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As the year winds down, every gaming company and its dog are dropping year-in-review reports.

A recent report from blockchain gaming accelerator Game7 suggests that many game developers had an enforced nap instead of pumping out new games.

This year, just 223 Web3 games were launched which is a 65% drop from the 640 games launched in 2022, and even more distant from the 811 games launched in 2021.

Game7
Web3 game releases per year (Game7)

So what’s the deal with the sudden nosedive in output?

Well, the optimistic answer is Rome wasn’t built in a day.

It seems to be what Immutable co-founder and president Robbie Ferguson believes…that many great Web3 gaming hits are on the way… but patience is required.

Speaking to Magazine, Ferguson says there has been a significant surge of money into Web3 games lately, and developers are focusing on crafting standout hits:

“The last year has been really interesting, Web3 gaming has had such an influx of investment, it’s just the time-lag of the production of games until we start seeing hits…roughly $15 billion US has been invested in Web3 gaming over the past 3 years.”

Similarly, Stefanidis also mentions the amount of cash flowing in the Web3 gaming scene, even though new money from retail is yet to flow back into the overall crypto markets.

“The appetite has significantly increased. Projects are minting out and raising money again. I think the belief in Web3 has continued to grow, even in the bear market,” Stefanidis says.

But in 2024, the real hits won’t just be tossing money around to keep players hooked, at least according to Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games.

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In a recent interview with Cointelegraph, Dizon declared that the most successful Web3 games in 2024 will pivot from play-to-earn (P2E) to instead focus on being entirely free-to-play to attract players.

Keep an eye on Shrapnel, the AAA first-person extraction shooter blockchain game to see whether it will emerge as a hit or a flop.

The game has been getting a ton of hype in the industry. 

It’s set on Earth in the year 2038, where the objective is to gather valuable in-game assets and safely extract them, while facing off against enemies and rival players.

The coming months will also see the debut of the long awaited Illuvium games along with other big titles.

However, John Stefanidis, CEO of Balthazar Gaming DAO, told Magazine that the games that will score big might just be the ones doing the classic, promise less, but deliver way more:

“I think the challenges that games are having right now are trying to deliver on the huge number of promises that they’ve made, and they’re struggling to acquire users off the back of that when there are other games coming out that are promising much less.”

Ferguson predicts that the “first hit” blockchain game will catalyze an entire new narrative as developers will be able to see “the playbook used to make successful games.”

“By the end of this year, there should no longer be any roadblocks for a game that’s successful enough from being able to succeed.”

Blowfish Studios announce early access to Phantom Galaxies

The team behind new sci-fi action RPG game Phantom Galaxies described the gaming space as “challenging and unpredictable” when it announced early access to the game.

Are the developers fessing up to a little bit of market jitters as they roll out the new game?

It’s probably unnecessary as the title has garnered considerable attention online, already clocking up over 100,000 followers on the X platform, aka Twitter.

Published by Blowfish Studios, a subsidiary of Web3 giant Animoca Brands, Phantom Galaxies is available for free on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. 

Set in the aftermath of an interstellar war the game unfolds as the Commonwealth and the Union come together to establish the Ranger Squadron – an outfit of skilled mecha pilots who guard human colonies on the outer edges of space.

Players join the squadron as an “ensign” — a junior ranked officer — controlling a transforming Starlighter fighting against pirate factions and aliens. 

According to an official blog post, an official governance token called Astrafer can be used to splash on credits, Ores, and U-Cubes for upgrading the Starfighter.

There are three ranger tracks available in the game. The first two, Standard and Advanced, hook every player up with rewards after hitting certain levels. But here’s the bummer – Astrafer isn’t part of the rewards for these two tracks unfortunately.

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The priciest option for players is the Elite Track. Right now, this track is the only way to earn Astrafer in the game, but don’t worry, they swear it won’t be like this forever.

“The Elite Track is the only way to receive ASTRAFER in-game currently, but this will change in future.”

However, if users aren’t into making moolah, they can hop on the Standard Track for free.

Disney’s Web3 platform ‘irrelevant’

Disney has decided to dip its toes in non-fungible tokens (NFT), after tossing its metaverse plans out the window earlier this year along with 50 jobs.

In a partnership with blockchain and metaverse firm Dapper Labs, it has created an NFT platform that will offer iconic cartoon characters from the past century on the marketplace, dubbed Disney Pinnacle.

The platform will also include icons from Pixar as well as heroes and villains from the Star Wars galaxy, styled as collectible and tradable digital pins.

But…is this buzz around mega-billion dollar companies jumping into the Web3 scene still a thing?

