Cam Thompson is a news reporter at CoinDesk.
Web3 gaming studio Mythical Games is rolling out new non-fungible token (NFT) player packs in its NFL Rivals game ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII – despite the lack of crypto advertising at this year’s event.
The collection of player cards will include 22 National Football League players from the two teams that will be in the year’s largest football event on Sunday. From Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, gamers can take their famed player cards into the esports game when it officially launches on mobile later this year.
Billy Schautz, executive producer of NFL Rivals, told CoinDesk that Web3 technologies provide a unique experience for football fans to interact with their favorite players in the game.
“Ahead of the biggest day in sports, the Rivals team is excited to give fans the opportunity to get their hands on Super Bowl LVII Rivals player cards, to build their team rosters with and use as their players in the game,” said Schautz.
However, crypto and the Super Bowl aren’t necessarily on the best terms right now. While last year’s event could've been called the “Crypto Bowl” because of the many cryptocurrency advertisements that aired, Fox Sports said Tuesday the network would not be broadcasting any crypto commercials this year. It isn't cheap to buy Super Bowl ad time and the crypto sector was hit hard by layoffs, bankruptcies and wintry market conditions, especially after the collapse of the FTX exchange – a prominent crypto advertiser last year.
Nonetheless, Mythical aims to garner hype around its upcoming game with new player cards. The presale opens to holders of the unique Rarity League collection on Thursday, followed by a public sale Friday. The 1,000-unit collection of NFTs for the Super Bowl players are sold in a pack of three and retail for $49.
