Bart Hillerich

The rise of the <a href="https://blockworks.co/category/web3">Web3 industry</a> has been highlighted by many connected trends, but none arguably as important for the <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/2022-prediction-gaming-will-lead-to-further-crypto-adoption">global adoption of the industry</a> as the emergence of blockchain-powered games. Initially a movement dominated by play to earn (&#8220;P2E&#8221;, or <a href="https://blockworks.co/tag/gamefi">GameFi</a>), the gaming revolution has found itself at a turning point — the GameFi era is coming to an end.



According to experts at blockchain gaming resource <a href="https://polemos.io/">Polemos</a>, a marked shift toward sustainable gaming models is now occurring, and it involves gaming studios giving back to players in frictionless ways. By focusing on activities such as competitive tournaments with prize pools instead of enticing players with the possibility of earning a regular income stream from playing, studios enable players to still earn small incomes, but without a high risk of a game economy collapse like those experienced by <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/axie-infinity-active-users-nft-prices-continue-to-decline-after-bridge-reopening">Axie Infinity</a> and <a href="https://coinpaper.com/355/why-step-n-is-crashing-and-what-can-be-done-to-avoid-it">StepN</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/45LKX1WsxZQBBFPG5twB6doJ_IHWTO06UWAaeAfspYpPSV0IV_YFHXr4jMhNWuvcCYTYb6716defjMS-hbWgnVRgvf5q47MyAX96Pa_1umaUMr3OwHI-uNTZAyUePWXUBxuaI4WTEZr0RQGPtO9DmQU" alt="AXS Token Decline"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Axie Infinity&#8217;s utility token, AXS, has fallen over 95% since its all-time high</figcaption></figure>



Today, the blockchain gaming movement is preparing to grow its current player base of approximately 1 million users to new heights. Among developers, the resounding emphasis is on implementing sustainable, fun mechanics to keep players engaged and the doors of game studios open. To ensure better blockchain-powered mechanics can shine for players and produce desired industry growth, Polemos believes that maintaining a low barrier to entry across games is paramount, and has identified a pair of projects leading the way to greater adoption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A gentle lead into Web3 will usher in the next wave of adoption</h2>



The lie that the GameFi era told Web3 was that everyone would be able to earn a living simply by participating in game economies — either as a player, investor or collector. These promised earnings were typically designed to be distributed payments in the form of in-game cryptocurrencies that hold real-world value.&nbsp;



While that vision is great for early participants as it involves game assets appreciating in value, it forms a high barrier to entry by default and severely hinders a game&#8217;s ability to grow. When player base growth is capped, projects can’t earn enough revenue to continue generating sufficient real-world value to support the game economy, rendering it entirely reliant on unsustainable inflationary token distribution. Once liquidity for the token dries up among the capped player base, the collapse of the game economy begins.



The reality is that, as in Web2 gaming, earning a comfortable living will be reserved for top players and content creators. It&#8217;s likely that only cryptocurrencies that power the most profitable games (if they maintain utility and value in the real world) and gaming assets deemed &#8220;special,&#8221; like the Counter-Strike skins bundle that <a href="https://polemos.io/csgo-skins-bundle-sells-for-500k/">sold for $500,000</a>, will hold the power to bestow wealth upon holders. On the bright side, this leaves the door open for low barriers to entry.



The overbearing financialization of game assets is not the answer to onboarding new users to blockchain gaming. While <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/blockchain-gaming-decentralization">improving the quality of games</a> is certainly a glaring task on blockchain gaming&#8217;s to-do list, Polemos Co-CEO Richard McLaren sees improving the onboarding process as the other essential pillar that needs to be in place for the next growth boom to occur for the industry.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
&#8220;Non-crypto natives have no desire to endure such rigorous friction when starting a new game for the first time. As an industry, we need to solve the steep crypto learning curve currently in place and ease the onboarding process. We&#8217;ll know we&#8217;ve achieved victory when gamers can play without realizing blockchain is integrated. That&#8217;s when the fun truly begins.&#8221;
<cite>Polemos Co-CEO Richard McLaren</cite></blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Promising projects breaking down barriers</h2>



