Web3 Gaming combines blockchain technology with online gaming to completely redefine your gaming experience. 

Here, every click and conquest could turn into real-world treasures, redefining what it means to "play."

But hold on, why should this matter to you? Why ride into the Web3 wave?

Check this out:

These are billion-dollar behemoths of the gaming world, and they are all zeroing in on Web3 gaming. 

Yes, they're all in, betting big on the boundless potential of this sector. If these giants are making moves, you know there's something monumental at play!

If that doesn’t seal the deal, how about this? 

Gaming tokens are currently worth ~$30.5 billion, and we’re just getting started. We are just in the beginning stages of the bull cycle!

According to a recent study by Fortune Business Insights, the global blockchain gaming market is projected to grow to $614.91B by 2030, at a CAGR of 21.8%!

But here's the deal - we're not about reckless gambles. We're here to arm you with the intel you need to make your own investment decisions with confidence.

In this power-packed edition, we'll decode the mysteries of Web3 gaming,

At the end of this newsletter, you'll be equipped to jump headfirst into Web3 gaming, potentially turning your gaming prowess into profit. 

Plus, we'll shine a spotlight on the blazing-hot trends setting the Web3 gaming world ablaze.

How Do Web3 Games Work?

To understand the core philosophy, let’s look at the pillars of Web3 Gaming

1. True Ownership:  In Web3 gaming, when you earn or buy a digital item, it's truly yours. This means you can prove ownership, trade items with others, or even sell them for real-world currency, something unheard of in traditional gaming models.

2. Play-to-Earn (P2E): A revolutionary aspect of Web3 gaming is the "Play-to-Earn" model. As you engage with the game, you can earn digital assets or cryptocurrency with real-world value. It's a model that makes gaming more rewarding and opens up economic opportunities, especially in parts of the world where they may be scarce.

3. Community and Governance: Web3 games often come with built-in governance structures that give players a say in the game's development and direction. Through decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), players can vote on major decisions, contributing to a game that truly reflects its community's desires.

Web3 Gaming vs Traditional Gaming

Web3 Gaming and Traditional Gaming clearly contrast how they approach player engagement and ownership. 

In traditional gaming, developers control all aspects of the game, including assets, servers, and rules, with any investment by players staying locked within the game's ecosystem. 

Web3 Gaming, on the other hand, introduces a player-centric model through blockchain technology. It grants players actual ownership of in-game items, such as NFTs, allowing them to keep, trade, or sell these assets outside the game. 

This not only makes gaming experiences potentially profitable but also shifts the control and value of gaming investments into the hands of the players, fundamentally altering the dynamics of online gaming.

Web3 Gaming: The Story So Far

Web3 gaming traces its origins to late 2017 with the launch of CryptoKitties, a blockchain-based game that revolved around the collection, breeding, and trading of digital cats. CryptoKitties ignited a lot of interest in the potential of blockchain gaming, leading to an array of innovative games like Splinterlands, Gods Unchained, and The Sandbox. 

A significant milestone in this journey was the rise of Axie Infinity, which championed the P2E model. This model gained immense popularity, especially in regions with limited employment opportunities, as it allowed players to earn real income through gameplay. 

At its peak, Axie Infinity's revenue from fees surpassed that of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, showcasing the massive potential of P2E models. However, the sustainability of such models came into question as the influx of players led to a decrease in individual earnings. 

Eventually, developers learned the importance of making entertaining games that enhanced user experience.

Future of Web3 Gaming

• Gamers may increasingly engage with DeFi through games that integrate DeFi elements in a user-friendly manner, making the complexities of decentralized finance more accessible and appealing.

• More traditional gaming companies are expected to adopt NFTs and blockchain technologies, indicating a shift towards mainstream acceptance and the blending of conventional gaming with crypto gaming innovations.

• A focus on fun and gameplay quality is anticipated to become a priority, with developers aiming to produce more engaging and entertaining games that happen to use blockchain technology rather than leading with the technology itself.

• Crypto game developers might start to minimize the use of blockchain jargon in their games and marketing, making their titles more approachable to traditional gamers who may be put off by complex terminology.

• 2024 could be a pivotal year for crypto gaming if developers listen to feedback and continue refining their strategies, focusing on fun, simplifying blockchain concepts for a broader audience, and integrating with traditional gaming worlds meaningfully.

How to Make Money With Web3 Gaming

Here's how users can monetize their involvement in Web3 gaming.

• Trading NFTs: Engaging in the buying and selling of in-game NFTs, including characters, items, or virtual land, on digital marketplaces offers a way to convert virtual achievements into real-world profit.

• Virtual Real Estate: Acquiring virtual land in games like Decentraland provides a unique investment opportunity. Owners can develop, lease, or sell these digital properties, capitalizing on their growing value.

• Earning Through Play-to-Earn: Many Web3 games reward players directly for their gameplay, offering a simple yet effective means to earn by participating in the game world.

• Creating and Marketing In-Game Items: Players with a knack for creativity can design and sell virtual goods within games. The appeal and utility of these items can lead to substantial earnings.

• Breeding and Selling Game Characters: Players can breed unique characters in certain games to produce new NFTs. These can be sold for a profit, representing a longer-term investment in the game's economy.

• Token Investment and Staking: Those who prefer a more hands-off approach can invest in blockchain games by purchasing and staking their tokens, benefiting from the game's success without active participation.

Web3 Gaming Stats

#1 Users Over Time

According to DappRadar, weekly active users have been trending upward over the past six months. Since the last week of January 2024, the number of weekly active users playing blockchain games has consistently exceeded 2 million.

#2 Popular Web3 Games by UAW

As of now, Pixels on Ethereum is the most popular Web3 game. Three of the top 5 most popular games are on Ethereum.

