Nike Teases Collection of Sneaker NFTs in Fortnite, Opening Doors for Web3 Adoption

Nike Teases Collection of Sneaker NFTs in Fortnite, Opening Doors for Web3 Adoption

Nike, the global footwear and apparel giant, has recently hinted at the possibility of launching a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring sneakers in the immensely popular online game Fortnite. With over 242.9 million active players in the past 30 days, according to Active Player, this presents a significant opportunity for Web3 adoption among traditional gamers.

On June 16, Nike made an announcement across its social media channels, revealing that the “ultimate Sneakerhunt” will commence on June 20. The accompanying video showcases the logos of Fortnite and Nike’s Air Max, set against a backdrop of floating clouds in the sky. The video then transitions to unveil the name of the sneaker hunt, “Airphoria,” along with Nike’s SWOOSH logo for its web3 platform alongside the logo of Epic Games‘ Unreal Engine.

While specific details are currently limited, members of the NFT community speculate that Nike may have developed an NFT-related game using Fortnite Creative 2.0. This version of Fortnite allows users to create their virtual island game maps using assets from the game. Some believe that Nike utilized this feature to create a game for the sneaker hunt. It is worth noting that Fortnite recently introduced Fortnite Creative 2.0, which offers a robust self-built map mode akin to creating games on platforms like ROBLOX. Two years ago, Nike also created a game on ROBLOX, although it was not integrated with NFTs at that time.

While it remains uncertain if NFTs will be incorporated into Airphoria, the involvement of Nike’s SWOOSH logo and Epic Games’ favorable stance towards NFT gaming suggest the possibility. Nike’s NFT unit has been actively making strides to enter the traditional gaming space, and a collaboration with Fortnite could prove to be a significant step toward achieving that goal.