As blockchain gaming shifts toward more player-friendly, frictionless onboarding processes, Polemos has identified standout projects already working to reduce barriers and generate growth.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Immutable</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Immutable Passport Trailer" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AYT4QOdVw_I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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In collaboration with <a href="https://magic.link/">Magic</a>, Immutable has launched its non-custodial wallet and authentication platform <a href="https://www.immutable.com/products/passport">Immutable Passport</a>, which is designed to streamline the user onboarding process for Web3 gamers through passwordless sign-on and automated wallet creation — all players need is an email to get started. Once onboarded to the platform, players can securely use their Passport across Web3 games, eliminating the need to maintain multiple addresses and wallets.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">Mainstream onboarding for gamers is here. We just launched the beta of <a href="https://twitter.com/Immutable?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@immutable</a> passport. Completely self-custodial, email-based onboarding, with shared liquidity across all games. Try it yourself: <a href="https://t.co/Lu6dKcuWXp">https://t.co/Lu6dKcuWXp</a> <a href="https://t.co/w5u6bQ8EdN">pic.twitter.com/w5u6bQ8EdN</a>&mdash; Robbie Ferguson 🅧 | Immutable (@0xferg) <a href="https://twitter.com/0xferg/status/1653546237399044097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">METALCORE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="MetalCore Alpha 2023 Gameplay Trailer | New MMO FPS RPG Games" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ky4wHv8QU3g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.metalcore.gg/">METALCORE</a>, a first/third combat territorial warfare game is bringing the world of Web3 gaming into new territory, as it&#8217;s slated for an eventual fully free-to-play entry on the globally popular <a href="https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/">Epic Games Store</a>. 



Boasting <a href="https://backlinko.com/epic-games-users">31.3 million daily active users</a>, the games store presents an incredible opportunity to showcase features exclusive to blockchain-powered games to an audience that has not yet experienced them. If successful, the game could win the hearts of gamers around the world and encourage them to explore other Web3 games.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">Congrats to the whole <a href="https://twitter.com/playmetalcore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@playmetalcore</a> team for winning Bester Shooter at the inaugural <a href="https://twitter.com/PolkastarterGG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PolkastarterGG</a> Gam3 Awards! <a href="https://t.co/ONsY0UmEgC">https://t.co/ONsY0UmEgC</a>&mdash; John Chen (@j0hnchen) <a href="https://twitter.com/j0hnchen/status/1603497264722370579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2022</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The death of GameFi is needed</h2>



The terms “play to earn” and “GameFi” themselves imply unsustainability, literally meaning that players are logging on and playing with the primary goal of earning a profit. According to Polemos, this “attracts an audience that is looking to extract value from a game’s ecosystem, instead of contributing to it.” To build great games that further the Web3 gaming industry, developers need to continue evolving to resonate with the audience of gamers that are willing to spend money on games purely for the sake of entertainment.



While promising developments are already being seen that have the power to supercharge the growth of blockchain gaming, there&#8217;s still an incredible amount of work remaining to bring the industry up to the standard of gaming around the world.



The death of GameFi is a necessary step in this evolution, as it will surely enable Web3 game developers to focus more on what really matters — creating great games. With onboarding becoming smoother and game quality improving industrywide, the future has never been brighter for the gaming revolution.



Polemos&#8217; role in the future of gaming is to focus on education and onboarding more people into the web3 gaming space.



<a href="https://polemos.io/">If you want to master the world of blockchain gaming, Polemos is the resource for you.</a>



This content is sponsored by <a href="https://polemos.io/">Polemos</a>.



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The death of play-to-earn gaming

Blockchain-based gaming has emerged as one of the most promising use cases for distributed ledger technologies in recent years. The opportunity for gamers to truly own in-game assets and earn passive income from their efforts has attracted millions of players to the space.&nbsp;



However, blockchain gaming&#8217;s potential remains relatively untapped compared to the broader gaming industry. Although there are <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/748044/number-video-gamers-world/">over three billion gamers</a> worldwide, only an <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1266486/blockchain-games-user-number/">estimated</a> two million active users play blockchain-based games. This massive addressable market opportunity suggests that Web3 games still lack several elements required to make them more widely adopted.



