EA Sports is teaming up with Nike’s NFT sneaker project

EA and Nike person conscionable announced a concern that volition bring prime virtual assets created by .Swoosh, Nike’s Web3 marketplace platform, to aboriginal EA Sports titles. No circumstantial games person been mentioned, and neither institution has provided overmuch accusation regarding what we tin expect, though the creations volition see virtual footwear and apparel.

But the concern with EA seems to fulfill promises laid retired by Nike back successful November erstwhile the footwear marque archetypal launched .Swoosh. At that time, Nike suggested that its virtual apparel could yet beryllium equipped successful video games and “other immersive experiences.”

A caller NFT driblet by .Swoosh sold implicit $1 cardinal successful its virtual goods, contempt a bid of method issues and seemingly dilatory sales, arsenic reported by CoinDesk. The NFT marketplace has different been successful steady decline for respective months, and erstwhile attempts to integrate blockchain collectibles into video games haven’t been well received by gamers. Notably, EA’s property merchandise does not accidental the connection NFT.

Nike says that it volition merchandise further details regarding however .Swoosh NFTs volition integrate into aboriginal EA Sports titles “in the coming months.”

“All of america astatine EA Sports are focused connected starring the adjacent improvement successful sports fandom, and this caller collaboration with our longtime partners astatine Nike sits straight astatine the intersection of innovation, sport, and culture,” Andrea Hopelain, EA’s SVP of marque for EA Sports and Racing, said successful a property release. “Working with .Swoosh, we’ll bring creativity and self-expression to the forefront for fans arsenic they connect, compete, and stock their emotion for sport.”

Nike has been strangely reluctant to notation to its ain blockchain-based integer collectibles arsenic NFTs, contempt having acquired RTFKT — a fashionable NFT workplace that specializes successful virtual sneakers — backmost successful December 2021. In fact, the official .Swoosh account connected Twitter has ne'er adjacent said the connection NFT, alternatively referring to merchandise drops arsenic “virtual creations.” But it’s yet not excessively astonishing that EA is dipping its toed into the realm of NFTs: EA CEO Andrew Wilson has said they could beryllium a portion of the industry’s future.