In traditional gaming, players invest significant resources in acquiring items, building characters, and unlocking achievements. However, the assets remain locked within the ecosystem
Traditional gaming has always been about investing time and resources to build up an item, character, or achievement, only to have it remain locked within the ecosystem, making it impossible to transfer or resell. But with the advent of blockchain technology and Web3 gaming, true asset ownership is being realized via fungible and non-fungible tokens.
As reported by StoryPay, blockchain introduces transparency, verifying and reliably storing each in-game transaction, which helps prevent fraud and builds trust between developers and players. Web3 games are hosted on a decentralized node network, making them very hard to hack or shut down. The network also allows users to play Web3 games from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection.
The same report highlights that in February 2025, Roblox reported 85 million daily active users, while its monthly player base includes 50% of U.S. children under 16.
Moreover, user engagement with Web3 games tends to fluctuate. The industry reached 5.5 million daily active users in November 2024, up 15.7% from October. However, this growth is not consistent across platforms. Hamster Kombat claimed over 300 million users in August and September 2024, but actual engagement was far lower, with 51.9 million monthly active users at the end of October. Web3 gaming may be growing, but it still represents a small fraction of the global gaming market.
What’s more, concepts like Web3, NFTs, and blockchain have failed to resonate with many Web2 users. This prompted the developers or publishers of Steam, GTA V, and Minecraft to remove everything related to Web3 from their platforms.
The report further mentions that Web2 platforms sell user data to advertisers to make money, contrasting with the sacrosanctity of personal information in Web3. How do the games make a profit, then? The difference lies in the interest of organizations like the DAO supporting Mythical Games in company development and growth. If the platform grows, the value of the native token (in this case, MYTH) required to participate in the ecosystem increases, and players can sell it.
What’s more, MYTH token holders play a crucial role by voting on DAO proposals, taking part in governance decisions, and generally influencing the Mythical ecosystem’s direction.
While Web2 players spend money on digital items without external value, Web3 currencies and goods can appreciate over time, giving players a reliable incentive to engage. These processes are palpable in emerging markets, where blockchain-based games offer a viable alternative to conventional forms of employment. Players can enjoy the games while capitalizing on project growth. Web3 is still in its infancy, but the lucrative mechanisms underpinning it promise to enhance and sustain players’ motivation to a greater extent than its predecessor.
