Cronos Onboards Ubisoft as Validator of Cronos Chain, Companies To Collaborate on Advancing Blockchain Technology and Use Cases in Gaming

Paris – 18 July 2023 – Cronos,  the leading blockchain that interoperates with both Ethereum and Cosmos ecosystems, today announces a new partnership with Ubisoft, a leading video game creator and publisher. By joining the Cronos ecosystem as a node validator, Ubisoft continues its exploration of blockchain technology through its Strategic Innovation Lab, whose mission is to anticipate the future and to help Ubisoft get ready for it by exploring the opportunities offered by innovative technologies.

Ubisoft is joining a pool of 27 other node operators on the open-source Cronos blockchain to contribute to the stability and security of the network. Each node contributes to the decentralized validation of transactions on the network, by producing or confirming new blocks every five to six seconds on average.

The addition of Ubisoft, a company known for creating engaging and immersive gaming experiences by exploring new technologies, is consistent with Cronos’ strategy of partnering with open-source contributors and validators who have a strong technical track record. Contributors to the Cronos blockchain currently include Crypto.com, Blockdaemon, Dora Factory, Allnodes, and a number of top-tier validators.

As a validator, Ubisoft will contribute to the governance of the blockchain and the approval of network updates. The Cronos ecosystem will greatly benefit from the expertise of Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab when it comes to obtaining feedback on technology upgrades to support gaming use cases. 

The partnership between Cronos and Ubisoft builds on the pre-existing relationship between the two companies, with Ubisoft having previously participated in the Cronos Accelerator program as a start-up mentor. 

Ken Timsit, Managing Director of Cronos Labs, a blockchain startup accelerator focusing on decentralized finance, blockchain games, and the development of the Cronos ecosystem, commented: “I have crossed paths with the Ubisoft team many times over the years in the blockchain ecosystem. They have unparalleled understanding of the potential and the limitations of blockchain technology when it comes to creating deeper engagement between game creators and gamers. Their involvement in the exploration of the technology is reflected in their decision to participate in the open-source Cronos project as a validator. We look forward to leveraging their enthusiasm for blockchain technology and being challenged by their team as we progress on the technical and ecosystem roadmap of the Cronos chain”.

Cronos previously announced Cronos Play, a suite of developer tools and integrations to streamline the creation of blockchain-based games, now available as a plugin in the Unreal Engine Marketplace. More than 15 Web3 games were recently launched, or are in the process of being launched, on the Cronos blockchain.

About Cronos

Cronos (cronos.org) is the leading EVM-compatible layer 1 blockchain network built on the Cosmos SDK, supported by Crypto.com, Crypto.org and more than 500 app developers and partners. The mission of Cronos is to make it easy and safe for the next billion crypto users to adopt self-custody in Web3, with a focus on DeFi and GameFi.

Cronos has skyrocketed to a top 10 position among all chains and is adopted by >1 million users. The chain is powered by the Cronos ($CRO) cryptocurrency, which supports an ecosystem of more than 80 million users worldwide. 

To build on Cronos, application developers can leverage: all the major Ethereum developer tools; Cronos Play, a suite of tools and integrations for Unity, C++ and Unreal games; IBC cross-chain connectivity to Cosmos chains; and a rich ecosystem of composable DeFi and GameFi Dapps.

Cronos Labs is a blockchain startup accelerator focusing on decentralized finance, blockchain games, and the development of the Cronos ecosystem.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew® and Tom Clancy’s The Division®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms. With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2022–23 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1.74 billion. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com. 

About Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab

The mission of the Strategic Innovation Lab is to help Ubisoft anticipate the future. Both a think-tank and a do-tank, the Lab analyzes emerging technological, business and societal trends in order to identify opportunities for innovation. The team also develops prototypes and pilot projects to explore new areas, in collaboration with internal and external partners. This exploratory role allows Ubisoft to get a head start in identifying innovative ideas and assessing their potential, before eventually integrating them into the company on a larger scale.