Everywhere was shown during Gamescom Opening Night Live earlier today, where it was pitched as “blending together gameplay, adventure, creativity, and discovery in a multi-world experience.” Left unsaid was that it appears to utilize blockchain or “Web 3.0” technology, which has attracted criticism in various quarters throughout the games industry.
Shortly after Opening Night Live ended, several users took to Twitter to note that developer Build a Rocket Boy has multiple open positions for a blockchain team. This lends credence to speculation that Everywhere, which promises to “redefine how players connect with one another and the digital world around them,” may feature non-fungible tokens [NFTs] in some way.
https://t.co/UbZkv8h0vz is an NFT game. Just be aware. #Gamescom #gamescom2022
— Slim Thiccens (@ChefLuBu_ATL) August 23, 2022
NFTs have been a hot topic as boosters have worked to earn greater mainstream acceptance for the technology. It is being touted as a way to create truly unique items that can then be bought and sold within games, potentially creating a new “play-to-earn” model. Detractors have noted the outsized environmental impact of blockchain technology as well as its focus on monetization over actual gameplay.
Despite the pushback, money has poured in for blockchain efforts, with former Days Gone producer John Garvin among those spinning up new studios based on the technology. Team 17 and GSC Game World, meanwhile, have rapidly backpedaled on their NFT ideas.
Everywhere is being developed by Edinburgh-based Build A Rocket Boy, which was co-founded by Rockstar and Grand Theft Auto developer Leslie Benzies. Benzies has not said one way or another whether Everywhere is an NFT game, though they talk of Everywhere’s goal being to “push the boundaries of what a video game can be.” Fans have been speculating on what Everywhere could be for some time now, with the teaser trailer providing the first glimpse of Benzies’ mysterious new game.
IGN has reached out Everywhere’s representatives and will update this article if they respond.
Everywhere wasn’t the only game revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live. Other games shown during the events included Dead Island 2 and Hogwarts Legacy, with Sony also revealing a brand-new DualSense controller. You can read our full recap of Opening Night Live right here.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.