YGG Play Summit: Witness the Evolution of Play

The YGG Play Summit, the only consumer-focused web3 gaming conference in the industry, is full speed ahead for its kick-off on November 19, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. With the global web3 community converging at the epicenter of web3 gaming, the Summit offers an exclusive look at the future of play through high-stakes tournaments, speaking engagements from industry titans, red carpet events, and a 3-day expo showcasing the latest and greatest games.

“We are proud that such a major industry event is happening here in the Philippines, where we’ll be giving the rest of the world a glimpse into the future of gaming and technology,” said YGG Pilipinas Country Head Mench Dizon at the official YGG Play Summit press conference on October 23, where YGG shared the first public details of the upcoming event. “The YGG Play Summit is an extension of our mission of onboarding the world into web3 by showing them how far you can go by playing and working together.”

Leading the way in making the Summit possible are main sponsors HyperPlay and Mantle. With B3, Aptos, Ubisoft, SKYGG, OpenSea, the Echelon Prime Foundation, Coins.ph, and Ronin also supporting the event, YGG is slated to deliver gamers all around the world a web3 event unlike any other.

The press conference garnered strong media attention, with coverage in Bitpinas, Esquire, EveryTechEver, GAM3S.GG, Multiverse.ph, MSN, Newsbytes.ph, Plato AI, Unbox, VRSUS, When in Manila, and more.

Showcasing the Best of Web3 Gaming

The YGG Play Summit will showcase the year’s best web3 games in front of its community, starting with high-stakes tournaments with a total prize pool of US$130,000. Show matches will also take place, as well as the Gamer Expo, where game ambassadors will run demos of the most hotly anticipated titles in the industry.

Tournaments (November 19–21)

Gamers and fans interested in the competitive side of web3 gaming can spectate as the cream of the crop face off in tournaments hosted throughout the event.

Headlining the Summit’s tournaments is the sci-fi trading card game Parallel, with a US$100,000 prize pool going to the best cardslingers in the arena. The spell-driven chess game Anichess, MOBA Arena of Faith, and the battle royale Indus round out the event’s series of tournaments, each offering a US$10,000 prize pool for the top contenders to claim.

Show Matches (November 23)

YGG is putting over 40 of web3’s best games on full display at the Summit. This will include show matches in Captain Laserhawk: The Game, a top-down multiplayer shooter based on the Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon IP, the dark fantasy RPG Immortal Rising 2, the anime-inspired action RPG Spot Zero, the grand strategy game Star Atlas, one of web3’s first soulslike action RPGs in Blade of God X, and the 4v4 sports brawler Sparkball.

Industry Deep Dives

Attendees of the recent YGG Play Summit press conference were treated to a sneak peek of the high-level discussions in store for them this November. Prominent figures in the Filipino tech space, including Unbox Group of Companies founder Carlo Ople, Philippine Star Technology Editor and Anito Legends co-founder Jayvee Fernandez, and M Law Partner for Innovation and renowned web3 lawyer Nathan Marasigan, shared their insights on web3 adoption in the Philippines. Across three panel discussions, the guest speakers delved into how traditional games are being reimagined in web3 and the learning and earning opportunities inherent to web3 games.

“Building on blockchain means building on an open and permissionless infrastructure,” said Brian Chan, Animoca Brands VP of Operations and Projects and Head of Anichess, at the press event. “Why not empower the community to develop their own spells and contribute to the network effects of the game? We believe in building onchain because we believe in the combined mind power of the community.”

This November at the YGG Play Summit, founders and builders can look forward to more panels exploring the full potential of web3 gaming.

Industry Day (November 20)

Leaders of the web3 gaming industry will share their insights and expertise on Industry Day, where notable speakers will participate in panels, join fireside chats, and deliver keynotes covering the latest advancements in web3 gaming.

Speakers will include YGG co-founders Gabby Dizon and Beryl Li, Base creator Jesse Pollak, Sky Mavis co-founder Jihoz, and Pixels co-founder Luke Barwikowski and CMO Heidi Christine. B3 co-founder Viktoriya Hying, Delabs Games founder Joonmo “James” Kwon, Parallel co-founder Kalos, SKYGG and Spacebar co-founder Christy Choi, and Wildcard co-founder and former Zynga VP Paul Bettner will also be joining speaker sessions throughout Industry Day.

