Blockchain firm BlockRocket has announced a partnership with acclaimed Manchester-based artist Stanley Chow and multinational brewery and pub chain BrewDog to release an Ethereum-powered football collectibles game.

According to a press release shared with Coin Rivet, ‘NiftyFootball’ has been developed by the creators of KnownOrigin.io, CryptoKaiju.io, and BlockCities.co.

NiftyFootball is an Ethereum-based football collectibles platform that provides provably scarce digital trading cards for purchase. Each trading card has been illustrated by the acclaimed artist Stanley Chow.

The game will utilise the same token standard (ERC-721) that is commonly used in other blockchain-based games such as CryptoKitties. This means that every unique card will be a non-fungible token (NFT), each with their own traits and attributes which affect digital scarcity and gameplay.

The traits and attributes range from the nationality of the player, their kit, and the rating of specific attributes, which all feed into a card’s ranking within the game.

Cards will be sold in blind packs and in multiples of three, which will be randomly generated. Certain traits will be more scarce than others. There will also be discounts on offer for those who purchase large quantities.

Andy Gray, co-founder of NiftyFootball and BlockRocket, comments: “After building crypto-collectibles for the last 18 months, we have become obsessed with how digital assets will change the world.

“KnownOrigin.io was a perfect use case for providing art provenance. We are now excited to launch NiftyFootball, a sports-based trading card game, as we think this space has huge untapped potential.”

An experience that goes beyond traditional card games

During the development process, the team focused on providing an experience that surpasses traditional card games and goes beyond that of a simple NFT trading platform. Users will be able to:

View their squad within the app or any compatible digital wallet.

See their team of 11 players to determine where stats can be improved.

Customise their team name, which is associated with their Ethereum address.

See how their team and players rank in the existing card pool.

James Morgan, co-founder of NiftyFootball and BlockRocket, states: “We hope that NiftyFootball will become an onramp for further adoption by showcasing the power of what can be achieved. Being a sports-oriented game represents a vast opportunity for the blockchain space to reach a new set of collectors, and we intend to help push applications of NFTs to the next level.”

The game will feature an inaugural competition dubbed as the ‘BrewDog Founders Cup’, where teams will have the chance to compete and win prizes alongside an ultra-rare trading card.

Martin Dempster, VP of innovation at BrewDog, notes: “We’ve been keeping a close eye on blockchain technology, and have got to know BlockRocket well. They are always on the lookout for novel and beautifully designed real-world applications.

“We’re excited to sponsor the inaugural ‘NiftyFootball BrewDog Founders Cup’ and we’re excited to be pioneering the timeless combination of beer and football in the crypto world.”

Interested in reading more about non-fungible tokens? Discover more about the powerful asset class with our introduction on the topic.