Ilja Moisejevs, co-founder of Solana NFT marketplace Tensor, believes it really isn’t worth the fuss:

“Not sure if it’s an unpopular opinion – but Disney, Nike, Sbux, the next Web2 brand getting into Web3… …is irrelevant. It’s like worrying if Walmart will start using the web in 1999. Sure they will, eventually, who cares – 99% of web’s value capture was done by web-native startups.”

Hot Take: NFL Rivals

NFL Rivals is a mobile blockchain game, published by Mythical Games in collaboration with the National Football League (NFL).

The gaming crew only recently bid farewell to Ethereum blockchain and jumped ship to Polkadot. They pointed the finger at Ethereum’s sluggish transaction speeds and wallet-draining costs. 

Before you roll your eyes at an NFL title, nope, you don’t need to be a sports guru for this one. 

Honestly, it’s not really a game that’ll make die-hard sports fans excited. It’s straightforward, and that’s the beauty of it.

I got sucked into the gameplay, and I swear I’ve never seen an NFL match.

NFL Rivals
NFL Rivals is a free mobile game.

If you’re on the hunt for a fresh game to kill time during a delayed flight or keep you entertained when your date’s fashionably late, this is the one. 

Better yet, it doesn’t cost you a dime to play on your iPhone or Android. 

The tutorial was surprisingly efficient, not like those never-ending ones. It covered throws, kicks and got right into the gameplay without any fuss. 

Once you’re in the game, you wear the team manager hat. You assemble your players every game, level up, recruit better players (and ditch the underperformers).

Rivals 2
You can buy and sell players in NFL Rivals.

Once you hit level four in the game, you unlock the option to buy, sell, and trade individual NFL players as NTFs on Mythical online marketplace.

$26M
Jaquan is available for the low, low price of $26M

I took a quick peek at the marketplace, and the big shot collectible is Jaquan Brisker, selling for a massive 100 million MYTH.

That’s around $26 million USD, in case you were wondering.

If you’re not ready to splash that type of cash, no worries – you can grab yourself a bargain with Justin Houston for just 1.5 MYTH, about $0.39 USD.

What I do like about NFL Rivals is that it seamlessly fits into the iPhone screen. Unlike some soccer and tennis games I’ve tried where your thumbs end up covering half the action. Not cool. 

Controls? Pretty smooth. Even if you’ve got chubby fingers, this game won’t have you pulling your hair out.

More from the Web3 gaming space

—  Popular game studio Avalon has teased its new User-Generated Content (UGC) MMORPG in a 90-second trailer. 

—  Immutable teams up with Japanese game developer Black Tower Studios, to release Web3 game Arkbound.

— Gaming giant Ubisoft has announced plans to launch an Ethereum non-fungible token (NFT) for its upcoming game Champion Tactics.

— PancakeSwap expands its gaming offerings with the launch of PancakeSwap Gaming Marketplace.

Andrew Fenton

Andrew Fenton

Based in Melbourne, Andrew Fenton is a journalist and editor covering cryptocurrency and blockchain. He has worked as a national entertainment writer for News Corp Australia, on SA Weekend as a film journalist, and at The Melbourne Weekly.

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Crush fly-tippers’ vans, government tells councils

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Crush fly-tippers' vans, government tells councils

The government wants councils to crush more vans used to fly-tip rubbish, as it announces a crackdown on the illegal dumping of waste.

No new funding is being given to local authorities for the initiatives, with ministers saying the seven percent raise announced in the budget can be used.

As part of the announcement, the government has also proposed that fly-tippers could face up to five years in prison, although this would require a change in the law.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed arriving in Downing Street, London, for a Cabinet meeting, ahead of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivering her spring statement to MPs in the House of Commons. Picture date: Wednesday March 26, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
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Environment Secretary Steve Reed attacked the Conservatives’ record. Pic: PA

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Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Councils will get much more aggressive against fly-tippers and that includes using the latest technology, things like the new mobile CCTV cameras and drones to identify, track and then seize the vehicles that are being used for fly-tipping to a yard like this and crush them.

“That’s both as a punishment for those people who are dumping the rubbish but also as a deterrent for those who are thinking about doing it.”

He added: “We’re also looking to change the law so that those rogue operators who take rubbish from someone’s home and then dump it on a nearby road – they were getting away almost scot-free under the previous government – they will now be looking at potentially five-year prison sentences.”

More on Labour

The minister claimed the fly-tipping was “out of control” under the last government.

Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows local authorities in England dealt with a record 1.15 million incidents last year – a 20% increase from 2018/19.

Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said: “We’re determined to bring these criminals to justice through tough enforcement action and prosecutions.

