Australian web3 game studio Virtually Human has announced that its horse racing game, Zed Run, will close after six years. The decision comes amid ongoing community tensions and falling asset values. The game shuts down on February 28th, ending a significant run for its player base.
Introducing Zed Champions
Virtually Human frames the closure as a pivot rather than an ending. The studio is launching Zed Champions, a new web3 gaming project with a different design philosophy. Players will have one month after Zed Run closes to claim, purchase, or trade their reward badges. These badges will transfer to Zed Champions and grant eligibility for acquiring new horses. The catch: horse NFTs from Zed Run won't carry over, forcing players to rebuild their stables from scratch.
Web3 Game Zed Run Shuts Down to Launch Zed Champions
Final Zed Run Event with 100K Prize Pool
The studio is running a sunset event to close out Zed Run. Players can multiply XP, climb leaderboards, and earn engagement points through week-long seasons. The finale is the three-day Sunset Stakes event running February 26th through 28th, featuring a $100,000 ZED token prize pool. It's the last competitive opportunity before the game goes offline.
The shutdown has sparked backlash from the community. NFT holders and veteran players have taken to social media to voice frustration, with some calling the transition a "scam" and a "rug." The anger centers on the non-transferable horse NFTs, which represent significant investments for many players. Virtually Human maintains an upbeat stance, declaring, "This is just the beginning … We promise, 2025 is gonna be one helluva year for ZED."
