Brendan Greene’s Artemis aims to reshape the metaverse with immersive gameplay, prioritizing experience over NFTs and speculation - IcoHolder.
Brendan Greene, the visionary behind the popular battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), has introduced his latest project, Artemis, offering a fresh take on the metaverse. Unlike many current metaverse initiatives that heavily integrate non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Greene has made it clear that Artemis will focus on gameplay rather than speculative technologies.
Greene, who left the PUBG development team in 2019, revealed his vision for Artemis in an interview with IGN on January 2, 2025. When asked about the potential for NFTs in Artemis, Greene expressed his disinterest, stating, "Not even thinking about [NFTs]." While the gaming and crypto industries have often touted NFTs as revolutionary tools for asset ownership and intellectual property protection, Greene’s primary concern is creating immersive and enjoyable gameplay experiences.
"I want to concentrate on getting the engine to a state where we can make things in it," Greene emphasized, underlining that his team at PlayerUnknown Productions is focused on fun and innovation, not the speculative nature of blockchain-based assets.
Despite his skepticism towards NFTs, Greene remains open to the potential of blockchain technology, calling it "an interesting financial instrument." He noted that while Artemis won’t feature NFTs, the use of blockchain for other purposes, such as tracking assets or verifying ownership, may be explored in the future. "Ultimately, it’s a digital ledger," he explained, suggesting that if a digital ledger can improve the game, his team would adopt it.
Greene also shared his dissatisfaction with the current state of the metaverse, describing many existing projects as "intellectual property bubbles" that fail to live up to their promises. In contrast, Greene aims to create a true metaverse, which he views as a "3D internet" where users can explore and create their own worlds. He sees Artemis as an attempt to build this interconnected, immersive digital world—a space where each “world is a page” to be crafted and experienced.
Artemis is not just one game but a collection of projects aimed at building a cohesive metaverse experience. The first project, Prologue, is a realistic survival game driven by a world-generation engine informed by NASA’s Earth data. Currently in testing, Prologue is slated for release in 2025. The second project, still unnamed, will focus on large-scale multiplayer experiences in expansive worlds filled with millions of characters. These projects serve as the foundation for the overarching vision of Artemis, where user creativity and multiplayer gameplay will seamlessly intertwine.
Greene’s announcement comes at a time when enthusiasm for the metaverse has waned. Between 2020 and 2022, the concept was widely promoted in both the crypto and tech industries, with companies like Meta investing billions in the vision. However, many projects have failed to meet their ambitious goals. Despite this, the NFT market has shown signs of life, with 2024 sales surpassing $8.83 billion, reflecting a modest recovery from previous years. However, sales are still significantly lower than their peak, highlighting the challenges facing the digital collectibles space.
With Artemis, Greene is betting on compelling gameplay over speculative technology, a strategy that could set his project apart in an increasingly crowded space. As the metaverse continues to evolve, Artemis may be the innovative push the industry needs, focusing on experience rather than hype.
