Web3 Gaming: Experts Reveal Path to Mainstream Adoption
The Web3 gaming sector has spent recent years navigating a difficult transition. As the industry moves away from the volatile “play-to-earn” era that defined 2021 and 2022, studios are grappling with how to win over skeptical traditional gamers and overcome significant user experience (UX) barriers.
To understand the industry’s next phase of growth, we consulted eight prominent executives with deep track records in the space. While consensus is rare in such a nascent field, these leaders agree on one fundamental shift: the focus is moving from speculative financial models to the creation of genuinely engaging games where blockchain technology acts as a silent, value-adding component.
The Death of “Play-to-Earn”
The term “play-to-earn” has become nearly obsolete, often associated with unsustainable models or pyramid schemes. Industry leaders argue that the psychological dynamic of treating games primarily as income streams is fundamentally flawed.
- Carlos Roldan (Elixir Games): Emphasizes that the industry is shifting toward more accurate descriptors like “play-to-own” or “win-to-earn,” which better align with actual gaming experiences.
- Tiffany Dong (Solana Foundation): Notes that developers now prioritize building fun, community-driven games, using blockchain only to complement the experience rather than define it.
- Robbie Ferguson (Immutable): Argues that while true digital property ownership is a major draw, the quality of the game itself is now the baseline requirement for market entry.
Overcoming UX and Distribution Hurdles
A major roadblock to mainstream adoption remains the friction of Web3 technology. For many players, setting up digital wallets and managing gas fees is a daunting, multi-step process that risks catastrophic loss if executed incorrectly.
Robbie Ferguson points out that requiring a user to set up a new wallet for every service is a “multiple steps of inconvenience” scenario that prevents mass participation. To bridge this, studios are exploring:
- Subnets: Allowing games to eliminate gas fees by using in-game tokens as the primary network currency.
- Invisible Onboarding: Simplifying the wallet experience so that interacting with blockchain assets feels no more complex than traditional in-game purchases.
- Platform Integration: Working around restrictive policies from major launchers like Steam and Apple’s App Store by experimenting with hybrid versions of titles.
The Future of Growth: Geography and Metrics
When measuring success, experts suggest moving beyond simple wallet tracking. While “daily unique active wallets” provide a snapshot of current traffic, metrics like player retention, lifetime value (LTV), and total hours played are becoming the new “north star” for developers.
Geographically, the momentum is shifting toward Asia. Ed Chang (Ava Labs) and Robbie Ferguson both highlight the APAC region—specifically Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam—as a powerhouse for Web3 adoption. These markets benefit from favorable legislation and a population that has historically embraced new gaming paradigms like free-to-play and mobile social gaming.
Expert Contributors
This analysis incorporates insights from:
- Chris Akhavan, Chief Gaming Officer, Magic Eden
- Tiffany Dong, Senior Associate for Gaming, Solana Foundation
- Ed Chang, Head of Gaming, Ava Labs
- Carlos Roldan, CEO and Founder, Elixir Games
- Michael Wagner, Co-founder and CEO, Automata
- Urvit Goel, Head of Global Business Development, Polygon Labs
- Robbie Ferguson, Co-founder and President, Immutable
- John Linden, CEO, Mythical Games
As the industry matures, the goal remains clear: to build experiences that compete not just with other Web3 projects, but with the broader entertainment landscape. For these developers, the ultimate success will be a future where players enjoy the game first, and the blockchain benefits are simply part of the package.