Ubisoft Executive Defends NFTs, Claims Players 'Don't Get It' In Recent Interview

Here we go again. Having announced Ubisoft Quartz last month - an NFT platform connected to the Tezos blockchain - the French publisher faced significant backlash when implementing NFTs into Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. Now, one executive has argued back.

Speaking to Australian website Finder for an interview, Ubisoft’s strategic innovations lab VP, Nicolas Pouard, defended their plans, claiming players "don’t get it for now." Believing Quartz is the "first step that should lead to something bigger," he claimed the initial backlash is "a reaction we were expecting."

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Ubisoft Executive Defends NFTs, Claims Player 'Don't Get It' In Recent Interview

Unsurprisingly, that's led to significant criticism, with many believing Pourad's comments were condescending. Speaking in full, Pourad stated:

For now, because of the current situation and context of NFTs, gamers really believe it’s first destroying the planet, and second just a tool for speculation. But what we [at Ubisoft] are seeing first is the end game. The end game is about giving players the opportunity to resell their items once they’re finished with them or they’re finished playing the game itself. So, it’s really, for them. It’s really beneficial. But they don’t get it for now.

NFTs continue facing heavy criticism over environmental impact and fraud concerns, and everytime publishers announce a new NFT scheme, they've faced staunch opposition each time. That includes plans for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Dead by Daylight and most recently, Castlevania. We'll keep you informed with further news.