Welcome to the OpenSea digest. Let’s look back through the biggest NFT and web3 news of the week.

Parallel Approved for Epic Games Store

Parallel, a sci-fi trading card game, has just received approval from the Epic Games Store, marking a significant step forward as the game prepares for Open Beta. For now, Parallel is exclusively available on Windows PC and players must create an account and get approval for beta access. 

The Parallel Open Beta promises an engaging experience. The game will feature a Rookie Mode, where winning players will be able to earn rewards like Apparition Packs and Legendary Apparition Cards. Achieving 25 wins across different Factions even nets an extra bonus.

In addition to the game, Parallel is launching cosmetic items in its in-game and web shops, including limited-time game items, comics, and apparel. With its approval on the Epic Games Store, the game is set to launch its onboarding page soon. There's a Google form for players to apply for Parallel Referral Links, providing incentives for successful referrals.

Optimism Announces We Love the Art Contest

Layer 2 rollup network Optimism launched its We Love the Art (W❤️TA) contest, a celebration of on-chain artists, with a grand prize pool of 1,000,000 OP (approx. $1.85 million USD at the time of writing). 

Framed as the "American Idol" for digital art, the contest is open across four categories: AI Art, Generative Art, Music, and 1-of-1s, each uniquely judged by leading web3 figures, including gmoney, Cozomo de' Medici, pplpleasr, Zeneca and more. 

To participate, artists need to create and deploy their artwork on the OP Mainnet using partner platforms like Manifold, Sound.xyz and OpenSea, among others, by December 13th. 

The contest offers an equal split of the prize pool across categories, with each winner undergoing KYC verification to claim their prize. This event marks a significant celebration of innovation and creativity in the digital art space.

Victor Wembanyama NFT Sells in Record-Breaking Auction

An NFT trading card featuring San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama has set a new record, selling for over $110,000 USD. This latest sale eclipsed the $67,333 fetched by his physical card in August. 

This unique, single-edition card sold by Sorare, the officially licensed fantasy basketball digital trading card game, was snapped up for 61.182 ETH by the lucky pseudonymous bidder, "YNWA." The buzzworthy transaction highlights Wembanyama's skyrocketing popularity and the appeal of NFT trading cards, known for their proven ownership and utility. 

Wembanyama's rising star status is also evident as he continues to impress fans on the court, averaging over 18 points and two assists per game. Meanwhile, Sorare's growing appeal to NBA spectators is underscored by its NFT sales of over $713 million and a valuation of $4.3 billion after a hefty Series B funding. T

The platform, a hit among sports enthusiasts and athletes alike, allows collectors to build virtual teams across baseball, basketball, and football leagues while earning rewards. 

Disney Partners With Dapper Labs for Disney Pinnacle

Disney is diving back into the NFT world, this time partnering with Dapper Labs, creators of NBA Top Shot and CryptoKitties, for Disney Pinnacle, a mobile app for trading digital Disney-themed collectibles, initially available through early access for invited users. 

The app will feature digital "pins" inspired by classic physical collectibles of popular Disney characters and franchises. 

Dapper Labs, known for its innovative approach to digital collectibles, is aiming to capture the vast Disney fanbase with this venture, blending traditional fan collecting with modern digital technology in a way that could potentially revitalize interest in NFTs among mainstream audiences.

Those interested can join the waitlist now at http://disneypinnacle.com.

Roblox CEO Reveals His Hopes for the Future of In-Game NFTs

Roblox CEO David Baszucki envisions a future in which NFTs and digital items seamlessly traverse multiple platforms within the game.

In a recent article, he broke down his plan to involve celebrities and major brands like Nike as pivotal players in fleshing out this vision of a user-owned digital future. According to the piece, Baszucki's vision involves A-list celebrities selling digital collectibles for charity both within and outside of Roblox. 

His ambition aligns with Roblox's recent growth, demonstrated by a 20% rise in daily active users over the past year. Since last November, over 70 million people have been engaging on the platform. 

The company seems to be set on innovating and expanding the usability of NFTs in the digital arena. 

Immutable Partners with Ubisoft’s Strategic Innovation Lab

Immutable, a leading blockchain gaming Layer 2 platform, and game publisher Ubisoft are joining forces to redefine blockchain gaming. 

Known for its expertise in blockchain technology and successful web3 games like Gods Unchained, Immutable brings its innovative zkEVM solution to the table. Meanwhile, Ubisoft is known for household hits like Assassin’s Creed and its web3-focused Strategic Innovation Lab. 

The partnership aims to integrate blockchain seamlessly into games, thereby improving the player experience and bringing web3 games more into the mainstream. Championing the concept of digital ownership is a key goal of the collaboration. 

Wanderers Debuts New Game

Last week, OpenseaGG streamed the vibrant and colorful collection, The Wanderers, on X, who used the platform to debut their upcoming game. During the stream, web3 content creator Orangie played through levels of the Wanderers game, showcasing the different planets, characters and bosses users can potentially face off against.

During the stream, Wanderers also announced they'll be dropping an upcoming collection, called RAM early access starter packs, on OpenSea starting December 5th.

Watch the stream here.

Upgrades Made to the OpenSea Mobile App

OpenSea’s mobile app has been updated with new features and a fresh new look. Now, users will get push notifications for key events: receiving an offer, when an offer is accepted, or when a listing is sold. 

The app also now includes the Drops calendar so users can easily keep up with new collections. For Android, the app now also supports minting, buying, and listing. You can download the app in the App Store or Google Play Store.