend that has captured the interest of both studios and gamers is prediction markets—interactive platforms where players can make informed guesses about in-game outcomes. Prediction-enabled competitions not only deepen user engagement but also provide a dynamic way to enhance the player experience. Recognizing this opportunity, Turf, a permissionless esports engine, has revolutionized the gaming economy by incorporating prediction markets into its platform. Today, SKALE, the Gas-Free Invisible Blockchain network, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Turf to power this innovative solution, bringing a seamless, gas-free experience to gamers and game developers alike.

Turf is a cutting-edge platform designed to help game studios boost user growth and engagement through prediction-enabled competitions. By integrating Turf, developers can unlock new opportunities for audience interaction, creating esports competitions that captivate players and keep them coming back for more. Beyond predictions, Turf also provides game studios with powerful on-chain analytics through Turf ID integration (Turf Connect), offering valuable insights into player behavior and preferences.

The decision to partner with SKALE was driven by Turf’s need for a high-performance, scalable blockchain network that could support its growing needs. SKALE's gas-free transactions and instant finality offer the perfect infrastructure for esports competitions, enabling Turf to deliver a frictionless experience to its users. The ability to process transactions quickly and cost-effectively is critical for gaming platforms, where delays or costs can significantly impact the user experience. With SKALE’s modular architecture, Turf is poised to enhance its platform further, ensuring that developers can build and deploy esports competitions quickly and without the technical constraints of traditional blockchains.

Turf’s rapid growth is a testament to the success of its prediction-enabled competitions. With a community of over 480,000 gamers, Turf has facilitated more than 500,000 Turf XP claims, a loyalty system that rewards active users. Additionally, the platform boasts over 3,000 Turf ID claims and collaborates with more than ten community partners, underscoring its commitment to fostering a vibrant and engaged esports ecosystem.

Turf Gaming CMO Himanshu Bisht expressed his support for the new partnership by stating, “We are excited to partner with SKALE and leverage their advanced technology to enhance our esports competitions on-chain. SKALE's instant finality and gasless transactions will enable us to provide an unparalleled, frictionless experience for gamers. As part of this collaboration, we look forward to supporting SKALE's expanding ecosystem of games and game economies, driving greater accessibility and engagement for players worldwide.”

As Turf and SKALE come together, they are redefining what’s possible in the world of esports. By combining Turf’s innovative prediction markets with SKALE’s gas-free and scalable blockchain infrastructure, game studios can now deliver more engaging, competitive experiences to players worldwide. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for both Turf and the SKALE ecosystem, as they work together to bring the next generation of esports to life.

Source : The SKALE Blog - Sep 18, 2024