Experts at blockchain gaming resource <a href="https://polemos.io/">Polemos</a> recommend three new trends that will deliver the missing elements for the blockchain gaming industry to reach its full potential. Building better games, providing a smooth onboarding experience, and designing highly stable economies will make blockchain gaming applications more appealing to the broader gaming community.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trend 1: Good gameplay </h2>



The &#8220;play-to-earn&#8221; concept pioneered by the early crop of Web3 games attracted many players and set the tone for the industry to onboard its first million users. However, the heavy focus on financialization through NFTs distracted Web3 games from improving gameplay to the same level as conventional games.&nbsp;



Eventually, the fallout of several popular Web3 gaming economies, notably including Axie Infinity, revealed that blockchain games must offer more than financial gains to attract new gamers and sustain interest from existing players. Next-gen blockchain games are already addressing this pain point with an increased focus on optimizing gameplay to meet player expectations. The idea is that Web3 games as standalone applications must provide an exciting and immersive experience, with the financialization feature only being an add-on implementation.



Polemos Co-CEO Richard McLaren singles out <a href="https://www.themachinesarena.com/">The Machines Arena</a> – a classic shooter game developed by Directive Games – as a model of how blockchain games can penetrate traditional gaming communities. Although TMA is in a mature development stage,&nbsp; the game&#8217;s website focuses on the superior gameplay experience without mentioning its Web3 elements. &#8220;All you get is a trace mention of “digital collectibles&#8221; on the <a href="https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-machines-arena-74e0f1">Epic Games page</a>, where users can join the closed Beta,&#8221; Richard emphasized.



The arrival of more mainstream-level gaming options with minimal focus on financialization will attract more traditional players to the Web3 gaming scene. Embracing a sleek onboarding process will also make it easier for converts to start playing without the current hiccups faced by new users.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trend 2: Frictionless onboarding</h2>



Gaming integration with blockchains fundamentally creates an onboarding design headache for developers. They must optimize the initial user experience to abstract away the ambiguities of creating a blockchain wallet,&nbsp; users&#8217; unique identity, and issuing tokens for gameplay. The best blockchain gaming applications must provide frictionless onboarding, a trend the industry needs to see more of to attract traditional users.



Blockchain gaming projects are already tackling this pain point by building applications with native wallets (pre-created wallets) for users. This approach ensures users can start engaging with the app without the challenge of setting up a Metamask wallet or connecting to a dapp. For instance, Reddit&#8217;s integration of Community Points seamlessly created over three million wallets for users through the integration of Reddit Vault, a concept familiar to Web2 audiences.



<a href="https://play.illuvium.io/zero">Illuvium Zero</a> is another popular Web3 game that has opted out of the traditional hallmarks to optimize user onboarding and distribution. Aside from early mobile releases on Android and iOS, Illuvium Zero integrates a free-to-play tier where users enjoy the game without permanent progress connected to the blockchain.



Blockchain gaming developers realize that the current crop of Web3 wallets is explicitly designed for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Newer wallets and integrations optimized for onboarding gaming audiences would significantly drive adoption and bring more value to all stakeholders.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Trend 3: Stable economies</h3>



First-gen blockchain gaming applications shipped with the promise of making players rich through play-to-earn mechanics. It is, therefore, unsurprising that gaming platforms grew rather too quickly and suffered an inevitable collapse after gameplay rewards dropped significantly compared to users&#8217; investments. <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/axie-infinity-active-users-nft-prices-continue-to-decline-after-bridge-reopening">Axie Infinity&#8217;s rapid decline</a> remains the most infamous example, with user count and trading volume continuing to trend lower.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hPGYJwutatqTyl23DgNRpEfTziEAGM3JDtP3xC8NirCYttVv42kRqQaeR1sU9RICK78IwANrVnJJvsyoLId6sDIqTvnZwYMwfyIDo0zunclnmtW9XrU_k-i3_ZfIxV4D9tnmM553iEjsvGCK-eEuRvo" alt=""/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: <a href="https://www.cryptoslam.io/axie-infinity/sales/summary">CryptoSlam</a></figcaption></figure>



For blockchain gaming to succeed, developers must adopt a new trend of marketing Web3 games beyond its play-to-earn appeal. Moreover, it is vital to strike a balance between rewards paid to players and sustainable revenues. The aforementioned is one of the biggest bottlenecks for Web3 gaming projects, as providing meaningful returns to even a small set of players ultimately takes a toll on the game’s economy. Gaming studios, over time, need to prioritize building an economy that can survive for several years while minimally portraying the game as a means for users to earn a living. With less expectation of rewards, a game’s economy grows more healthily and remains sustainable.



