A Pokemon-inspired NFT RPG game called ‘Pixelmon’ was being hotly tipped as the next blue-chip NFT for investors to get involved in before it blew up — but it quickly came crashing down to Earth when the artwork was officially revealed.
NFTs are only growing in popularity as profile picture jpeg artwork runs rampant on social media and buyers are looking for a project they can invest in and, ultimately, sell for a huge profit.
We’ve seen the most expensive NFTs sell for tens of millions of dollars, and the Pixelmon project was believed to be next up.
In fact, investors believed in the project so much that, in a Dutch auction, the cost to mint a Pixelmon (pre-reveal) was 3 ETH (approximately $9000), with the price dropping 0.1 ETH every 10 minutes.
Pixelmon owners let down by “unacceptable” artwork reveal
The artwork for the Pixelmon project was finally revealed at the end of February, and almost immediately, buyers felt like they had been conned, and the wider community at large was making jokes and memes in abundance.
While early sneak peeks at the artwork for the collection looked promising, what was actually revealed left a lot to be desired.
Pokemon-inspired NFT game 'Pixelmon' looked set to be huge with promising artwork…
Here's what was advertised vs what investors got 😬 pic.twitter.com/0RgBlkSZF5
— Jacob Hale (@JakeHaleee) March 1, 2022
While you can see all of the artwork on the Pixelmon OpenSea page (as well as buy one if you’re at all tempted), one that has taken the internet by storm is a turtle-looking creature that has been affectionately named Kevin.
In the days since the reveal, Kevin has become not only a notorious meme but also widely beloved by holders and haters alike.
The fact that pixelmon is tanking but Kevin is selling for 3 eth is why I love it here 😂 pic.twitter.com/STt0T066DQ
— Babyblue (@Babyblue7138) February 28, 2022
so let me get this straight:
pixelmon pulled off one of the most insane heists ever, is currently selling for 0.4, and you mfs are buying "Kevin" which was named by the community for over 3+ ETH as a fuckin meme
AND THEN someone makes a Kevin mfer
what the fuck is happening pic.twitter.com/bS7IVFDNOe
— ashrobin.eth (@ashrobinqt) March 1, 2022
In fact, so beloved is Kevin that his floor price currently sits at almost 9 ETH. That’s three times more than the highest mint cost, and 20x the floor price of the rest of the collection.
The Pixelmon founder later tweeted that the reveal was “unacceptable” but that he intends to see the project through.
The Pixelmon reveal was unacceptable. This is what our Pixelmon look like in-game. Our NFT art failed to reflect this.
Despite the fud I will not go anywhere. The goal hasn't changed. The funds will still be used to build our game. I will see this project through. pic.twitter.com/ViFzyKhbqL
— Syber | Pixelmon (@Syberer) February 26, 2022
Needless to say, while Pixelmon has become a huge meme in the community, there’s clearly a market for at least one of their creations.
Whether the game actually amounts to anything, however, is harder to feel so confident in considering its launch.
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