Where are all the new Web3 games this year?
Kieran Warwick, co-founder of Illuvium, recently had a surprising realization about the scarcity of Web3 game launches in 2024. He expressed to Web3 Gamer, “There should be more games out by now,” while acknowledging that the development of quality games is a time-intensive process. Drawing from his own experience over the past four years in creating the open-world fantasy battle and role-playing game Illuvium, which entered its beta phase on July 25, Warwick understands the lengthy timeline involved in such projects. “We delayed our launch several times, and we’re still only in open beta, with plans to introduce numerous new features over the next year,” he noted. This year has also seen other significant game releases, including Shrapnel, a blockchain-based extraction shooter that launched its early access gameplay in February, although its complete version is not expected until 2025. Among the full game releases, Warwick highlighted Heroes of Mavia as his favorite for 2024. This blockchain-based strategy game, built on the Ethereum blockchain, challenges players to attack enemy bases while defending their own.
Warwick described Heroes of Mavia as “the first polished mobile game I have played,” emphasizing its focus on gameplay over economic considerations. He found it engaging enough to play for several hours before returning to his responsibilities as CEO of a gaming company valued at $354 million. “I’m not typically a long-term player of such games, so I eventually stopped playing,” he added. Another notable 2024 release mentioned by Warwick is Parallel, a sci-fi competitive card game, although he admitted it’s not quite aligned with his preferred genres. In Parallel, players battle opponents to reclaim Earth while building their card collections, aiming to reduce their opponent’s health to zero before facing defeat themselves. Warwick noted its appeal to fans of Hearthstone, pointing out that mainstream streamers have shown interest in switching to Parallel, primarily due to its unique card ownership model.
Tired of losing crypto airdrops to bots? This could be the solution
Will Confiction Labs has introduced a new system aimed at eradicating bots from Web3 games, raising questions about whether this solution will be effective or if bots will find new ways to infiltrate. The Proof of Exposure is an innovative non-fungible token (NFT) allowlist verification system designed by Confiction Labs, known for their co-op rogue-lite shooter Riftstorm, where players combat cosmic entities as elite operatives. This system employs third-party APIs, data queries, and user submissions to validate that participants are authentic individuals aiming to join Confiction’s Fict One community. Essentially, it functions as a “deep profiling system,” requiring gamers to provide details about their professional background, educational history, and writing abilities to prove they are real people rather than bots.
Confiction Labs CEO Arief Widhiyasa emphasized the detrimental impact bots can have on the health of any gaming community. “Allowing bots to thrive within any ecosystem can stifle new players,” he stated, commenting on how the player counts inflated by bots are often misleading. He further explained that while bots might offer a temporary image boost for projects, their long-term consequences can harm genuine growth. Research indicates that bots frequently seize the majority of airdrops in games, which might explain why many players struggle to make a living from their gaming pursuits. According to a study by Web3 marketing firm Cookie3, approximately 70% of crypto airdrops are claimed by bot accounts. Additionally, a bot prevention service revealed that 40% of users engaged in Web3 services, including NFT allowlists and games, have been flagged as bots. Widhiyasa stressed the importance of rewarding quality users to foster a healthier gaming environment, suggesting that if Proof of Exposure proves successful, players may see a reduction in bot interference and potentially larger airdrop rewards.
PGA hopes Web3 will bring more people to golf
In an exciting development for the sport, golf is set to enter the world of Web3 through a collaboration between Stratton Studios and the PGA Tour, which is the premier golf tour globally. Tom Jeffs, the PGA Tour’s vice president of media business development, shared with Web3 Gamer that they believe Web3 can attract a new audience to golf. The upcoming blockchain mobile game, titled “PGA TOUR RISE,” is set to release its first mini-game later in 2024. Players will begin as amateur golfers and have the chance to advance to professional levels within the PGA. In 2022, the PGA Tour nearly achieved $2 billion in revenue, indicating the sport’s financial potential.
The game promises to feature online tournaments and allow players to boast about their experiences on famous courses like Valhalla Golf Club to friends in real life. Despite personal disinterest in spending a day on the golf course, there is hope that engaging with golf video games could spark a newfound interest. The full version of the game is expected to launch in 2026, with further announcements regarding its blockchain foundation anticipated soon. Although details on how Web3 elements such as earning cryptocurrency or NFTs will be integrated remain vague, Jeffs hinted at exciting possibilities. “Web3 empowers our fans to ‘own’ their experiences in the game, and we’re exploring creative avenues for deeper engagement with the PGA TOUR,” he stated. While this will mark the first major blockchain golf game, players can also try other blockchain-based golf games like Crypto Golf Impact, Blocklete Golf, and Birdie Shot before its release.
Other News:
— The Sandbox, an online gaming platform, has partnered with Italian football club SSC Napoli to allow fans to engage in the metaverse for the first time. This collaboration aims to create shared experiences for SSC Napoli supporters worldwide.
— SKALE, a blockchain network, has unveiled SKALE Swell, a new interactive adventure game designed to enhance community participation and reward players, with the goal of inviting millions into the Web3 ecosystem.
— Uprising Labs, creators of the Uprising L2 blockchain, successfully sold out their Genesis NFT collection, consisting of 1,111 NFTs, in mere minutes.
— Autoverse Studios secured $8 million in funding to develop Auto Legends, a social drag-racing Web3 game that will incorporate features such as tournaments and car collection.
