By Vince Dioquino
Compiled by: Centreless
Blockchain games are entering a new phase of maturity, with more players able to access games more seamlessly, according to an organization focused on advancing blockchain technology in the gaming sector. However, the industry is undergoing changes that could cause upheavals as traditional game developers get involved.
This changing trend is in line with the pace at which major game studios such as Sony and Square Enix are entering the field through blockchain layer 2 solutions. According to an industry survey report released this week by the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), public awareness remains one of the key barriers.
The report shows that 66% of projects are still trying to establish credibility and strive to dispel the public's misconception that blockchain games are associated with scams. Despite this, the difficulty for players to access blockchain games has been reduced, with the entry resistance rate falling from 79.5% last year to 53.9% in 2024. This improvement is mainly due to better user experience, making it easier for players to access blockchain games.
"At the heart of this growth is the principle of player empowerment," BGA president Sebastian Borget wrote in the report. He noted that players' interest in blockchain games stems primarily from the concept of ownership. The report shows that more than 71% of respondents believe this is the "greatest benefit" provided by blockchain games.
The report also noted that since the last market cycle, the industry has paid more attention to user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), giving priority to providing a smooth experience comparable to traditional Web2 games. BGA predicts that this trend will continue to expand in 2025, with the focus shifting from financial mechanisms to improving player experience. Blockchain games are gradually hiding crypto elements. Blockchain game platforms are moving from explicit crypto elements (such as token economies and NFT markets) to more seamless integration, allowing Web3 functions to run in the background.
The "earn while playing" model enters a new stage
As 2025 approaches, blockchain gaming is entering a new chapter. BGA shared their predictions in an interview with the media. Traditional centralized game servers are transitioning to blockchain infrastructure, showing how the gaming industry is embracing the idea of digital ownership.
Compared to traditional games that rely on regional server networks for stability and data management, blockchain integration enables true digital ownership through on-chain asset tracking and transactions.
In addition, the “earn while playing” model that emerged in 2020 has also undergone a major transformation, focusing more on the practical application of on-chain features. Andrew Campbell (nickname Zyori), a well-known figure in the Web3 community, mentioned in the report that this shift has spawned a new model based on player ability and activity-driven.
“The original ‘earn while you play’ model had two fatal flaws: runaway reward inflation that continued to expand as users increased, and a lack of adequate token recycling mechanisms to create deflationary pressure,” Campbell wrote.
Fully on-chain gaming and autonomous worlds
The report also proposes two new terms: Autonomous Worlds (AW) and Fully On-Chain Games (FOCG). These terms describe gaming experiences that are completely based on the blockchain and exist natively on the chain, including game rules, player items, and game economics, rather than just putting part of the content on the chain, with the main client still running on a traditional centralized server.
Gillian Pua, chief staff member of Sovrun (formerly BreederDAO), said that autonomous worlds enable games to "continuously improve based on community input" by putting game state and logic parts on-chain. She added that this feature will also affect the way fully on-chain games are run in the future as artificial intelligence merges with blockchain infrastructure.
“Leveraging on-chain transparency, Autonomous Worlds provides an ideal foundation for AI agents to flourish, generating intelligent and adaptive gaming experiences based on player behavior in real time,” Pua said.