Immutable has announced a new strategic deal with GAMEDIA, a Dutch game studio known for producing high-quality action multiplayer games. The announcement was made last week through Immutable's official X account, confirming that GAMEDIA is set to bring a new title to the Immutable Play platform this year.

While the post did not name a specific game, the attached teaser video clearly featured gameplay footage from Spider Tanks, a PC-based brawler first built by GAMEDIA. This visual hint sparked widespread speculation across the web3 gaming scene, with many fans and players now expecting Spider Tanks to make a full return, this time on Immutable.

Immutable Brings GAMEDIA to Its Web3 Ecosystem

Immutable's post praised GAMEDIA as a studio with more than 18 years of award-winning experience in web2 game development and a "proven web3 success." The company said it is excited to have GAMEDIA join its mission of offering high-quality multiplayer experiences powered by blockchain.

"Stay tuned for their game coming to Immutable Play later this year," the post reads. The message was accompanied by a short video that appeared to show familiar Spider Tanks footage, complete with explosive arena combat and gameplay visuals from the PvP brawler's earlier versions.

As of today, there has been no official word that Spider Tanks is relaunching. But the heavy presence of Spider Tanks footage in the teaser has led many to believe that the game's return is only a matter of time.

Spider Tanks gameplay visuals were predominantly present in the teaser video

A New Chapter After a Long Silence

GAMEDIA, based in the Netherlands, first developed Spider Tanks in partnership with Gala Games back in 2021. The game was built as a web3 esports title, with players controlling customizable tanks in arena-based PvP matches. Spider Tanks introduced NFT-based tank parts and its own crypto token ($SILK), and was promoted by Gala Games as a flagship title on GalaChain.

In the early stages, the partnership showed promise. The Spider Tanks Lite Paper was released in July 2022 and described the game as "the world's first web3 esport." Player interest was high, and the game received early financial support from the Gala Games community after a successful node vote.

But tensions between the two companies began to surface by mid-2024.

GAMEDIA's Public Statement on Its Fallout with Gala Games

On May 28, 2024, GAMEDIA released a detailed public statement outlining its issues with Gala Games. The studio said it had been hesitant about entering the crypto space at first, but was drawn in by Gala's mission of empowering gamers through blockchain. The partnership, according to GAMEDIA, began with a shared vision, but ended with legal threats and disappointment.

"Initially, we chose to defer to Gala Games for community communication as a courtesy," the statement reads. "However, our respect turned to apprehension, as Gala Games started threatening us with legal action in December. This inhibited us from speaking out sooner."

GAMEDIA stated that its role was to develop Spider Tanks and deliver certain milestones, scheduled to be completed by November 2021. In return, Gala Games was expected to promote and publish the game, as well as handle marketing and development support. But by 2022, GAMEDIA began seeing troubling signs.

The team said it had to take over key responsibilities that were originally Gala's, including running promotional campaigns like Spider Fridays, producing trailers, and managing events. Meanwhile, Gala reportedly shifted focus to other ventures like film, celebrity partnerships, and real estate, which GAMEDIA claimed came at the cost of supporting active games.

In the same statement, GAMEDIA expressed concern about Gala's decision to burn revenue it had promised to reinvest into Spider Tanks. It said Gala Games began gating responsibilities like user acquisition behind what they called an 'eat what you kill' principle, which placed more burden on the existing player base to keep the game going.

"By 2023, it became evident that Gala Games had no intention of utilizing their half of the substantial 2021 Spider Tanks revenue or to fulfil their promises," the statement continues.

GAMEDIA said it had even prepared other games (STODA and Wizards & Warriors) for the Gala platform and had invested in a new office building to support development. But contracts for these titles, while discussed, were never signed by Gala.

"In October 2023, we had exhausted all avenues to steer Gala Games back to their stated mission," the statement says. "We could no longer allow Gala Games to continue to use our commitment to the game and our IP to enrich themselves at the expense of the community."

Legal Battle Ends in GAMEDIA's Favor

The conflict reached a legal stage when Gala Games attempted to claim ownership of the Spider Tanks IP and took the matter to court. In September 2024, the Central District Court of California dismissed the lawsuit, stating that it did not have jurisdiction.

Since then, GAMEDIA has remained mostly quiet, though hints of renewed activity began appearing in late 2024. In one X post, the company thanked Immutable for visiting their studio. Later, in February 2025, they shared posts from Immutable's co-founder Robbie Ferguson, further hinting at a new alliance forming.

A Potential Comeback for Spider Tanks

Now, the recent announcement has placed Spider Tanks back in the spotlight. With GAMEDIA confirmed to be launching a title on Immutable Play, and teaser footage filled with familiar Spider Tanks gameplay, fans are hoping for a revival.

Immutable, on its end, has been building out a portfolio of well-known titles shifting to web3. These include Ubisoft's Might & Magic reboot and the return of Habbo Hotel in the form of Habbo X. The company recently opened up its Immutable Play platform to web2 studios, aiming to support experienced developers moving into onchain gaming. 

If Spider Tanks does return through Immutable, it could mark a new start for a game that once held promise as a leading web3 esport. And with GAMEDIA now free from its former publisher, the studio may finally have the space to build the game in a way that aligns with its original vision.