Pudgy Penguins, one of the popular NFT collections, is embarking on a brand new adventure. The collection of cute penguins is being integrated into Pixelverse’s Telegram mini-game. This way, players will be able to choose the Pudgy Penguins character named Pudgy, along with other crypto favorites like Doge, Dogecoin’s mascot, and Mew, which represents Solana’s memecoin, MEW.

However, this exciting announcement comes at a time when the NFT market is going through a challenging time overall. According to a report by CryptoSlam, which tracks digital collection data, NFT sales volume decreased by 45% to $2.24 billion in the second quarter of 2024. This figure means the lowest sales volume since the third quarter of 2023.

So, why are Pixelverse and Pudgy Penguins signing this collaboration despite falling sales volumes? Experts believe that the decline in the NFT market is a correction process. There are those who argue that there are trends that indicate the market is maturing after the rapid growth of the last few years. Anoir Houmou, founder and CEO of Sui-backed video platform RECRD, agrees. “The NFT market is maturing,” Houmou says, suggesting that this collaboration is an indication of that.

Despite declining sales figures, Pixelverse and Pudgy Penguins still remain major names in the field of Web3 games and NFTs. PixelTap, Pixelverse’s Telegram mini-game, has achieved impressive success in its first month of launch, reaching over 50 million users. This shows that Pixelverse, which has gained a solid player base, has prepared fertile ground for NFT integration.

Emphasizing that community building is critical for the long-term success of Web3 projects, Kori Leon, one of the co-founders of Pixelverse, makes the following important statement on this subject: “Over the years, we have witnessed many infrastructure projects that started with great promises but failed to attract users outside the Web3 community. Development of the ecosystem “Projects need to focus on what makes them successful: community, culture and distribution.”

As Leon’s words suggest, projects that neglect the community have a high risk of failing in the next cycle. Stating that users may lose trust in founders who cannot realize their vision, Leon points out the importance of successful projects establishing strong ties with the community.

Pudgy Penguins also stands out as a successful example of community building. According to CryptoSlam data, the collection has reached a sales volume of approximately $400 million at all times. Despite the decline in the NFT market, Pudgy Penguins remains the leader among Ethereum-based NFTs with $12 million in sales volume in the last month. This success proves the strength and loyalty of the Pudgy Penguins community.

Pudgy Penguins, which made a splash not only in the digital space but also in the real world, announced in May that more than one million plush toys based on its NFT collection were sold in stores worldwide. This move was an important step in introducing the Pudgy Penguins brand to large audiences.

Finally, in July, the TON-based viral game Hamster Kombat reached 239 million users in less than three months, demonstrating the potential of Web3 games. Praising this success, Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated that the game could potentially bring 200 million users to blockchain technology.

Pudgy Penguins’ integration with Pixelverse doesn’t just mean cute penguins exploring the digital universe. This collaboration demonstrates the maturation of the NFT market and the future potential of Web3 games.