The development team behind Infected, a speculative pandemic-simulation game that recently gained viral traction, has announced a significant decision to migrate from Ethereum’s Layer-2 network, Base, to the Solana blockchain. This change comes in response to performance issues encountered during the game’s initial launch.
The announcement was made via the game’s official X account, where the team cited Base’s inability to handle the transaction volume generated during Infected’s launch as a primary reason for their move. They expressed broader concerns regarding the scalability limitations of EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine)-based chains.
Infected Ditches Ethereum’s Layer 2 for Solana
According to the team, “Infected crashed Base,” referencing a launch that saw an impressive 130,000 sign-ups within just 48 hours. This sudden influx of players resulted in a spike in gas prices and numerous failed transactions, particularly in the first 30 minutes of gameplay. The developers noted that this incident had a detrimental effect on the game’s momentum and user experience, as many users were unable to participate, leading to a substantial drop-off in engagement.
While the Infected team acknowledged that the issues faced were not isolated to Base, they characterized them as part of a larger, persistent limitation on all EVM-compatible chains. Initially, they had viewed Layer 2 solutions as a promising avenue for Ethereum scalability. However, the experience has shifted their perspective, leading them to consider these bottlenecks as structural problems with no immediate resolution in sight.
The decision to transition to Solana was influenced by two key advantages: community culture and user engagement. The developers contrasted Ethereum’s technically advanced yet builder-centric ecosystem with Solana’s more user-oriented approach. They observed that Solana’s developer community aligns more closely with contemporary consumer behavior, pointing to the success of native applications like Pump.fun and DAOs.fun.
User feedback also played an integral role in the decision to migrate. Many players expressed a desire for a version of Infected built on Solana to eliminate the need for bridging assets. The post included a notable comment from the team:
“If they are on XRP, we’d go to XRP. If that was Bitcoin mainnet, we’d go there. But today’s users are on Solana.”
The Infected team also indicated that upcoming titles will be launched on Solana, reflecting their belief that it offers the best infrastructure for high-volume, consumer-facing applications in the current landscape.
Response from Base
Jesse Pollak, Head of Base and Coinbase Wallet, responded to Infected’s announcement, clarifying what he termed “factual inaccuracies.” Pollak asserted that Base did not experience a crash, stating that the chain “hummed along, just as it should.” He indicated that the technical issues reported during Infected’s launch were more related to frontend problems, a point that the Infected team has publicly disputed.
Furthermore, Pollak mentioned that the Coinbase-incubated network had reached out to the Infected team promptly following the migration announcement but had yet to receive a response. This exchange highlights the complexity of platform migration in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape.
In conclusion, the move from Ethereum’s Layer 2 to Solana marks a pivotal moment for Infected and reflects broader trends in the blockchain gaming sector, where scalability and user experience are increasingly critical to success.
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