Pudgy Party Reaches 500,000 Downloads in Two Weeks as Pirate Nation Ceases Operations

Pudgy Penguins' new mobile game, Pudgy Party, has rapidly surpassed 500,000 downloads within two weeks of its launch, signaling a significant milestone for Web3 gaming. This achievement comes as the blockchain-based RPG Pirate Nation announces its permanent shutdown, highlighting contrasting fortunes within the evolving Web3 gaming landscape.

Pudgy Party, co-developed by Pudgy Penguins and Mythical Games, launched on August 29, 2025, across both Apple's App Store and Google Play. The game's swift adoption makes it the fastest-downloaded title in Mythical Games' portfolio, known for other successful Web3 games like NFL Rivals. Players have praised its subtle integration of Web3 elements, with one gamer, Spike, stating, "It has just the right am [amount] of Web3 and doesn’t force you to buy tokens or NFTs from the start."

Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz has outlined ambitious plans for Pudgy Party, including the introduction of new maps, gameplay features, and strategic partnerships with brands and influencers. A major highlight for the fourth quarter of 2025 is a planned tournament boasting a prize pool of up to a million dollars in PENGU rewards. The game, a "party royale" inspired by titles like Fall Guys, allows players to collect and customize their penguin characters, with associated NFTs like the Pudgy Power NFT already trading at a floor price of $3,300 on the Mythical Market.

Conversely, the Ethereum-based pirate RPG Pirate Nation is ceasing operations this week, nearly three years after its launch. The developers cited a lack of sufficient audience to justify continued investment and operation, stating, "The demand for the fully onchain version of Pirate Nation simply isn’t there to sustain operation indefinitely." While the main game is shutting down, some elements will transition into the Proof of Play Arcade, and Founder’s Pirates NFTs will become identity NFTs. This closure follows a trend of other blockchain games, such as Tokyo Beast and Age of Dino, also shutting down due to operational challenges and insufficient player engagement.