Another modification that can help blockchain gaming to succeed is eliminating the possibility of new players buying their way to the top of the pyramid by acquiring in-game assets. Similar to most successful traditional franchises, both new and existing need an equal chance to play their way to competitiveness within the gaming pyramid.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.shrapnel.com/">SHRAPNEL</a>, an upcoming AAA extraction first-person shooter (FPS), is one of the latest-gen Web3 games following the trend of balancing its economy to prevent newcomers from buying their way to the top. SHRAPNEL’s focus on promoting user-generated content (UGC) and cosmetic items instead of gameplay boosts could allow for a sustainable economy.



A rapid shift from promising users lucrative play-to-earn rewards and focusing on adventurous gameplay could bring immense benefits. For instance, it would make it easier for blockchain-based gaming apps to build long-lasting communities while delivering a robust secondary market for in-game assets.&nbsp;



Meanwhile, it also presents an opportunity for upcoming blockchain gaming projects to scale up user demand for the underlying application before rolling out transactions. Sweatcoin is one popular gamified project using this approach, building a solid fitness-oriented community before rolling out a native token and finally introducing game assets for users to maximize the experience.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The future remains promising for blockchain gaming apps</h2>



In recent years, the blockchain gaming industry has demonstrated its potential to onboard millions of users to the blockchain space. However, several new trends can accelerate the broad adoption of Web3 gaming apps by traditional gaming audiences.&nbsp;



Developers must deliver mainstream-level gaming environments, reduce onboarding friction, and find a balance between building sustainable economies and rewarding players. Combining these elements would provide a springboard for blockchain gaming apps to succeed beyond the hype and reach the inevitable destination of mainstream adoption.



This content is sponsored by <a href="https://polemos.io/">Polemos</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



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Top 3 Trends We Need for Blockchain Gaming To Succeed

John Gilbert

Gaming psychologists have long known that competition enhances motivation and engagement in gameplay. It is why so many developers aim to serve their most competitive players by adding complexity and higher stakes rewards to their upgrades.&nbsp;



But like all things, these upgrades suffer from the law of diminishing returns. In-game incentives grow stale and players venture off for new challenges.&nbsp;



Co-CEOs of Polemos Sascha Zehe and Richard McLaren both believe that blockchain-based asset ownership is a solution to this problem. Their new GameFi platform, <a href="https://forge.polemos.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polemos Forge</a>, is helping all gamers make better use of this industry. They have an educational hub that helps players take advantage of new opportunities and will soon release an asset lending and asset staking library.&nbsp;



“For me, ownership is the important part. Ownership of assets is what’s going to drive the growth for web3 games compared to Web2 games,” Zehe said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The impact on the competitive gaming industry</h3>



This type of ownership unlocks a new dimension of incentives for competitive gaming.&nbsp;



“If a player wins a weapon or badge that they are able to store in a self-custody Web3 wallet, then they get access to an endless list of ways to leverage that reward,” McLaren said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



While the value of this type of ownership is not limited to competitive games, many prominent game developers are using it in competitive environments.&nbsp;



<a href="https://forge.polemos.io/university/courses" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Illuvium</a>, a AAA Web3 game still in development, has released Arena (Private Beta 2), which will allow players to battle against each other using assets and avatars (Illuvials) they own.&nbsp;



This competitive element is the first step of their full IBG (Interoperable Blockchain Game) launch and is already amassing a massive social following.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<a href="https://forge.polemos.io/university/courses" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shrapnel</a>, another AAA-quality blockchain game, is also integrating esports functionality in its own P2P (Peer-to-Peer) competitions and player-created tournaments. With the use of Shrapnel’s professional-grade creator tools, players can design their own combination of weapons and custom skins to use in matches against other players. These are high-stakes battles because players can either capture their opponent’s loot or lose everything.&nbsp;



While there is potential for disruption, both McLaren and Zehe explained that it is hard to measure industry-wide impact at this stage. “These fantastic games,” McLaren explained, “are still in development.” There need to be more active users to gauge how much transformative value NFTs can offer high-quality games.&nbsp;



Zehe added, “We need better games (like these) in Web3 that can leverage the value of blockchain ownership.”&nbsp;



When asked if GameFi has the potential to shake up esports, McLaren said, “Not yet, or certainly not outside the inherent gameplay and spectator appeal for the games. There might be interesting models for crowdsourcing prizes and tournaments, or for team sponsorships, but we haven&#8217;t seen anything there yet.”