Leaders Roundtables (November 21–22)

On November 21 and 22, a mix of industry and community leaders, journalists, and creators will gather for the invite-only Leaders Roundtables. This will be a series of curated discussions aimed at eliciting the views and opinions of a broad array of contributors within the ecosystem.

The panelists will also discuss their insights on what web3 gaming consumer trends the public can expect to see emerge in 2025 and beyond. After the Summit, YGG will compile the key takeaways of these discussions into a report. Stay tuned to YGG’s official channels for further details on Leaders Roundtables, as well as how to apply and attend the sessions.

Game Jam (November 20–21)

Budding developers will receive mentorship from some of the industry’s seasoned innovators and catalysts during the 6-week Game Jam. Co-organized with YGG Pilipinas, Web3 Metaversity, and BreederDAO, Game Jam gives web3 gaming’s emerging talent a chance to compete in a hackathon, join workshops, and present their projects in front of a judging panel.

Participants will showcase their work on Game Jam Pitch Day, happening November 20. Judges will select the projects that best implement web3 features and digital asset utilization into their design. On November 21, a prize pool of PHP 500,000 will be awarded to the best games to emerge from the program.

Creators of the Web3 Gaming Community

The YGG Play Summit is just as much about gamers as it is about the games. Web3 gaming legends, OGs and tastemakers will be flying in from across the globe to give their communities a unique opportunity to meet their favorite creators. Streamers attending the Summit include GamingGrid founder YellowPanther, WolvesDAO Marketing Director Sam Steffanina, Filipino gaming content creator and cosplayer Een Mercado, and more.

Cosplay Competition (November 21–23)

Gamers will also be able to make a name for themselves during the Summit through cosplay. Over the last three days of the Summit week, YGG will host a massive cosplay competition, with the entire conference invited to participate in the festivities.

The cosplay community is invited to show off their best work for a chance to win a daily prize of PHP 5,000. On November 23, YGG will also hold the Cosplay Championships, which will require cosplayers to perform in costume to stake their claim on the competition’s PHP 130,000 prize pool.

Red Carpet Events to Celebrate Web3 Games

Rounding out the YGG Play Summit’s robust lineup of events are two red carpet celebrations to honor the industry’s best titles and the impact of web3 gaming on its global community.

“Metaverse Filipino Worker” Exclusive Premiere (November 20)

At the YGG Play Summit press conference, attendees had a first look at the trailer for “Metaverse Filipino Worker.” Premiering during Summit week, this 5-part series is written and directed by Leah Callon-Butler, creator of the viral documentary “Play-to-Earn: NFT Gaming in the Philippines,” which put the Filipino web3 gaming community on the map in 2021.

“Metaverse Filipino Worker” introduces a new generation of Filipino workers uncovering income-earning opportunities in web3. The series explores how web3 gaming is providing alternative options for thousands of Filipinos who might otherwise choose to leave the country and become “Overseas Filipino Workers” to be able to provide for their families.

“Metaverse Filipino Worker” will have its red carpet premiere on November 20, giving attendees an intimate look into the stories of YGG community leaders like Community Manager Spraky, YGG Esports Captain Disi, guild leader JB, content creator Stephy, mommy influencer Julie, and voxel editors Aileen and Kryztine. The series is scored by L!NE OUTS!DE, a collaboration between Allan Pineda, better known as Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, and Edgar Sinio aka Artek606.

GAM3 Awards (November 22)

Co-hosted with GAM3S.GG, the first in-person installment of the prestigious GAM3 Awards will also take place at the YGG Play Summit, where over US$5 million in prizes will be awarded to the year’s best web3 games, culminating in the crowning of the 2024 Game of the Year. The GAM3 Awards features 20 categories and 72 judges including YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon, Sky Mavis co-founder Jihoz Zirlin, Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung, Ubisoft VP of Strategic Innovation Lab Nicolas Pouard, GAM3S.GG Head of Gaming Omar Ghanem, and Xbox Director Agnes Kim.

The 55 finalists of the GAM3 Awards include the cyberpunk battle royale Off The Grid, nautical-themed RPG Pirate Nation, squad-based hero shooter Nyan Heroes, web3 farming sim Pixels, and last year’s Game of the Year, Parallel. Accompanying the announcements of this year’s GAM3 Awards winners will be a special performance from the acclaimed Manila Philharmonic Orchestra.

If you don’t want to miss out on any of the action at the YGG Play Summit, make sure to reserve your spot now. Buy the Legendary ticket to get access to all the events including the GAM3 Awards and meet your favorite founders and web3 creators: yggplay.gg

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