Valve CEO Gabe Newell stated that the metaverse does not offer players anything new, and that he is also skeptical of blockchain-based projects.
Newell said that crypto technology is used for illegal business, saying that due to the nature of crypto payments, a $1 game can be purchased for 500 times the value.
Newell further stressed that the metaverse’s promise of customizable avatars and an open world has been in games for years and therefore offers nothing new for players.
Valve boss told PCGamer regarding the metaverse:
Newell’s comments follow the negative narrative most traditional gamers have of blockchain-based tech games is doing. This situation causes game developers to move away from NFT concepts. Steam banned all blockchain-based gaming technologies on its platform in October 2021.