The fact that GameFi is still in its infancy could be interpreted as good news for investors and players. It offers them the time to learn and investigate the games and strategies that could provide the most opportunity.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Correcting the mistakes of the past&nbsp;</h3>



McLaren emphasized the importance of evaluating in-game revenue models in relation to the quality of gameplay. “If there isn’t a balance of incentives, then games will struggle to acquire users beyond pure profit-making motives.”&nbsp;



For example, <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/axie-infinity-active-users-nft-prices-continue-to-decline-after-bridge-reopening">Axie Infinity</a>, a play-to-earn video game, has struggled to retain players during the global recession and crypto winter. In February 2022, the value of the in-game currency dropped by over 90% from its all-time high in July 2021, causing many players to stop playing the game.



But it is more than just a matter of imbalanced financial incentives. When asked why Ubisoft struggled to launch its <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/ubisoft-nft-efforts-are-off-to-a-rocky-start">Quartz NFTs</a>, Zehe said, “the industry as a whole suffers from a branding problem, and it&#8217;s called NFTs.” 



For those unfamiliar with the launch, in late 2021, Ubisoft introduced a new initiative called Ubisoft Quartz. It aimed to incorporate non-fungible tokens (NFTs) into games by turning in-game items into collectible player-owned assets. The first game to receive this treatment was Tom Clancy&#8217;s Ghost Recon Breakpoint on PC. Unfortunately, the initiative saw lackluster sales and backlash from the traditional gaming community.



McLaren explained that, “calling a game item an NFT is unnecessary jargon and what&#8217;s more, a somewhat discredited &#8216;dodgy&#8217; term. Adoption is going to need to be gentler and at players&#8217; own pace.”



He added, “NFTs will eventually make their way into AAA games, but they will most likely not be called NFTs. And the movement will be grassroots led.”



Facilitating community management and gaming lore is an important aspect of Polemos’ work with AAA-quality blockchain games like Illuvium and Shrapnel.&nbsp;



According to Zehe, “The openness of these communities to collaboration varies depending on the stage the game is in. In the earlier stages of development, it may be more difficult to collaborate, but as the game expands its exposure, it can lead to more opportunities for partnerships and marketing efforts. These can include things like trivia contests, live game sessions, giveaways, AMAs or the creation of educational content.”&nbsp;



In the case of Illuvium, the team even conducted an NFT collaboration, in which they announced a <a href="https://polemos.io/polemos-partners-with-illuvium-rpg-autobattler/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polemos-branded Cosplay Illuvium Stabbin NFT</a> earlier last year.&nbsp;



Polemos is also making great efforts to build out its own platform’s lore, fantasy, universe, and background stories. They are finding creative ways to weave their storytelling into the work of their partners. This type of creative collaboration provides the backbone of gaming interoperability – and can ultimately open gaming NFTs to a new world of utility.



This content is sponsored by <a href="https://polemos.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polemos</a>.



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A New Era of Ownership Is Changing the Nature of Competitive Games

Morgan Chittum

<div id="highlights-block_624af03a29568" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>Framework Ventures and Delphi Digital are two of the leading investors in the round</li>
 <li>Polemos announced a strategic funding round of $2 million in November</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



Polemos, a GameFi platform and play-to-earn guild, announced a $14 million seed round on Monday. This brings the startup and forthcoming decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to a $100 million post-money valuation.&nbsp;



The capital will go toward staff expansion, gaming investments and tech development, Polemos co-founder Sascha Zehe told Blockworks.&nbsp;



“We have significant costs for the development of the tech, and that is one part where we want to heavily scale both the team and also contractors to build even better and faster [on the] main tech stack that we&#8217;re aiming to put into the space,” Zehe said.&nbsp;



Polemos currently has around 25 employees but expects to reach at least 50 by the end of the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Framework Ventures and Delphi Digital are two leading investors in the round.&nbsp;



Michael Anderson, co-founder of Framework Ventures, told Blockworks that gaming guilds like Polemos are the “potential next phase of what an esports franchise could look like.”



“Guilds [are] something that have existed in games for a long time, but now that we have NFTs, we have massive swaths of players that are coming into these games. The role of a guild has a much more pronounced function within this ecosystem than previously,” Anderson said. “It’s one part asset management, one part technology company, and one part recruiting and marketing.”



Other participants in the round include QCP, GoldenTree, IOSG and LD Capital, along with the founders of Sushiswap, COTI, Tokemak and Altered State Machine.



Last year, Polemos announced a $2 million strategic raise at a $40 million valuation.



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