Web3 game funding peaked between February and March, with monthly investments ranging from $60 million to $100 million. However, this only accounted for 41.35% of the trading volume in the first quarter of 2022. Compared to other cryptocurrencies, the market value of Web3 games has dropped by 33% since the beginning of 2024, while other cryptocurrencies have only seen a 14% decline.

Despite the challenges, Web3 games still hold immense potential. Firstly, Web3 games remain an active area, accounting for 30% of all dApp activity, with 2.1 million daily active wallets. As technology continues to evolve and user experience improves, Web3 games are expected to become a significant driving force in the cryptocurrency space.

Recently, Delphi Venture partner Piers Kicks posted in support of game developer Gunzilla Games and its upcoming flagship game, Off The Grid.

According to Piers' post, Delphi Ventures has made a significant bet on Off The Grid, marking it as one of the largest investments in its gaming sector. The game has also undergone five years of development by a team of 300, with a total investment reaching $90 million.

As a side note, the estimated cost of the game Black Myth: Wukong was previously revealed by the game producer to be between 300 million to 400 million yuan, which roughly means that Off The Grid's investment cost is even higher than that of Black Myth.

In the context of many chain game projects failing one after another, what makes Off The Grid stand out?

01 Cyberpunk Battle Royale

OTG is developed by crypto game developer Gunzilla Games and is currently available in early access on the Epic Game Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox. After being showcased by several game streamers, OTG quickly gained popularity, topping the free games on the Epic Games Store since mid-October, and achieving at least hundreds of thousands of live views on the Twitch streaming platform.

OTG inherits mechanics from classic battle royale games like Call of Duty and Apex Legends, but its cyberpunk-style equipment and items provide players with a richer experience. In addition to firearms, players can achieve more agile movement through jetpacks and can switch and use different abilities with mechanical prosthetics. Gunzilla claims that, excluding skins, it expects to launch over 260 unique weapon combinations in the future.

In terms of map design, OTG has created the largest battle royale map to date. Players can utilize their character's jetpacks and special abilities of prosthetics to navigate between skyscrapers, achieving rapid aerial movement. This highly flexible movement system not only increases the thrill of the game but also encourages a more aggressive playstyle.

It is worth mentioning that OTG introduces an Extraction Royale mode. Players collect HEX cubes on the map, which represent blueprints for weapons, attachments, or prosthetics.

Players need to bring these cubes to specific extraction points for decoding while defending against opponents who covet their loot. Once successfully extracted, these items will be "3D printed" into the player's inventory, effectively minting the assets onto the blockchain in the background.

The game does not have a traditional in-game store; all items entering the economic system and peer-to-peer market are obtained and minted onto the chain by players through the in-game extraction mechanism.

This design not only ensures the scarcity and true ownership of items but also brings more dynamism and player engagement to the game economy.

02 Can it challenge the mainstream?

The "half-finished" products launched by OTG have become popular games on the Epic Store, once again giving Web3 game enthusiasts a glimpse of hope.

According to AVASCAN data, as of October 15, the trading volume on GUNZ has exceeded $50 million, with over 5.6 million unique wallets. Additionally, according to SullyGnome data, the game has surpassed 2 million hours of watch time in its first week.

From being relatively unknown to gaining unprecedented popularity among mainstream players, besides its high quality, Gunzilla Games' successful marketing promotion is another major factor. They sponsored well-known game streamers like Ninja, Timthetatman, and Ludwig Ahgren to livestream the game, attracting significant attention and subsequently drawing in more streamers and influencers.

However, whether OTG can maintain its traffic after gaining immense attention remains uncertain.

Firstly, there are no clear signs indicating that games will be favored in the current market in the fourth quarter. Additionally, a large number of releases are expected in the next six months, which may intensify competition and further dilute liquidity.

For instance, some notable upcoming titles include:

EVE Frontier

A single-fragment survival game set in a dark, dystopian space where humanity struggles to survive and rebuild a shattered world; in March 2023, CCP announced it had raised $40 million for the game's development.

MetaCene

A blockchain-based MMORPG set in a surreal post-apocalyptic world; players redefine civilization using various NFTs.

Avalon

Built using Unreal Engine 5 and integrating multiple blockchains; players explore the world using their NFTs while competing for cryptocurrency and rare NFT rewards; the game's setting is inspired by the legend of King Arthur and an alternative history of the Knights Templar.

Big Time

A multiplayer action role-playing game for PC that combines fast-paced combat with an open game economy.

Conclusion

As more crypto games enter the mainstream market, the industry is poised for significant growth. It is hoped that games like Off The Grid, EVE Frontier, MetaCene, and Avalon can positively influence the sentiment in both the Web3 and Web2 markets. Such content should still be viewed as the best Trojan horse in the cryptocurrency space, and there is reason to be optimistic in the short to medium term.

免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。