The following is a guest post by Yaniv Baruch, COO of Playnance.
Blockchain gaming recently reached an all-time high of 4.2 million daily active users. DappRadar Report. The GameFi industry is seeing an unprecedented surge in new users. However, this growth has been somewhat overshadowed by more vibrant trends such as AI and memecoins. Three key factors driving user influx are the advancement of cryptocurrency products (including the development of the TON ecosystem), airdrops, and broader technological advancements in the cryptocurrency space.
These factors have helped attract and retain a large user base, setting the stage for a new GameFi boom by 2025.
Change tomorrow with TON
Telegram’s TON (The Open Network) is fast, scalable, and charges minimal fees, making it an ideal blockchain for gaming. Ultimately, gaming networks must process player interactions in real time to ensure a smooth experience. Delays can cause players to become frustrated and give up on the game.
TON’s features enable advanced gaming experiences like Catizen and TapSwap, and its integration with the Telegram app makes it one of the most accessible gaming networks. This is not just speculation. This is proven by Hamster Kombat’s 239 million+ players, Catizen’s 21 million+ players, and Tapswap’s 60 million+ users. These numbers are impressive for standard blockchain-based games as well as Web2 video games.
TON’s critical role for the upcoming GameFi boom next year is that the majority of this audience will developer This is something completely new in the cryptocurrency industry. After getting their first Web3 gaming experience or airdrops from these and other Dapps, some will eventually switch to other GameFi products and other blockchain ecosystems.
Cryptocurrency Airdrops: A Double-Edged Necessity
In addition to TON’s growing GameFi audience, airdrops play an important role. Distribute in-game tokens to new players, allowing them to explore the game’s features without investing.
For example, Hamster Kombat, the TON Network’s most successful tap-play game, held an airdrop for 131 million eligible users along with the launch of HMSTR tokens on September 26. Players have been enjoying the game’s first season of content over the past few months, with rewards paid out based on player activity and other criteria.
This method encourages players to log in every day to level up, complete quests, complete limited-time activities, and increase the game’s daily active player base. Promising rewards based on performance can encourage players to share the game with their friends, further increasing player numbers.
Cryptocurrency airdrops have drawbacks, such as “airdrop farmers” who travel from game to game, collect tokens, and sell the tokens without investing in the game, but these problems outweigh the benefits. Despite the fact that 88% of tokens launched with airdrops this year saw their prices drop, the overall benefits of airdrops remain significant.
They start a gaming community and attract a group of dedicated gamers who are encouraged by initial free money. The group will then spread the word and attract more players, driving GameFi product performance while strengthening its fan base.
This will raise awareness of the project tokens, potentially increasing their value and rewarding early adopters. When done properly through fair and thoughtful token distribution to loyal users, the user airdrop mechanism creates a cycle of awareness, engagement, and rewards. This mechanism has helped many projects grow during bear markets, and will likely further drive the upcoming GameFi boom.
Maintain steady momentum
As is the case with many Web3 segments, GameFi is currently seeing a growing number of users. But keeping players engaged in the game is equally important. To create another GameFi boom next year, developers will need to leverage best practices from new technologies, projects, and ecosystems like TON (in this case, L3, the recent development of Gas Zero) to create new, meaningful, and seamless gaming experiences for players. and account abstraction-based solutions have made great strides.)
Approaching Web3 game development with these goals in mind helps developers attract players and profit from their gaming efforts, but a good game experience connects players to the game on an emotional level. That strong bond drives them to continue playing beyond financial gain. Through meaningful experiences, you’ll tell your friends, get other players involved, and ultimately benefit the entire GameFi ecosystem.
That said, we’re still waiting for the emergence of a dominant force similar to Web2’s Clash of Clans or Candy Crush a few years ago, which will ultimately redefine the current state of the GameFi market. We are all waiting for an experience that will capture the hearts and hands of millions playing the latest blockchain-based games.
Striking the right balance between a play-to-earn model and fun gameplay will keep players engaged even when the monetary rewards fluctuate. These gaming experiences will keep users in your industry for the long term. Recently worth 1.4 billion dollars invest With this year’s record daily active users for the GameFi industry in the first half of 2024, and a whole new wave of users attracted by TON’s GameFi project, we will definitely see a new boom for the GameFi industry in 2025.
By then, we’ll likely see new technologies and game mechanics revealed. Developers must then adapt previous concepts to these new ideas to provide a better experience for players. These factors could fuel a new GameFi boom in 2025 as technology and game mechanics mature.