Web3 Gaming is Rising from the Dead: 5 Points to Pay Attention To

Web3 gaming is making a comeback, and it’s not just hype.

After years of skepticism and setbacks, blockchain-based games are evolving into something that could genuinely disrupt the gaming industry.

If you are considering this industry for your next base, here are five important trends to consider.

Recently, GameFi has seen a 44% rise within just one month. Top blockchain infrastructures are getting attention from retail and institutional investors.

Here are five key trends that show why web3 gaming is worth watching in 2024 and beyond.

1. Web3 Games Are Breaking Free from Browsers

Remember when “web games” meant simple Flash animations? Those days are long gone. Modern web3 games are pushing far beyond browser limitations:

• Discord’s new Activities platform lets developers create rich, interactive experiences right inside chat servers.
• WebGL and WebGPU advancements are enabling console-quality graphics without downloads.
• Some web3 games are even launching native clients, blurring the lines between “web” and traditional gaming.

This clearly indicates we are entering into a completely new phase of games where more gamers will be enrolled in the ecosystem.

This accessibility is crucial for mass adoption. It lowers the barrier to entry for new players and makes it easier for games to go viral through social sharing.

2. Real Economies, Not Just Play-to-Earn Gimmicks

Early play-to-earn models promised riches but often delivered unstable, grind-heavy experiences. Today’s web3 games are building something far more interesting:

• Complex in-game economies backed by blockchain technology
• Digital assets with real-world value and cross-game interoperability
• Player-owned intellectual property and revenue sharing models

Games like Axie Infinity paved the way, but newer titles are creating even more sophisticated economic systems that benefit both casual players and dedicated traders. For example, Illuvium is building a complex ecosystem of interconnected games with a shared economy, while Gods Unchained offers a trading card game where players truly own their cards as NFTs.

These economies are not without risks, however. Game developers must carefully balance in-game economics to prevent inflation or “pay-to-win” scenarios that could alienate players.

3. Community Governance is Changing Game Development

Forget closed-door development and top-down decision making. Web3 games are embracing radical transparency and player input:

• Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) give players voting rights on game updates and direction.
• Some games share revenue directly with their most engaged community members.
• Player-created content can be truly owned and monetized by creators.

Take Decentraland as an example. The virtual world is governed by its community, who can propose and vote on changes to the platform. This level of player involvement was unthinkable in traditional gaming models.

This shift towards community-driven development could redefine the relationship between players and game studios. However, it also presents challenges in managing diverse opinions and ensuring that decisions benefit the game in the long term.

4. Technological Advancements are Closing the Quality Gap

Web-based games used to mean sacrificing quality for convenience. That’s changing fast:

• WebAssembly allows near-native performance in browsers.
• WebGPU (rolling out now) brings current-gen graphics capabilities to web games.
• These technologies combined can deliver experiences rivaling native PC and console games.

Brandon Dillon of 2weeks Corp explains, “Web games can now do most of the things games on other platforms can do, and the gap is shrinking over time.”

This technological leap is crucial for Web3 gaming’s success. It allows developers to create immersive, visually stunning experiences that can compete with traditional AAA titles while retaining the benefits of blockchain integration.

5. Competitive Gaming: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Here’s a crucial point many have overlooked: web3 gaming was missing the competitive edge that made many web2 games wildly popular. Enter Turf, a permissionless esports platform for web3 games.

Turf allows gaming studios to easily create and manage thriving online competitions for their web3 titles. This solves a major pain point:

• Esports and competitive scenes drive engagement and retention.
• Web3 games can now tap into the massive popularity of competitive gaming.
• Players gain new ways to showcase skills and earn rewards.

By enabling robust competitive ecosystems, Turf could be the catalyst that propels web3 gaming into the mainstream.

It addresses a key criticism of early blockchain games — that they lacked the depth and replayability of traditional competitive titles.

The Challenges Ahead

While the future looks bright for web3 gaming, it’s important to acknowledge the hurdles that still need to be overcome:

• Onboarding friction: Many potential players are still intimidated by crypto wallets and blockchain technology. Simplifying this process is crucial for mass adoption.
• Regulatory uncertainty: The legal landscape around cryptocurrencies and NFTs is still evolving. Game developers need to navigate potential regulatory challenges.
• Scalability: As web3 games grow in popularity, blockchain networks need to handle increased transaction volumes without compromising speed or cost-effectiveness.
• Balancing tokenomics: Creating sustainable in-game economies that benefit both casual and hardcore players remains a complex challenge.
• Perception issues: The Web3 gaming industry is in the process of overcoming the negative associations from early play-to-earn models and crypto scams.

These are some important pointers to address as we progress, but the road ahead is bright for many reasons.

The final words

Despite these challenges, the trends we’ve explored show an industry rapidly maturing and addressing its early shortcomings. Web3 gaming is positioning itself as a serious contender in the future of gaming by offering:

• Unprecedented player ownership of assets and in-game economies
• Community-driven development and governance models
• Technological advancements that rival traditional gaming platforms
• Integration of competitive gaming infrastructure

For players, this means more agency, potential for earnings, and deeply engaging experiences. For developers, it opens up new business models and ways to interact with their audience. And for investors, it represents a growing market with innovative opportunities.

The revolution may not happen overnight, but savvy players, developers, and investors should keep a close eye on this space. Web3 gaming isn’t just rising from the dead — it’s evolving into something that could reshape how we play, compete, and interact in digital worlds.

The key will be delivering experiences that are not only novel in their use of blockchain but also genuinely fun and engaging.

This is why, at Turf, we are committing to building an open platform for all gaming studios and gamers to come together and host their events. With permissionless infrastructure and prediction market features, we are about to see the big changes.