Immutable zkEVM and X Merge: Unified Chain to Power Web3 Gaming in 2026

Immutable is ending a significant change to its ecosystem by merging Immutable X and Immutable zkEVM into one unified chain. This comes at a key time for Web3 gaming, because the trade is now targeted on consolidation and constructing sustainable infrastructure as a substitute of chasing hype.

As an alternative of specializing in fast progress, the trade is settling down. Immutable’s transfer matches this development and places the platform in a great spot because the market picks up once more.

Immutable’s Place in Web3 Gaming Infrastructure

Immutable has spent years creating instruments for large-scale video games. Video games like Gods Unchained, Guild of Guardians, and Illuvium rely on quick transactions, secure prices, and safe NFT possession.

These necessities formed Immutable’s early design choices. These wants additionally clarify Immutable’s early decisions, main the corporate to run two Layer-2 options concurrently. This method labored initially, however because the market matured, the downsides grew to become extra obvious. Immutable X, an Ethereum Layer-2 utilizing StarkWare’s ZK-rollups, addressed an actual downside: gasoline charges made in-game NFTs impractical. Zero-fee minting and buying and selling allowed video games to situation tens of millions of property with out pricing out gamers.

Nonetheless, Immutable X had limitations. It didn’t help general-purpose sensible contracts, so builders needed to work inside predefined flows. Immutable zkEVM, which reached mainnet in early 2024, addressed that hole. Constructed with Polygon’s Chain Growth Package, it affords full EVM compatibility. Studios can now deploy Solidity contracts, combine DeFi primitives, and use ERC-1155 standards for high-volume property.

Working two chains fragmented liquidity, elevated complexity, and created person confusion. The merge resolves these points successfully.

The consolidation plan was introduced on April 8, 2025. After months of staged migrations, the ultimate part begins in February 2026.

Key steps embody:

Bridge Contract Improve

Scheduled to start as early as February 11, 2026, Immutable will improve its bridge contracts. A compulsory two-week delay follows for safety validation.

Automated Asset Migration

Asset migration from Immutable X is predicted round February 25, 2026, following the two-week safety delay. Pockets addresses stay unchanged, and most customers gained’t have to take motion.

Immutable X Deprecation

Additionally scheduled to start as early as February 11, Immutable X write operations will cease. Minting and buying and selling APIs will develop into read-only, and Immutable Hyperlink might be phased out.

Customers preferring to exit can withdraw to Ethereum Layer-1 earlier than the cutoff. Passport customers transition seamlessly. MetaMask and different EVM wallets show balances immediately. Magic Pockets customers might have to export keys.

What Builders Must Change

Builders should migrate to the unified @imtbl/sdk and change Immutable X RPC calls with zkEVM equivalents. Interactions now observe normal EVM patterns.

Immutable affords guides, pattern code, and assist for upgrading property. Many studios are altering ERC-721 collections to ERC-1155 to spice up liquidity and enhance market outcomes.

Doing this work now makes future upkeep simpler and permits for extra superior sport options.

Web3 Gaming in 2026: Submit-Hype, Not Submit-Progress

Web3 gaming just isn’t failing. It’s simply slowing down after a really energetic interval in 2024 and early 2025.

Each day Distinctive Lively Wallets (dUAW) reached virtually 7 million in early 2025, however dropped as funding slowed, play-to-earn misplaced reputation, and weaker tasks closed. By Q3 2025, gaming dUAW averaged about 4.7 million.

Gaming dUAW development (DappRadar):

Full This fall 2025 and early 2026 knowledge isn’t public but. Even so, gaming nonetheless represents roughly 25% of whole dApp exercise. Capital has rotated towards AI and memecoins, and token efficiency stays uneven. These pressures clarify the quieter market.

Why Immutable Nonetheless Exhibits Power

Regardless of the downturn, Immutable’s metrics stay regular slightly than risky.

• Over 227 million whole transactions processed

• Round 169,000 each day transactions on common

• Roughly $148K in 24-hour DEX quantity

• Constant NFT buying and selling exercise

• zkEVM DeFi TVL near $11.4 million, reflecting a gaming-first focus

Different gaming-focused chains present resilience as nicely. Ronin continues to steer in engagement, validating the concept specialised infrastructure outperforms general-purpose chains for video games.

Immutable stands out by breadth. Greater than 680 video games are constructing or dwell on the platform. Current and upcoming launches embody emoji™ Marble Dash with Epic-based quests, Zombie World free-to-play quests, and Ubisoft’s May & Magic: Fates arriving February 4. Dwell titles resembling Villains, Miomi, and Guild of Guardians proceed to onboard gamers.

Guild of Guardians has already proven that huge audiences are potential with blockchain when the method is easy for customers.

Why the Merge Issues Now

The timing of the merge aligns with the market’s wants. Throughout enlargement phases, fragmented tooling slows groups down. Throughout consolidation phases, it turns into a legal responsibility.

By unifying liquidity, property, and developer workflows, Immutable reduces overhead at a second when studios are extra selective. The platform turns into simpler to construct on, cheaper to keep up, and less complicated to elucidate to gamers.

Immutable’s Function within the Subsequent Development Cycle

The Immutable merge gained’t trigger a right away comeback, but it surely units the stage for future progress.

Having one EVM-compatible chain with sturdy NFT help provides studios the boldness to speculate once more. Gamers may have fewer wallets and bridges to handle, and may maintain possession throughout video games. Marketplaces may have extra liquidity as a substitute of being break up up.

As Web3 gaming shifts from making an attempt new issues to really constructing, stable infrastructure is extra necessary than hype. Immutable’s unified chain reveals this transformation and places the platform in a great spot for the following progress part.