Nike Teases Epic Adventure: “Airphoria” NFT Sneaker Quest Unveiled within the Realm of Fortnite
In a captivating teaser video, the iconic Nike “Swoosh” logo for its cutting-edge Web3 platform joins forces with the esteemed logos of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and the beloved online sensation, Fortnite.
Sportswear behemoth Nike has dropped intriguing hints suggesting an imminent release of a collection of sneaker nonfungible tokens (NFTs) within the wildly popular virtual realm of Epic Games’ Fortnite.
This strategic move holds immense potential for the adoption of Web3 technology among traditional gamers, as Fortnite has boasted an astounding 242.9 million active players in the past month alone, according to Active Player statistics.
In an announcement across Nike’s social media platforms on June 16, the company revealed that the “ultimate Sneakerhunt” will commence on June 20.
Accompanied by a captivating video, the Air Max logos of both Fortnite and Nike take center stage against a backdrop of ethereal floating clouds.
The video tantalizingly unveils the enigmatic name of this forthcoming sneaker quest: “Airphoria.” It concludes by showcasing Nike’s Web3 platform logo, .Swoosh, side by side with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine emblem.
Although details remain scarce at this stage, members of the NFT community have speculated that Nike may have leveraged Fortnite Creative 2.0 to develop an NFT-related game. This innovative feature empowers users to create their own virtual island game maps utilizing Fortnite’s vast array of assets.
A Twitter user pointed out, “I recall that Fortnite recently introduced Fortnite Creative 2.0, which includes a robust self-built map mode reminiscent of game creation on ROBLOX. My assumption is that Nike may have employed this mode to craft a game. Two years ago, Nike created a game on ROBLOX, albeit without NFT integration.”
While it remains unconfirmed whether NFTs will be an integral part of Airphoria, the involvement of .Swoosh strongly suggests their potential inclusion, especially considering Epic Games’ favorable stance toward NFT gaming.
Nike’s NFT division has been actively increasing its presence in the traditional gaming sphere. On June 1, .Swoosh announced the integration of its NFTs into games developed by EA Sports, the renowned creator of the highly successful FIFA soccer game franchise, among others. However, specific details regarding which EA Sports titles will eventually feature Nike NFTs have yet to be disclosed.