Simulation Game ‘Infected’ Switches to Solana Blockchain Citing Transaction Issues

Summary

• Game Migration: The popular pandemic simulation game ‘Infected’ is moving from the Ethereum Layer-2 network Base to the Solana blockchain.

• Reason: Scalability Concerns: Developers cited transaction bottlenecks on Base during high user demand at launch and expressed wider doubts about the scalability of Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-based chains as primary reasons for the switch.

• Solana Advantages: The Infected team highlighted Solana’s more user-centric ecosystem, developer culture aligned with consumer trends, and user requests for a Solana version as additional factors in their decision.

The creators of Infected, a pandemic simulation game recently experiencing high user interest, have announced they are moving the game from Ethereum’s Base Layer-2 solution to the Solana blockchain.

The Infected team communicated this decision via their official X account, pointing to Base’s limitations in handling transaction volume during the game’s initial launch, alongside wider concerns regarding the scalability of blockchains based on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

Launch Demand Strains Base Network

According to the Infected team, “Infected crashed Base.” This statement refers to the game’s launch period, during which it quickly attracted 130,000 user registrations within 48 hours.

This sudden surge in activity resulted in increased gas fees and transaction failures, particularly in the first half-hour of operation.

The developers stated that these issues negatively impacted the game’s initial momentum and user experience.

They described user frustration as many were unable to join the game, leading to abandonment.

The game’s design depends on real-time user interaction within a seven-day cycle, making these initial launch issues critical.

Scalability Concerns Beyond Base Network

The Infected developers acknowledged that the transaction problems were not unique to Base but represented a more systemic limitation across all chains compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine.

Despite previous beliefs in Layer-2 networks as solutions for Ethereum’s scaling challenges, the team now perceives these bottlenecks as fundamental and unlikely to be resolved quickly.

Solana’s User Focus and Infrastructure Attracts Game

The move to Solana was also influenced by perceived advantages in Solana’s ecosystem culture and user base.

The developers contrasted Ethereum’s environment, seen as technically oriented and focused on builders, with Solana’s approach, which they consider more user-centric.

The Infected team stated that Solana’s developer community is better aligned with current consumer behavior, referencing the success of other Solana-based applications such as Pump.fun and DAOs.fun.

User input was also a factor, as the Infected team reported that many players requested a Solana version to avoid needing to bridge digital assets.

The team’s statement explained user preference drove the platform choice: “If users preferred XRP, we’d choose XRP. If Bitcoin Mainnet was the user base, we’d use that. But currently, users are on Solana.”

They further indicated that future games will also be launched on Solana, based on their assessment of it being the superior platform for high-volume, consumer-facing applications.

Base Executive Disputes “Crash” Narrative

Jesse Pollak, head of Base and Coinbase Wallet, responded to Infected’s announcement.

While stating respect for teams building on any platform, Pollak felt it necessary to correct what he described as inaccuracies.

“Base did not crash; the network operated as expected,” he stated.

Pollak asserted that the technical difficulties experienced during the Infected launch were related to frontend issues, a point the game’s team had reportedly acknowledged and discussed with Base beforehand.

The Infected team has contradicted this assertion.

Pollak added that Base representatives contacted Infected immediately after the migration announcement but have not received a response.

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