Treasure Leaves Arbitrum, Launches Gaming Layer-2 Chain on ZKsync

Treasure, a web3 gaming ecosystem, has launched its own Ethereum L2 network, moving away from Arbitrum. Built on ZKsync's Elastic Chain technology, the launch marks a notable shift in how the platform supports blockchain-based games and players.

Treasure: A Tailored Network for Gaming

Treasure's new Ethereum L2 is built specifically for gaming. It includes advanced features like gasless transactions, social account creation, and better tools for game developers. The network uses Treasure's MAGIC token for all transactions. Players and builders in the Treasure ecosystem can now experience faster and cheaper processes.

More than 15 games and countless NFTs are migrating from Arbitrum to the new chain. The migration also includes hundreds of thousands of tokens. Players and developers can use the Hyperlane bridge to transfer assets and tokens to the new chain.

Treasure refers to itself as a "decentralized game console." It powers various blockchain games, creating a single platform where players and developers can interact. This launch marks one of the largest migrations in crypto gaming history, with over $200 million worth of assets making the switch.

Why Move From Arbitrum?

In February, Treasure announced its intention to stay on Arbitrum and even planned to launch Infinity Chains on the platform. However, Treasure later changed its direction. The team realized that general-purpose L2 networks were not optimized for gaming.

Co-founder Karel Vuong explained the reasoning: "We need gaming-specific features, and to cultivate a specific culture and distribution flywheel that general layer-2s don't prioritize. That requires a gaming-first approach from the bottom-up."

Treasure chose ZKsync after carefully evaluating its options. ZKsync offers account abstraction, ZK-based scalability, and interoperability through its Elastic Chain. These features align with Treasure's long-term vision. Vuong emphasized that this decision wasn't about past problems but about future growth. "This shift isn't about what was wrong before, but rather about what's right for Treasure's future as we scale," he said.

Benefits of the New Chain

The new network offers several advantages for players and developers:

• Gasless Transactions: Lower costs make it easier for players to interact with games.
• Social Login: Players can log in using email or social accounts instead of just crypto wallets. This makes onboarding simpler for new users.
• Game Exchange: Treasure's Game Exchange system is now faster and cheaper. Players can trade in-game assets, provide liquidity, and earn rewards directly within games.
• Developer Tools: The Treasure Development Kit makes it easier for builders to add blockchain features to games. It also supports AI agents in gaming environments.

These improvements make Treasure a more attractive platform for both existing and new games. Vuong said, "Our momentum is strong, with both existing partners and new games excited about building on Treasure's infrastructure."

Games Migrating to Treasure L2

Several popular games are moving to the new chain. These include:

• Wanderers: An action roguelite game, which will now exclusively launch on Treasure.
• Bitmates: A monkey-themed MMO game working to go fully on-chain.
• Zeeverse: A role-playing game that already uses Treasure's Game Exchange system.

Besides, Treasure is in talks with other games about migrating. For example, the action role-playing game Calamity is planning to move from Ethereum L2 Base to Treasure's new chain.

Celebrating the Launch

To mark the launch, Treasure has started a special event called "Decentralized Entertainment System: Cartridges." Inspired by retro cartridge-based gaming systems, the campaign features daily NFT mints. Players can mint one Treasure Cartridge every day at 5 PM ET, starting now until December 24th. Each NFT pays tribute to a game in the Treasure ecosystem, immortalizing its unique magic.

A total of 15 Treasure Cartridges can be minted during the event. Collectors who mint all 15 Cartridges by December 31st, 11:59 PM ET, will earn the exclusive achievement, "The First Edition."

Treasure is also offering significant MAGIC prizes as part of the event:

• 🥇 42,000 MAGIC for the game with the most cartridges minted by the end of the year.
• 🥈 16,900 MAGIC for second place.
• 🥉 10,520 MAGIC for third place.

The games will decide how to share these rewards with their communities. What's more, 10 random collectors who successfully mint all 15 Cartridges will each win 420 MAGIC.

The event highlights include:

• Daily NFT Drops: A new Cartridge is available every day during the event.
• MAGIC Rewards: A total of 69,420 MAGIC tokens are up for grabs.
• Affordable Minting: Each NFT costs only 0.15 MAGIC to mint, making it accessible to all.

To join the event, players can use Treasure's Hyperlane bridge to transfer at least 2.5 MAGIC to their wallet. The bridge and minting links are now live.

Looking Ahead

Treasure's launch is not the end of its plans. It is only the beginning of what the platform calls the next gaming frontier. By early 2025, Treasure plans to introduce staking for MAGIC using the Ethereum protocol EigenLayer. This will add more utility for the MAGIC token.

The platform also plans to roll out L3 Infinity Chains, which will allow on-chain games to operate as standalone platforms. Additional features will explore the integration of gaming with AI and ZK technologies.