Daily Insights: Updates on Crypto, Blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and Play-to-Earn Gaming

Welcome to another PlaytoEarngames Newsletter where we bring you all the exciting news and updates over the weekend. This week we saw new in-game content updates in several popular web3 games like Gods Unchained, Splinternalnds, Ember Sword, Gala Games’ Spider Tanks. Earlier this week another blockchain game Apeiron makes it to the Epic Games Store reaching millions of audiences. Moreover, we have Legends of Crypto Game making a point in Web3 games, Eyeball Pool bring blockchain integration in mobile pool games, and Sam Barberie highlighting the importance of data in web3 game development. Let’s check out these updates one by one.

This week Immutable Gods trailblazing TCG NFT game Gods Unchained stole the limelight. The web3 game made it to the Epic Games Store reaching millions of players with the potential to increase its user base. This revolutionizing step bridging Web2 and Web3 games was the top news of the week. Furthermore, we have a new game from Yuga Labs HV-MTL Forge, My Neighbor Alice entering into Season 3, and a new social gaming platform Super Snappy making headlines. Additionally, we have new AI NPCs in Alterverse, Synergy of Serra Open Alpha, and Arc8 adding League Play and Battle Pass.

GGods Unchained is a collectible card game available on the Epic Games Store and, soon, mobile platforms. It is driven by NFT. Gods Unchained, the most successful TCG Web3 game, makes it to Epic Games Store. This massive move by Immutable Games comes ahead of its trailblazing TCG game’s mobile expansion. Gods Unchained is arguably one of the longest-successful card battler NFT games around and reaching a wider and broader audience will only add to its life. Epic Games Store boasts 230 million users as of March this year. Furthermore, the active monthly user count stands tall at 68 million. So, this move by Immutable Games is significant and potentially revolutionizing, placing it alongside traditional gaming juggernauts. More specifically, Gods Unchained will stand beside successful traditional card battlers games like Yu Gi-Oh and Magic: The Gathering.

Now that Gods Unchained can be played on mobile devices, the door is open for more people to participate in the Web3 gaming community! The gaming community has been making a lot of noise about Gods Unchained, a blockchain-based card trading game that gives players full ownership of their digital card collections. Fans of Ethereum and gamers are interested in Gods Unchained because they can collect, trade, and sell cards in any way they want. The game is now moving forward by adding a strategic twist that can be played on mobile devices. Daniel Paez, the executive producer of Gods Unchained, talked about mobile expansion and how it might change the number of people who play Web3 games in an exclusive interview.

Over the past week, the Web3 gaming scene has witnessed numerous intriguing developments. The Gamesbeat Summit 2023 concluded with accolades recognizing innovative ideas and emerging talent. Gala Games has officially launched GRIT, a Western-themed battle royale game, and concurrently burned a significant number of tokens, emphasizing its commitment to stability. The Eternal Dragons game introduced a novel gameplay feature called Void Affinity, adding depth to strategic gameplay.Meanwhile, Illuvium Zero commenced its Alpha Season, allowing players to gather rewards, blueprint items, and participate in the Illuvial Biodata ecosystem. Gods Unchained unveiled its 2023 roadmap, outlining plans for various enhancements, new game modes, improved player experiences, and a mobile app release. Additionally, Openfort secured $3 million in funding to advance its "wallet-as-a-service" software for streamlined crypto transactions in gaming.Gala Games' GRIT Launches: Gala Games introduced the game GRIT, offering players a unique Western-themed battle royale experience. The game features Gunslingers, a collection of 10,000 NFT characters that players can use in-game. GALA tokens are used for rewards, and a Battle Pass system grants access to special items and potential future updates such as leaderboards and tournaments.Gamesbeat Summit 2023 Highlights: The Gamesbeat Summit 2023 showcased the adaptability of the gaming industry, featuring discussions on AI, novel business models, and Web3 profit avenues. The event included exhibitions, talks, Q&A sessions, and award presentations. Rich Vogel received the Up-and-Comer Award, and Meggan Scavio was honored with the Visionary Award, recognizing contributions to Web3 gaming and outstanding vision.Gala Games' Token Burn: To alleviate concerns and enhance tokenomics stability, Gala Games executed a substantial token burn, consuming approximately $637 million worth of GALA tokens, nearly 21 billion in total. This move followed Gala Games' intentions to bolster the ecosystem through token reduction and address potential risks.Openfort's Funding and Vision: Openfort secured $3 million in seed funding to advance its wallet technology aimed at simplifying cryptocurrency transactions for game developers and publishers. The company's focus on reducing user interaction with blockchain and incorporating unique experiences based on user behavior garnered investor interest.Illuvium Zero Alpha Season Launch: Illuvium Zero's Alpha Season launch allowed players to engage in gameplay, collect Illuvial Biodata, and obtain blueprints that can be minted for future use. The update included Alpha 2.0 improvements and encouraged players to build bases, gather resources, and participate in minting.Gods Unchained Roadmap for 2023: Gods Unchained revealed its 2023 roadmap, outlining plans for new game modes, improved player experiences, a mobile app launch, and various enhancements. The roadmap reflects the game's positive trajectory and is accompanied by interactive sessions for players to learn more.Eternal Dragons' Void Affinity: Eternal Dragons introduced Void Affinity, expanding its roster of in-game associations. This addition enhances strategic gameplay by allowing players to disrupt opponents' plans and alter the course of battles using Void Affinity mechanics.These updates merely scratch the surface of the bustling Web3 gaming industry, with ongoing innovations continuously shaping the landscape.

A recent investigation by GA Meta shows a probable market manipulation by Immutable X for Gods Unchained, Illuvium, and Blocklords.

Blockchain Gaming Takes Off in February: Ubisoft Launches Rabbids NFTs, and Wallet-Free Gaming Is Now a Reality! February continues to see plenty of blockchain gaming activity. We have new in-game content, NFT airdrops, beta testing, new partnerships, ease of access, and many more. The biggest news is that Ubisoft is still making progress in Web3, having launched its Rabbids NFTs on the Sandbox. Moreover, we have super news for gamers that do not want to indulge in any digital wallets: Champions Ascension goes wallet-free. Top blockchain game Gods Unchained launches its pre-alpha mobile test, Genopets adds minigames, and Planet IX brings new in-game drops. Let’s check out these blockchain gaming developments in detail.

Gods Unchained is a popular blockchain trading card game with valuable NFT card collections. Some of these collections are talked about here.

The Q3 of 2021 shows that the Play to Earn business models and games backed by blockchain technology will sustain their growth.