Ubisoft announces new batch of NFTs despite loud outcry

Ubisoft has announced its next round of NFT 'digits' for Ghost Recon Breakpoint. It's not going down well online.
ubisoft nfts quartz digits backlash

Ubisoft has announced the latest round of NFT ‘Digits’ for Ghost Recon Breakpoint players, with promises that there’s yet more to come in future. Eligible players are now able to claim free NFT skins, including the unique ‘Sentinel’ skin for the P320 gun. In line with past NFT announcements, the fresh drop has been met with major backlash as players lambast Ubisoft for continuing to promote NFTs.

‘Listen to your fans you knobs,’ one eloquent Twitter user wrote of the new batch.

‘Can’t wait to buy a piece of crap in game item that has literally no value other than the imaginary money I try to launder,’ another said.

While there are scattered voices in the comments praising Ubisoft for launching a digital marketplace, and others expressing excitement to add to their NFT collection, the overwhelming majority of users are voicing major concerns about Ubisoft doubling down on its Quartz initiative and refusing to listen to criticism.

Read: Why are video game companies doubling down on NFTs?

As of writing, the comments outweigh likes on the post – with many expressing their dissatisfaction with Ubisoft, and declaring they will no longer support the company if they continue promoting NFTs. The majority of comments are aggressive “no” declarations, but there’s plenty of ‘vomit’ and ‘sigh’ emojis doing the rounds, too.

‘We never asked for NFTs and we won’t buy into them at any point in time so do us all of fans a favour and stop pushing them down our throat,’ one comment reads.

Currently, the NFTs are only available in select countries – and fans in the comments have been quick to point out this is because some, including the UK, are gearing up to crack down on NFTs and cryptocurrency due to concerns over money laundering.

Beyond the environmental and ownership concerns backing NFTs, new research indicates they may also be used by criminals to legitimise the proceeds of crime. It’s for this reason that their sale is blocked in several countries, and an additional reason why many fans have expressed reservations over video game companies adopting the technology.

Still, it appears Ubisoft will continue to launch NFTs through its Ubisoft Quartz system going forward.

‘How longs it gonna take for yall to realize this aint it?’ one of the most-liked Twitter replies to Ubisoft reads.

‘They already know it ain’t it, they just don’t care,’ said one reply.

The feelings of despondence and anger in the comments indicate fan sentiment isn’t going away any time soon, even as Ubisoft continues to launch NFTs in Ghost Recon Breakpoint. It’s clear there are big plans in the works, and that loud complaints will likely follow every new NFT drop in future.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.