Going Down The Gaming Rabbit Hole

Now that you've been provided with insights into the vast potential of web3 gaming, let's explore a workflow you can implement today, along with exciting opportunities that promise lucrative rewards down the road!

Getting The Basics Right

First on the list is to follow the companies and protocols that are at the forefront of web3 gaming. We recommend using the following list to get started: 

• Ronin Network

• Beam

• Avalanche

• Sky Mavis

• Dapper Labs 

• Splinterlands

• Animoca Brands 

• Immutable

• Uplandme.

• Illuvium

• Mythical Games

• Autonomous Worlds 

Follow them on X and join their Discords. From there, focus on games and protocols that you find have exciting gaming mechanics capable of enduring over time, while also integrating fun with clever tokenomics. This balance is often one of the most challenging aspects for a web3 gaming company to perfect.

The next step is to examine quantitative data, such as what games users are playing and how many users are engaging with them. Two excellent sites to start with in this regard are DappRadar and Footprint Analytics. 

Monitor the most popular games across different chains, play these games to get a feel for web3 gaming, and take note of which games consistently rank in the top 10. Then, be sure to investigate the developers, their backers, and their upcoming projects. This is where the opportunity for alpha lies, putting you ahead of the competition and ensuring you're among the earliest adopters.

Now that the fundamentals are covered, let's explore some immediate opportunities you can capitalize on.

Getting In On The Action

#1 GAM3S.GG

GAM3S.GG is a web3-focused gaming platform specializing in unbiased, gamer-dedicated content and reviews. Their emphasis lies in fostering a robust community across major platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and more. 

• As a community member of GAM3S.GG, you gain access to unbiased GameFi content, early access gameplay, exclusives, and insights into the state of web3 gaming. 

• Backed by prominent partners like Polygon, Momentum 6, Rok Capital, and Amazon, GAM3S.GG is emerging as a significant player in the web3 gaming media space. 

• Out of the 50M tokens, 15M tokens were allocated to phase one, which has just concluded. The remaining 35M tokens will be distributed in subsequent phases alongside platform launches. 

• Stay tuned for phase 2 and 3 updates. Keep connected for future events and airdrops by linking your socials and web3 wallet.

#2 Apeiron

Apeiron, a God Simulation Hybrid game on the Ronin blockchain, offers players the chance to create and govern their own planets, interacting with unique creatures and wielding divine powers.

• The game recently implemented a rewards system alongside its migration to the Ronin network, granting players free NFTs and Apeiron S3 Axie Battle Stickers for completing quests. 

• Subsequently, Apeiron launched its $ANIMA Airdrops Campaign, where players can accumulate points to increase their rewards during the token generation event. 

• The game continues to introduce various NFT airdrops, quests, and minting events throughout the year, with some activities concluding by the end of March.

• Apeiron boasts an impressive list of investors, including Morningstar Ventures, Momentum 6, DeFiance Capital, and Spartan Group.

Two immediate actions you can engage in are:

Firstly, participate in token sales offered by platforms like Impossible Finance, Coinlist, and Seedify. These platforms frequently feature gaming tokens, offering users the opportunity to acquire tokens at a lower price than during listing. For instance, APRS is currently trading at $1.8, marking a 15x increase from its ICO price on Impossible Finance.

Secondly, to participate in the ongoing Apeiron airdrop, new users can engage in various activities within the game, such as participating in the Apeiron Arena leaderboard from March 19th to April 26th. 

• By playing the game, users can earn $ANIMA directly, which will contribute to their rewards upon the S3 launch. 

• Additionally, participating in the PvP leaderboard allows users to acquire $APRS tokens, which serve as premium rewards for top performers. 

Arbitrum, The Sleeping Gaming Giant

Arbitrum has launched the Gaming Catalyst Program (GCP) with the aim of boosting Web3 gaming development. The program requested 200M ARB tokens over two years to support developer onboarding and gaming projects. 

• The goal is to establish Arbitrum as a leading choice for game builders and to foster a long-term gaming ecosystem on the network. 

• The initiative plans to co-invest in promising studios and games to attract 200 to 300 builder applications and have a significant portion of Web3 games choose Arbitrum as their base network. 

While Immutable and Ronin are typically associated with Web3 gaming ecosystems, Arbitrum has made remarkable strides in this space. 

• For instance, Xai, powered by Arbitrum technology and developed in collaboration with Offchain Labs, aims to revolutionize blockchain gaming by making it more accessible to traditional gamers. 

• Additionally, ApeCoin DAO is introducing ApeChain, a Layer-2 scaling solution incorporating Arbitrum technology, which is poised to significantly impact the utility and governance of the APE token. 

• Moreover, Azuki chose Arbitrum for it anime-focused project AnimeChain.

So, how can you benefit from this? Well, by playing and monitoring the games being released on Arbitrum, of course!

• Make sure to keep a close eye on Xai and the other names we mentioned for the latest developments, as their ambitious roadmaps are just as impressive as their recent partnerships with Arbitrum.

• Follow the top games on Arbitrum on this leader board by GAM3S.GG

Lastly why not play an actual game built on Arbitrum? 

• Embark on an intergalactic adventure with Cosmik Battle, developed by Cometh. 

• Players gather resources and craft cards to customize their decks, fostering dynamic gameplay. Integration of NFTs and blockchain ensures asset ownership and tradeability. 

• With the recent early access launch and Season 1 Genesis announcement, now is the ideal time to join the Cosmik Battle saga.

That's a wrap for today, anon! But hold onto your controllers because we're just warming up in the world of GameFi. We'll be back regularly with all the juicy updates and tips to turn your gaming adventures into profitable ventures. So, get ready to level up and cash in on the fun! Remember, we're just getting started, and the game is far from over!

In the meantime, why don’t you tell us your favorite Web3 games in the comments below👇?