Blab Crypto
Uncharted Studio Announces Closure of Fishing Frenzy, Distributes USDC to Players
Uncharted Studio, the developer behind the Web3 fishing sensation Fishing Frenzy, has declared that the game will shut down on June 25 at 2 a.m. UTC. In a move that signals the end of the studio’s venture into decentralized gaming, the company has already distributed $62,845 in USDC to community members and stakers, and refunded $7,021 in eligible in‑game purchases.
The payouts were calculated using the studio’s Karma system, a metric that blends token staking, NFT staking, and other forms of community engagement. A snapshot taken on June 15 locked in each user’s Karma score; activity after that date does not influence the distribution. The entire $62,845 was sent directly to players’ wallets in USDC, ensuring that rewards were delivered in a widely accepted stablecoin.
In addition to the Karma‑based rewards, Uncharted refunded $7,021 in USDC to players who had bought in‑game items following the launch of Chapter 3 on May 14. The refund policy explicitly excludes spending related to diving activities, which were not covered by the program.
The FISH token, once tradable on the Polygon network, has been rendered non‑transferable. It remains usable only within the game until the servers go offline. The restriction was introduced to avoid a sudden sell‑off that could concentrate liquidity among a handful of holders. All liquidity in the FISH/USDC pool will be withdrawn and redistributed to players and stakers according to their Karma scores, rather than their token balances.
Uncharted has open‑source the Karma score dataset, allowing other projects to leverage the information for future reward programs or community initiatives. The studio also announced that additional rewards will be distributed by Sky Mavis using the same Karma‑based allocation method. Uncharted will supply Karma data to partner projects and request that they honor previously planned token distributions for top users.
The shutdown follows a broader trend of Web3 gaming projects winding down this year. Earlier in the month, Botanix Labs announced the closure of its Bitcoin Layer 2 network, citing insufficient economic demand. In May, the Solana‑based yield protocol Carrot ceased operations after losses tied to the Drift Protocol exploit.
Uncharted said that a year of testing different products, audiences, and directions failed to provide enough confidence that the business could continue sustainably. The studio was unable to prove its thesis on crypto gaming and could not find a product‑market‑business fit.
Fishing Frenzy’s servers will remain online until the scheduled shutdown, allowing players to access existing game features. However, USDC packages have already been removed from the platform. The final shutdown will complete the studio’s exit from the crypto gaming space.
As the industry continues to evolve, Uncharted’s transparent handling of payouts and refunds sets a clear example for how studios can responsibly wind down operations while safeguarding community interests.
The payouts were calculated using the studio’s Karma system, a metric that blends token staking, NFT staking, and other forms of community engagement. A snapshot taken on June 15 locked in each user’s Karma score; activity after that date does not influence the distribution. The entire $62,845 was sent directly to players’ wallets in USDC, ensuring that rewards were delivered in a widely accepted stablecoin.
In addition to the Karma‑based rewards, Uncharted refunded $7,021 in USDC to players who had bought in‑game items following the launch of Chapter 3 on May 14. The refund policy explicitly excludes spending related to diving activities, which were not covered by the program.
The FISH token, once tradable on the Polygon network, has been rendered non‑transferable. It remains usable only within the game until the servers go offline. The restriction was introduced to avoid a sudden sell‑off that could concentrate liquidity among a handful of holders. All liquidity in the FISH/USDC pool will be withdrawn and redistributed to players and stakers according to their Karma scores, rather than their token balances.
Uncharted has open‑source the Karma score dataset, allowing other projects to leverage the information for future reward programs or community initiatives. The studio also announced that additional rewards will be distributed by Sky Mavis using the same Karma‑based allocation method. Uncharted will supply Karma data to partner projects and request that they honor previously planned token distributions for top users.
The shutdown follows a broader trend of Web3 gaming projects winding down this year. Earlier in the month, Botanix Labs announced the closure of its Bitcoin Layer 2 network, citing insufficient economic demand. In May, the Solana‑based yield protocol Carrot ceased operations after losses tied to the Drift Protocol exploit.
Uncharted said that a year of testing different products, audiences, and directions failed to provide enough confidence that the business could continue sustainably. The studio was unable to prove its thesis on crypto gaming and could not find a product‑market‑business fit.
Fishing Frenzy’s servers will remain online until the scheduled shutdown, allowing players to access existing game features. However, USDC packages have already been removed from the platform. The final shutdown will complete the studio’s exit from the crypto gaming space.
As the industry continues to evolve, Uncharted’s transparent handling of payouts and refunds sets a clear example for how studios can responsibly wind down operations while safeguarding community interests.
