Immutable is ending a serious change to its ecosystem by merging Immutable X and Immutable zkEVM into one unified chain. This comes at a key time for Web3 gaming, because the business is now centered on consolidation and constructing sustainable infrastructure as an alternative of chasing hype.
As a substitute of specializing in fast development, the business is settling down. Immutable’s transfer matches this pattern and places the platform in a great spot because the market picks up once more.
Immutable’s Place in Web3 Gaming Infrastructure
Immutable has spent years creating instruments for large-scale video games. Video games like Gods Unchained, Guild of Guardians, and Illuvium depend upon quick transactions, steady prices, and safe NFT possession.
These necessities formed Immutable’s early design selections. These wants additionally clarify Immutable’s early selections, main the corporate to run two Layer-2 options concurrently. This method labored initially, however because the market matured, the downsides turned extra obvious. Immutable X, an Ethereum Layer-2 utilizing StarkWare’s ZK-rollups, addressed an actual downside: gasoline charges made in-game NFTs impractical. Zero-fee minting and buying and selling allowed video games to problem hundreds of thousands of belongings with out pricing out gamers.
Nonetheless, Immutable X had limitations. It didn’t assist general-purpose good contracts, so builders needed to work inside predefined flows. Immutable zkEVM, which reached mainnet in early 2024, addressed that hole. Constructed with Polygon’s Chain Growth Package, it presents full EVM compatibility. Studios can now deploy Solidity contracts, combine DeFi primitives, and use ERC-1155 requirements for high-volume belongings.
Working two chains fragmented liquidity, elevated complexity, and created consumer confusion. The merge resolves these points successfully.
The consolidation plan was introduced on April 8, 2025. After months of staged migrations, the ultimate section begins in February 2026.
Key steps embody:
Bridge Contract Improve
Scheduled to start as early as February 11, 2026, Immutable will improve its bridge contracts. A compulsory two-week delay follows for safety validation.
Automated Asset Migration
Asset migration from Immutable X is predicted round February 25, 2026, following the two-week safety delay. Pockets addresses stay unchanged, and most customers received’t must take motion.
Immutable X Deprecation
Additionally scheduled to start as early as February 11, Immutable X write operations will cease. Minting and buying and selling APIs will turn into read-only, and Immutable Hyperlink will likely be phased out.
Customers preferring to exit can withdraw to Ethereum Layer-1 earlier than the cutoff. Passport customers transition seamlessly. MetaMask and different EVM wallets show balances immediately. Magic Pockets customers could must export keys.
What Builders Must Change
Builders should migrate to the unified @imtbl/sdk and exchange Immutable X RPC calls with zkEVM equivalents. Interactions now observe normal EVM patterns.
Immutable presents guides, pattern code, and assist for upgrading belongings. Many studios are altering ERC-721 collections to ERC-1155 to spice up liquidity and enhance market outcomes.
Doing this work now makes future upkeep simpler and permits for extra superior sport options.
Web3 Gaming in 2026: Publish-Hype, Not Publish-Progress
Web3 gaming is just not failing. It’s simply slowing down after a really lively interval in 2024 and early 2025.
Every day Distinctive Lively Wallets (dUAW) reached virtually 7 million in early 2025, however dropped as funding slowed, play-to-earn misplaced reputation, and weaker initiatives closed. By Q3 2025, gaming dUAW averaged about 4.7 million.
Gaming dUAW pattern (DappRadar):
Full This fall 2025 and early 2026 knowledge isn’t public but. Even so, gaming nonetheless represents roughly 25% of complete dApp exercise. Capital has rotated towards AI and memecoins, and token efficiency stays uneven. These pressures clarify the quieter market.
Why Immutable Nonetheless Exhibits Power
Regardless of the downturn, Immutable’s metrics stay regular quite than unstable.
Over 227 million complete transactions processed
Round 169,000 each day transactions on common
Roughly $148K in 24-hour DEX quantity
Constant NFT buying and selling exercise
zkEVM DeFi TVL close to $11.4 million, reflecting a gaming-first focus
Different gaming-focused chains present resilience as properly. Ronin continues to guide in engagement, validating the concept specialised infrastructure outperforms general-purpose chains for video games.
Immutable stands out by means of breadth. Greater than 680 video games are constructing or reside on the platform. Latest and upcoming launches embody emoji Marble Sprint with Epic-based quests, Zombie World free-to-play quests, and Ubisoft’s Would possibly & Magic: Fates arriving February 4. Reside titles corresponding to Villains, Miomi, and Guild of Guardians proceed to onboard gamers.
Guild of Guardians has already proven that huge audiences are potential with blockchain when the method is easy for customers.
Why the Merge Issues Now
The timing of the merge aligns with the market’s wants. Throughout enlargement phases, fragmented tooling slows groups down. Throughout consolidation phases, it turns into a legal responsibility.
By unifying liquidity, belongings, and developer workflows, Immutable reduces overhead at a second when studios are extra selective. The platform turns into simpler to construct on, cheaper to take care of, and less complicated to clarify to gamers.
Immutable’s Position within the Subsequent Development Cycle
The Immutable merge received’t trigger a direct comeback, nevertheless it units the stage for future development.
Having one EVM-compatible chain with robust NFT assist offers studios the arrogance to speculate once more. Gamers could have fewer wallets and bridges to handle, and may preserve possession throughout video games. Marketplaces could have extra liquidity as an alternative of being break up up.
As Web3 gaming shifts from making an attempt new issues to really constructing, stable infrastructure is extra necessary than hype. Immutable’s unified chain reveals this modification and places the platform in a great spot for the following development section.
Often Requested Questions
Listed here are some regularly requested questions on this subject:
1. What’s the Immutable chain merge taking place in 2026?
Immutable is merging its two Layer-2 networks—Immutable X and Immutable zkEVM—right into a single, unified Immutable chain. This transfer simplifies the developer expertise, unifies liquidity, and reduces consumer confusion whereas retaining Ethereum compatibility and scalability.
2. Why did Immutable initially function two separate Layer-2 chains?
Immutable X (launched in 2021) used StarkWare’s ZK-rollups to supply gas-free NFT minting, however lacked basic good contract assist. Immutable zkEVM (launched in 2024) supplied full EVM compatibility utilizing Polygon’s CDK. Operating each solved totally different issues—however ultimately launched friction, fragmentation, and developer inefficiencies.
3. Do customers or builders must do something in the course of the merge?
Most customers received’t must act. Wallets and asset possession stay intact. Nonetheless, builders should migrate to the @imtbl/sdk, exchange outdated Immutable X RPC calls, and align with normal EVM workflows. Asset upgrades (like ERC-721 to ERC-1155) are additionally beneficial for liquidity and efficiency.
4. How does this have an effect on Web3 gaming in 2026?
The merge comes at a time of market consolidation and infrastructure focus. By simplifying tooling and enhancing efficiency, Immutable positions itself as a steady, scalable basis for studios constructing long-term video games—not simply chasing hype.
5. Which video games are launching or reside on Immutable’s new chain?
Over 680 video games are constructing or reside on the platform. Notable titles embody Guild of Guardians, Miomi, Villains, and upcoming launches like Ubisoft’s Would possibly & Magic: Fates. These video games profit from higher interoperability, decreased pockets friction, and improved asset liquidity.
