Weekly Digest

Alternative gaming blockchains are dominating the news week. Which ecosystem do you think will challenge Polygon or IMX?

Avalanche is definitely stepping up the game as Starknet, Ultra, Sui, and even BNB are some others in line.

Also in our weekly digest:

• Square Enix ready to embrace Web3 gaming with Symbiogenesis

• Gaming Hardware maker Razer is looking to fund Web3 games

• Jack Daniel’s is the latest brand to play with gaming

• Bitkraft the gaming VC raises a whopping $221M

• Gucci and BAYC partner up to bring bling into the Metaverse

And the introduction of a new section in our coverage: 

Free mints from Web3 Games hand-picked for you!

Yoda Labs exclusive research report featuring expert insights into the Immutable gaming ecosystem covering the explosive growth, best games, technology, financing, and much more 👽

Co-authored by BGA & DappRadar

Web3 Gaming News 🎮

• Symbiogenesis by Square Enix fails to capture the attention of traditional gamers but the creators of the Final Fantasy series are committed and building new IP around this Web3 game.

• Gaming hardware maker Razer is stepping into Web3 games via its incubator ZW3I and is looking to fund games that are immersive and have engaging gameplay.

• Novel Labs and Faraway are developing Serum City on Ethereum, which will use ApeCoin as its primary in-game currency and feature Mutant Apes as the main characters.

• Bluzelle launches Capella, a platform that has a streamlined process to trade and store gaming assets on Cosmos.

• Gunzilla launches Gunz a new gaming L1 on Avalanche to optimize for the perfect user experience whilst also removing the need to use AVAX tokens.

• Aether Games the gaming studio behind League of Legends and God of War partners with Mysten Labs an initial developer of the Sui network to build dark fantasy Web3 games.

• Ultra Games brings innovation empowering users via its new marketplace allowing to resell digital games whilst giving publishers access to unique in-house features

• Octo Gaming is now listed on KuCoin so competing players can monetize and cash in their time spent playing mobile casual games.

• Polygon has become the second-largest gaming Blockchain with only WAX having higher daily unique address wallets.

• Jack Daniel's is releasing an AR game partnering with Yahoo Creative Studios which includes music NFTs and alcohol rewards as part of their Web3 initiatives.

Consumption in Web3 gaming - is that even possible?

One would not think that a real-life experience of eating and drinking could be replicated in the virtual world. But food and drink brands are dominating the headlines as they capitalize on the benefits of first mover advantage. Last week we reported Wrigley, Papa John’s, and Mcdonald’s metaverse presence.

Now we see the prominent Whiskey brand Jack Daniels entering Web3. What’s more, they have done it with calculated precision. Knowing that mainstream metaverse adoption is still quite far away the company has adopted a more reserved approach by embracing AR and casual gameplay. Many believe AR will be the stepping stone into wider metaverse adoption and an equal amount of voices have expressed that casual games are the way forward for Web3 gaming adoption.

Additionally, they have chosen to feature Music NFTs. This is a stroke of genius. Not only is it slowly entering Web3, but it chooses to do so without the stigma of PFP-based NFTs. Music NFTs are also in their infancy so the brand is getting in on a scene that is yet to peak. Add to the fact that drink and music go hand in hand it’s a no-brainer, and it's a classy move whilst rewarding their loyal customers at the same time. Cheers to that JD.

• BetrayedOnes revealed its GameFi project, an action-adventure RPG that promises to immerse players and combines gaming and NFTs in a new way paving the way for future developments.

• Puffverse released PuffGo after being in beta for months, the BNB on-chain multiplayer game putting forward Skill2Earn with different levels and modes where players choose of matchups from solo to multiplayer.

• Solana to host PlayGG, exhibiting over 50 Web3 games, aiming to promote blockchain games and improve the reputation of the Solana ecosystem.

• Unstoppable Games to launch ‘Influence’ a sci-fi game on Ethereum's Starknet where the game will have realistic orbital motion mechanics and will be fully decentralized using zero-knowledge Layer 2 technology.

• Rivals the far-west survival game is aiming to replicate the success of Red Dead Redemption but is aiming to become a trailblazer in its own right within the Web3 gaming space.

• Immutable is attracting many developers with a whole suite of tools, a passport for seamless onboarding, zero gas, and royalties at a protocol level it is understandable to see why.

Web3 Gaming Trends 🚀

• Yuga Labs's Otherdeed NFT collection features unique traits with utility beyond aesthetics, and the recently announced LOTM, showing the potential of Web3 gaming and nature of NFTs.

• Brycent welcomes the competition of other Web3 content creators to grow the ecosystem and believes there’s a significant opportunity for others to enter the scene.

• Polygon bucks the trend as all other gaming chains see a decrease in the number of Unique active wallets

• Feature.io and filmmaker David Ayer are creating ‘Lollipop’, a Polygon-based car racing game that has interactive multimedia and storytelling as we see more integration of streaming, films and games.

