Epic Games Will Not Follow Minecraft in Banning NFTs From Its Gaming Platforms

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has said that the firm will not ban NFTs, as developers "should be free to decide how to build their games." While Epic Games isn't necessarily pro-crypto or non-fungible token (NFTs), the firm isn't looking to enforce any views on the subject on its users. Sweeney's comments arrive on the back of Microsoft's Mojang Studios announcing that it will soon ban the use of NFTs on community-run Minecraft game servers. Epic Games, the creator of the hugely popular Fortnite video game, has incorporated NFTs into its games in the past and recently raised $2 billion (roughly Rs. 16,003 crore) to "build the metaverse."

"Developers should be free to decide how to build their games, and you are free to decide whether to play them," Sweeney said on Twitter. "I believe stores and operating systems makers shouldn't interfere by forcing their views onto others. We definitely won't."

Sweeney was responding to a Twitter user who asked the Epic Games co-founder and CEO to follow Minecraft's lead. "It would be really nice to see the same opinion from the Epic Games Store," said the user. "Please get rid of every single one of those games from the store."

"To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our client and server applications, nor may Minecraft in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods, be utilised by blockchain technology to create a scarce digital asset," Minecraft said in a statement.

The move has been echoed by the largest marketplace for PC games, Steam, when they announced a ban on NFTs and games that use blockchain technology last October. However, Epic Games store has pushed back on this notion ever since stating that it would allow NFT games while also announcing a few such games since then.