“That’s why we support the government’s crackdown on waste criminals, which will ensure we have the right powers to shut rogue operators out of the waste industry.”

However, the Conservatives claimed that rubbish is “piling high” in areas like Birmingham as refuse workers strike against a pay and jobs offer from the Labour-run council.

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Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said: “Wherever Labour is in charge, waste is piling high – like in Birmingham, where Labour’s inability to stand up to their union paymasters has left rat-infested rubbish littered across the street.

“And with statistics showing that of the 50 worst local areas for fly-tipping, 72% are Labour controlled, it is clear that voting Labour gets you rubbish and rats.

“So the British public deserve real action, not this series of reheated announcements and policies already introduced by previous governments that Labour is peddling.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Under the Conservatives’ watch, local communities have been plagued by a fly-tipping epidemic.

“From overflowing bins to piles of hazardous waste, fly-tipping is blighting our landscapes, poisoning livestock on farming land and causing misery for residents.

“Enough is enough.

“The Liberal Democrats are calling for a fly-tipping fighting fund, to push for stronger local enforcement and tougher penalties for offenders.”

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US Senate majority leader expects stablecoin vote before May 26 — Report

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US Senate majority leader expects stablecoin vote before May 26 — Report

US Senate majority leader expects stablecoin vote before May 26 — Report

US Senate Majority Leader John Thune reportedly told Republican lawmakers that the chamber would address a bill on stablecoin regulation before the May 26 Memorial Day holiday.

According to an April 29 Politico report, Thune made the comments in a closed-door meeting with Republican senators, who hold a slim majority in the chamber. The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, or GENIUS Act, was introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty in February and passed the Senate Banking Committee in March.

Thune did not mention any crypto or blockchain-related bills in his public comments on US President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has signed several executive orders with the potential to affect US crypto policy, including one affecting stablecoins. Still, many of the actions do not carry the force of law without an act of Congress.

Related: $649B stablecoin transfers linked to illicit activity in 2024: Report

The proposed GENIUS bill could essentially restrict any entity other than a “permitted payment stablecoin issuer” from issuing a payment stablecoin in the United States. The House of Representatives, also controlled by Republicans, has proposed a companion bill to the legislation: the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act.

Trump accused of conflicts of interest over stablecoins, crypto ventures

The president’s executive order, signed on Jan. 23, established a working group to study the potential creation and maintenance of a national crypto stockpile and a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Republican lawmakers followed by introducing the STABLE and GENIUS acts.

Trump also introduced the order before World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm backed by the president’s family, launched its US-dollar pegged USD1 stablecoin. Many Democratic lawmakers said that Trump’s ties to the firm, coupled with his political influence and position, could present an “extraordinary conflict of interest that could create unprecedented risks to our financial system” as Congress considers the two stablecoin bills.

Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

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Indian high court orders steps to block Proton Mail

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Indian high court orders steps to block Proton Mail

Indian high court orders steps to block Proton Mail

A court in India has ordered the encrypted email service Proton Mail blocked in the country for refusing to share information with authorities.

In an April 29 hearing of the High Court of Karnataka, Justice M Nagaprasanna ordered the government to “block forthwith” domain names associated with Proton Mail, citing authority under the country’s Information Technology Act of 2008. The order stemmed from a complaint filed in January by a New Delhi-based design firm, alleging that some of its employees received offensive emails through the service.  

It’s unclear whether the ban will take effect or face other possible challenges in court. The Proton team reported in March 2024 that Indian authorities had similarly proposed ordering the service blocked in response to alleged “hoax bomb threats,” but it continued to operate in the country.

The crackdown on Proton Mail appeared to be part of a larger global trend to pursue action against platforms based on users’ activities, such as the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France in part for allegedly failing to moderate illicit content. Cointelegraph reached out to Proton for comment but did not receive any response at the time of publication.

Related: Crypto projects prepare to battle for privacy in Switzerland

In Spain, Proton AG — the Swiss company behind the platform — provided information to the authorities about one of its users in 2024. The move had many privacy advocates questioning the security of their data with the centralized service.

Vying for market share in the world’s most populous country

Cryptocurrency exchanges are no stranger to legally sanctioned crackdowns attempting to curtail their activities in a country, or in some cases, face blocks or bans. US authorities imposed sanctions on crypto mixing services like Tornado Cash in 2022, facing swift backlash from the industry and legal challenges, while South Korea reportedly blocked 14 exchanges on the Apple store for allegedly operating without the proper registration.

In India, users face a 30% tax on profits from crypto trading, which has been in effect since April 2022. Though crypto firms operating in the country endure increasing regulatory oversight, India is estimated to have more than 100 million digital asset holders out of its roughly 1.4 billion people.

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