TezDev 2025 Recap: A Day of Builders, Big Ideas… and a Major Plot Twist

This week marked seven years since the Tezos genesis block. That’s seven years of growth, ideas, forks, fixes, and community persistence. And while Tezos has never been one for flash, this anniversary landed with a celebration worthy of the journey: TezDev 2025.

Held at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, TezDev brought together builders, creators, and community members for a packed day of keynotes, showcases, and spontaneous conversations over espresso. The vibe? Focused, optimistic, and quietly ambitious.

Arthur Breitman took the stage for his annual keynote, outlining the current state of Tezos X and what it means to build for modularity, performance, and ownership resistance. He was later joined by Camila Russo of The Defiant for a thoughtful fireside chat that touched on protocol upgrades, modular chains, and what’s next for Tezos tooling.

Etherlink was a major theme throughout the day, with sessions from Beata Lipska, Thomas Letan, and David Relkin diving into scaling, L2-native DeFi, and what it takes to build real applications on optimistic rollups. Summer of Code was also in full swing, with an open call to builders to get involved and shape the next wave of dapps.

Later in the afternoon, a full hour was handed over to gaming. Trilitech’s Efe Kucuk was joined by a surprise guest for a live session titled Game On: Etherlink Levels Up, which set the stage for a major reveal that few saw coming.

Reaper Actual: A Massive FPS Built on Etherlink

The surprise announcement of the day came from veteran game designer John Smedley, best known for his work on EverQuest, Planetside, and H1Z1. His new studio, Distinct Possibility, has been quietly working on an open-world FPS called Reaper Actual and it’s being built on Etherlink.

This isn’t just another shooter. Reaper Actual takes place on Marova, a massive island world with persistent PvPvE combat, base building, and player-driven missions tied to AI-controlled factions. It’s a living, breathing environment designed to support modding, crafting, and full economic ownership.

Some highlights from what’s known so far:

• Bases will be tradable assets, available both as NFTs and via traditional Web2 storefronts.

• The game’s launch will start with a Foundation access phase, where early adopters can purchase a unique base and character bundle.

• Crafting, gear, and even game modes will be modifiable by the community — with the option to sell in-game items using Tezos-native infrastructure.

• The game will be powered by Unreal Engine 5 and is already backed by over $30 million in funding.

What makes Reaper Actual different is its opt-in approach to Web3. Players can choose to engage with the Tezos-based item marketplace or stick entirely to Web2 platforms like Epic Games and Steam. Either way, ownership remains at the core of the experience and the developers believe this hybrid model is the key to onboarding millions of players.

Art That Moves You

While much of TezDev’s agenda focused on infrastructure and applications, art remained close to the heart of the event.

The afternoon closed with a panel and showcase titled Art on Tezos: Past, Present, Future, featuring Zancan, Ganbrood, Aleksandra Art, and the objkt team. The session was followed by the immersive 5x5 exhibition, a collaborative showcase where five artists each curated five peers to exhibit alongside them. Curated by Objkt and Cyberforms, the exhibition transformed the space into a glowing, living mosaic of Tezos creativity.

From protocol-level conversations to gallery installations, TezDev 2025 delivered a full-spectrum snapshot of what makes Tezos unique. If this week was any indication, year eight is already off to a powerful start.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Governance Season on Etherlink: Two Votes, One Upgrade

Governance is heating up this July on Etherlink. This week, Nomadic Labs, TriliTech, and Functori announced two important proposals set to go to vote: the release of Etherlink version 4.1 and a change to the chain’s sequencer operator.

The Etherlink 4.1 upgrade introduces a set of technical enhancements designed to improve throughput, streamline governance, and fix usability issues that developers and users have run into on mainnet. Among the most notable changes:

• Higher throughput: The network’s “speed limit” (how much gas it will process before raising fees) has been doubled, giving more room for high-volume activity.

• Better UX for transactions: Etherlink will no longer reject large transactions due to overestimated gas—if your transaction fits, it goes through.

• Delegated governance: Bakers can now delegate their voting rights, making it easier for them to participate in protocol upgrades.

The 4.1 kernel upgrade is scheduled to be submitted to the governance process on July 6, with voting rolling out in stages over the following week. A testnet deployment is planned for July 4 to give the community a chance to review the changes ahead of mainnet activation.

At the same time, a sequencer handoff is in motion. With MIDL.dev stepping back from its current role, the proposal nominates Optimistic Labs—already operating the Etherlink bridge frontend—to step in, with support from Nomadic Labs. This will be the first time the sequencer governance process is used, and bakers are encouraged to read the documentation and prepare to vote.

Together, these proposals represent a key moment in Etherlink’s governance maturity. Both updates aim to build a more scalable, resilient, and user-friendly rollup for the Tezos ecosystem.

Want to follow along or get involved? Head to governance.etherlink.com for timelines and tools, or join the conversation in the Etherlink Discord and Tezos Agora.

Tezos Summer Events

Tree_Line: Zancan Solo Show at bitforms gallery

June 24 – August 2, 2025 | 131 Allen Street, NYC

Zancan’s first solo exhibition with bitforms gallery is set to open this month, marking the launch of a new annual partnership between the Tezos Foundation and bitforms. Tree_Line brings together a deeply considered body of work that reflects Zancan’s signature blend of generative algorithms and natural forms. Through the tree motif, the show explores structure, system, and the branching paths of creative logic.

bitforms gallery has been a longstanding force in new media art, and this partnership will shine a consistent spotlight on Tezos-based artists throughout the year under the curatorial direction of Steven Sacks.

The opening reception takes place Tuesday, June 24 from 5–9 PM. Expect light drinks, art, and great company.

RSVP: lu.ma/7zk9iwu3

🔴Now Streaming: Building an On-Chain Artist Haven in Patagonia with Bosque Gracias

This week on TezTalks Radio, Marissa Trew speaks with the team behind Bosque Gracias, an artist collective and residency program based in the forests of Patagonia, Argentina. From community-building to creative exploration, Bosque Gracias explores what it means to make art in harmony with nature and how Tezos can play a role in that journey.

Our special guests are the founders of Bosque Gracias, where the natural world and Web3 creative tools come together.

🔍 In this episode, we’ll explore:

Art Meets Environment: How Bosque Gracias offers artists a place to disconnect from distractions and reconnect with nature, collaboration and purpose.

Why Tezos: The role of open tools and blockchain in expanding access and opportunity for artists around the world.

The Power of Community: How shared experiences and creative exchange help shape lasting artistic impact.

The Realities of Residency: What it takes to build and sustain an artist residency deep in Patagonia and why the effort is worth it.

Tune in for an inspiring look at where art, land and Tezos come together.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.