Of the more than 1,300 blockchain games announced since 2021, more than 400 are currently suspended or discontinued.
According to data compiled by BlockchainGamer.biz, out of a total of 1,318 blockchain-based games in circulation since 2021, approximately 407, or more than 30%, have now been designated as discontinued or scrapped. As of the latest update in January, the media outlet’s list consists of 911 blockchain-based games, of which 334 are actively in progress and 577 are in various stages of development.
The main reasons for the cancellation of blockchain-based games are mainly related to funding issues and evolving market conditions. However, most of the stalled projects were characterized as small-scale initiatives led by inexperienced and undercapitalized teams.
Moreover, in most cases, the report notes, developers made no official announcement at all and simply ceased operations without prior notice.
Looking at the specifics of the 162 games discontinued in the second half of 2023, approximately 17% belonged to the multi-chain category. However, single-chain games have also experienced significant discontinuation rates. According to the report, Binance’s BNB Chain is the network where developers are most commonly seen abandoning gaming projects (11%), followed by Polygon at 10%. Additionally, Ethereum, Sui, and Solana each had outage rates of 6%.
Among the high-profile games that have moved away from blockchain integration is a video game called “Goals,” which has reportedly raised millions of dollars in 2022 and 2023. Despite significant financial support, Goals decided to part ways with blockchain integration. According to the report, it is an important axis in the development trajectory.