Fnatic launches Fnatic Citizen NFT program to fan backlash

Esports organization Fnatic has launched an NFT program called Fnatic Citizen and fan reception has been negative.

Fnatic announced a new venture for the organization on Twitter. The brand is starting a membership service gated behind a Non-Fungible Token program. The program resembles a similar effort by rivals G2 Esports to integrate NFTs and blockchain technology into a fan club experience. Just as the G2 program was met community backlash, League of Legends fans and personalities aren’t happy with another organization jumping on the blockchain train.

Fnatic NFT program angers fans

The Fnatic NFT program is called Fnatic Citizen and boils down to three tiers of tokens which offer varying amounts of content. The three tiers are the free Citizen tier, the Core tier with tokens going for $200 at time of presale, and the $400 Pioneer key. The Core will rise to $250 on public sale, and the Pioneer tier will leap to $600.

We're building the next evolution of esports fandom. And we want all of you with us from day one.

Unlock the future of Fnatic. Your free Fnatic Citizen key is available now: https://t.co/q2a0Q8QLYI pic.twitter.com/MFrSS9v23l

— FNATIC (@FNATIC) March 29, 2022

There will be 2,500 Pioneer tokens, 2,500 Core tokens, and an unlimited number of Citizen tokens at launch. The reception wasn’t what Fnatic had hoped for, with the most-liked reply to the announcement being LEC caster Daniel Drakos linking a long-form YouTube video explaining many of the predatory practices common in the crypto space by YouTuber Folding Ideas.

https://t.co/6Gdm7xEZvF

— Drakos (@DanielDrakos) March 29, 2022

Gaming companies from Ubisoft to Riot Games have gotten involved with NFTs or NFT-related sponsors. A massive FTX ad during the LCS 2022 Spring Split that told viewers “don’t miss out on NFTs” was met with similar annoyance from fans. Esports and gaming companies are committed to finding a way to capitalize on NFTs that is both profitable and palatable to fans. So far none have been successful.

Fnatic Citizen presale will launch on April 7, 2022. Immediate rewards on the roadmap include discounts on Fnatic merchandise, free jerseys for Pioneer members, and more.