KEY TAKEAWAYSBeloved 90s animated characters The Smurfs have joined The Sandbox with The Smurfs: Mountain Expedition.Players help the Smurfs retrieve stolen eggs and can purchase exclusive Smurf NFTs.The release coincides with Alpha Season 4, featuring various partnerships with renowned brands.The Smurfs, iconic animated characters from the 90s, captivated audiences worldwide with films, games, collectibles, and other products. Now, they actively expand into the metaverse. On Monday, the franchise revealed a partnership with The Sandbox platform, introducing an interactive experience called The Smurfs: Mountain Expedition.Lets unpack what this exciting collaboration brings to the table.A Thrilling Adventure One of the leading blockchain games, The Sandbox, invites players to explore the Smurfs holiday village in the mountains within the metaverse.The experience begins with an urgent call to action: Gargamel steals the eggs from the Smurfs stork friend, and players must help retrieve them. Throughout the game, fans encounter well-known series characters like Smurfette, Storm, and Handy. Each character provides unique abilities, such as breaking rocks, growing vines, and building bridges, all essential for navigating Mount Smurfs challenging terrain.Additionally, players can purchase exclusive Smurfs NFTs. However, the benefits of these NFTs and how they impact the gameplay are unknown.Mountain Expedition becomes the second official Smurfs experience on The Sandbox. The first game, The Smurfs: Gargamels Castle, tasks players with rescuing a group of Smurfs trapped in Gargamels castle while avoiding Azrael the cat, whos ready to intercept intruders.The Smurfs: Mountain Expedition launches during The Sandboxs Alpha Season 4, which has already surpassed the player engagement levels of Alpha Season 3 from 2022. Alongside The Smurfs nostalgic appeal, the season features experiences from major brands like Ubisoft, Carebears and shows such as Hells Kitchen.Will Smurfs Boost $SAND Value?Despite the excitement around these launches, the games native token, $SAND, experienced a slight correction. $SAND dipped by 1.56% in the last 24 hours, but it still shows an impressive 49.8% increase over the past 14 days.In 2023, the global metaverse market was valued at approximately $94.1B, projected to reach $130.5B by the end of 2024. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies, as well as significant investments from major tech companies.Given the sectors rapid expansion, $SAND has the potential for a significant price increase in the long run.Collaborations like these can make any 90s kids heart melt. By combining nostalgic characters with blockchain technology, The Sandbox could substantially grow its already massive user base (over 5M registered accounts). References The Smurfs: Mountain Expedition (The Sandbox)Metaverse market revenue worldwide from 2022 to 2032 (Statista) The Sandbox (CoinGecko) Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Cassio Gusson is a journalist passionate about technology, cryptocurrencies, and the nuances of human nature. With a career spanning roles as Senior Crypto Journalist at CriptoFacil and Head of News at CoinTelegraph, he offers exclusive insights on South Americas crypto landscape. A graduate in Communication from Faccamp and a post-graduate in Globalization and Culture from FESPSP, Cassio explores the intersection of governance, decentralization, and the evolution of global systems. View all articles by Cassio Gusson Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.