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Zed Run, the digital horse racing game that captured the imagination of NFT enthusiasts in 2021, is galloping back onto the scene, with a fresh name, a new blockchain home, and a strategy aimed at making Web3 gaming accessible to a new generation of players.
After a brief hiatus, Virtually Human Studios (VHS), the creators behind Zed Run, have relaunched the project as Zed Champions. It marks a significant pivot for the franchise, embracing Coinbase’s Base network and introducing a streamlined, token-driven economy that could reignite interest in NFT-powered gaming.
A New Chapter for Zed Run
Originally launched in 2019, Zed Run became one of the standout hits of the early NFT era. The premise was simple yet addictive: players bought, bred, and raced unique digital horses, each minted as a non-fungible token on Ethereum. During the height of NFT mania in 2021, virtual horse racing tournaments drew large audiences and big payouts, turning a niche experiment into a full-blown phenomenon.
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But as NFT hype cooled and transaction fees on Ethereum remained stubbornly high, Zed Run’s user base dwindled. By February 2025, VHS officially shuttered the platform, leaving many to wonder if the digital stables had closed for good.
Now, Zed Run is staging a comeback reborn as Zed Champions and repositioned for a more mature, utility-driven Web3 landscape.
Why Move Zed Run to Base?
One of the biggest shifts for the new Zed Run experience is its migration from Ethereum and Polygon to Base, Coinbase’s Layer-2 network. It’s a strategic move that addresses some of the pain points that previously dogged Web3 games: high gas fees, slow transactions, and complex user onboarding.
By leveraging Base, Zed Run now offers faster, cheaper, and more seamless interactions—critical improvements for a game that relies on frequent micro-transactions for racing, breeding, and trading horses. The choice of Base also plugs Zed Run directly into Coinbase’s growing Web3 ecosystem, giving it exposure to a much broader crypto-native and mainstream audience.
Automated Racing and a Smarter Economy
In addition to blockchain upgrades, Zed Champions introduces new gameplay mechanics that aim to make the experience more user-friendly and competitive. Gone are the days when players had to manually register horses for individual races.
Instead, Zed Run now features automated racing, dynamically matching horses of similar skill levels and automatically enrolling them in events. This lowers the friction for new players and ensures that casual racers aren’t overwhelmed by the metagame logistics that hardcore players once dominated.
At the heart of this revamped system is the ZED token, an Ethereum-based currency that powers the entire Zed Run economy. Each horse carries an internal ZED balance that fluctuates with performance: winning races boosts a horse’s balance, while repeated losses drain it. Players can retire horses at any time to cash out their accumulated ZED—but wait too long, and a depleted balance might force an involuntary retirement.
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This mechanic introduces a light but meaningful layer of strategy, forcing players to weigh risks and rewards more carefully than in the previous iteration of Zed Run.
A Fresh Start: No Legacy Advantage
Importantly, VHS has decided not to carry over legacy horses from the original Zed Run to Zed Champions. While some badge holders from the original game have been rewarded with starter horses and bonuses, everyone participating in Zed Champions starts on relatively equal footing.
It’s a move that reflects lessons learned from other Web3 games, where early adopters sometimes dominated ecosystems to the detriment of newer players. With Zed Champions, VHS hopes to create a more dynamic, competitive environment where skill and strategy determine success—not just who bought in early.
The Road Ahead for Zed Run
The relaunch of Zed Run as Zed Champions comes at a pivotal time for Web3 gaming. After the speculative bubble of 2021-2022 burst, serious builders have shifted focus toward delivering actual gameplay value rather than leaning solely on NFT speculation.
VHS appears to have internalized those lessons. By moving Zed Run to Base, simplifying gameplay through automation, and introducing a sustainable token economy, they are positioning the game to thrive in an environment where user engagement and retention matter more than just flashy mint numbers.
Still, the challenges are real. The NFT gaming sector is crowded with competitors, and despite improvements in blockchain UX, onboarding remains a hurdle for mainstream adoption. Whether Zed Run can regain its former magic, or capture a new audience altogether, will depend largely on how well it can balance accessibility, strategy, and fun.
One thing’s certain: Zed Run’s second act isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s a test case for how early Web3 experiments can evolve, adapt, and maybe even win the race all over again.