Firms are going out of their way to drop Web3 terminology

To the traditionalists, anything that mentions Crypto, NFTs, or Web3 is pre-judged as a scam. Granted the industry has taken a few knocks. Web2 industry veterans such as David Ayer of “The Fast and Furious” and “Suidice Squad” is making a stand.

At its heart, Lollipop is a Web3 video game that uses NFTs. However phrases such as “digital collectibles” and “interactive media experience” are preferred as it avoids the negative stigma. Throw in other phrases like “episodic streaming, gaming, and professional sports“it is only Web3 technology that can combine all elements.

Perhaps this is unfair to those that are 24/7 Web3 natives. If changing the phrases leads to wider adoption then this could be a pill that we have to swallow. Ask any Web3 person if they like the term digital collectible and they will rebuke it, look at you funny, and walk away. But no one in Web3 can come up with a better term. So for now we may have to stick with this trend.
That’s of course until Apple comes up with a name - and in turn, claims that they invented the blockchain, NFTs, and Web3 gaming.

Web3 Funding News 💸

• DWF Labs invested $16M in Raca to further develop, expand and promote the Raca Platform and their Web3 gaming ecosystem

• Fingerlabs secures investment from WeMade Play and a venture capital firm with a view to make extensive collaboration in the game and metaverse sectors. 

• Bitkraft the gaming VC has raised $221M in its second token fund and is looking to invest in Web3 teams that have an abundance of experience.

Exploring the Metaverse 🛸

• Gucci and the Bored Ape Yacht Club are teaming up to create a Metaverse with NFT community’s fictional characters and storylines, making an impact in the world of digital luxury.

• HELIX a virtual world based in New York City offers high-quality metaverse graphics allowing users to create and host servers, customize scripts, and develop limitless gamified scenarios.

• Fidelity International creates Metaverse experience in Decentraland teaching younger generations about financial planning, money management, and investing.

• Alien Worlds is expanding its Metaverse through the Galactic Hubs grants program and player-DAO Syndicates, fostering a thriving community and creating exciting player opportunities.

• Line Next launches AlphaCrewz a 3D avatar customizing platform that offers high-definition avatars that can also be used in Line’s coming metaverse ecosystem.

The evolving space of Avatars

Customization seems to be the theme of late. After all, owning digital assets is one of Web3's greatest strengths. Companies like Line Next and its AlphaCrewz Avatars are pushing the boundaries of utility.

We know many people believe NFTs are too scammy and don't bring enough value to be adopted by the public. This makes it difficult for Web3 companies, especially in the gaming industry, to reach those people.

If you’re old enough to remember Nintendo Wii you surely remember the introduction of the Mii avatar. For the first time, you could create a digital representation of yourself. And then use that creation within a game - it was magical madness that just made gaming fun.

With new use cases arising such as introducing customizable NFT avatars into a messaging app (used by 200 million people no doubt), this could be the initial way to onboard millions of users. With the company planning to launch a metaverse, it could easily become the metaverse of metaverses. Such an approach could be used for Web3 gaming. However for this to succeed true interoperability standards need to be agreed upon. We are still early.

• Shiba Inu Metaverse project to reveal plot sizes and events surrounding the SXSW festival generating excitement among the SHIB community.

• Sandbox's 'April Festival' is now live in the Metaverse, players can win 1,150,000 $SAND, NFTs, and LAND rewards in various categories, expecting more players in the future.

• Srini Vasan former executive of DraftKings joins Game of Silks, a digital horse racing startup targeting to improve the technology behind the game, making it easier for Metaverse users.

• Fluf World's digital rabbit fall in value but will continue to mature and grow as the metaverse will capitalize on the next iteration of the internet.

• The World Boxing Council to host its first Metaverse fight offering boxing fans a unique and immersive experience, targeting new revenue streams, and growing the sport.

• Adidas has introduced 'ALTS' NFTs, with a dynamic user identification that changes over time due to an interactive plot as the final phase of their Metaverse project.

Upcoming Free Gaming Mints ⚒️

Resurgence
Resurgence is a AAA free-to-play post-apocalyptic open world crafting survival game (MMORPG), where players have ownership of the world that they play within

Last Remains
Stealth zombie survival battle in a dystopian world overrun by hordes of flesh-eating zombies and starving zombie bosses, you'll be tested on your courage and skills to do one thing: stay alive. Make one wrong move…and you’re done for.

E4C Final Salvation
Awakened Rangers are determined to save the world and human civilization. It is the year 2100, because of mankind's continued and unrepentant consumption of resources and environmental pollution, the unlimited destruction of the Earth has become irreversible. The temperature rises by 4 degrees with ongoing disasters and riots, almost driving mankind to extinction.

Titans of War
Titans of War is a trading and collectible trading card game aspiring to be a titan among current giants such as Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, and Legends of Runeterra and transcending them by evolving the TCG genre.

ELDA Runes
Eldarune is an ARPG medieval, fantasy, action, game with 4K graphics, clan and season system.

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“A challenge lifelong it is, not to bend fear into anger.”
-Yoda

See you same place same time next week!

❤❤❤

Yoda Labs team

@web3shwei