The crypto and NFT gaming industry is currently experiencing a high level of activity, with the release of prominent games, token airdrops, and a constant stream of events. It can be overwhelming to keep up with all the developments.
Fortunately, Decrypt’s GG is here to keep you informed. If you need a quick update on the latest happenings in crypto video games, we’re pleased to present “This Week in Crypto Games.” Our weekend roundup brings you the most significant news from the past week, along with some interesting details you may have missed. We also highlight a few of our original stories from the week.
Biggest news
Deadrop studio shuts down: Seven months after controversial streamer Dr. Disrespect was removed from his own game studio due to alleged misconduct with a minor, game developer Midnight Society confirmed on Thursday that it is closing down. “Today, we are announcing that Midnight Society will be closing its doors after three incredible years, with an amazing team of over 55 developers contributing to our new IP Deadrop,” the company stated on X (formerly Twitter). During a livestream on Thursday, Dr. Disrespect criticized Midnight Society, claiming that the situation was mishandled by the leadership and that his alleged misconduct was not properly investigated. Quinn Delhoyo, one of the studio’s co-founders, previously stated to Decrypt that the streamer was dismissed after a series of phone calls where he explained the situation.
GTA 6 meme coins: Unofficial Game Theft Auto-themed meme coins are flooding onto Solana, with new variations like GTA 6 Coin and GTA Guy reaching market caps of over $1 million last week. However, the success was short-lived, as most tokens crashed more than 90% from their peaks, which is typical for meme coins.
These meme coins are not the only connection the game has to the world of crypto. Rumors about the inclusion of in-game crypto rewards for players in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 have been circulating since at least 2021, although there is no official confirmation. The rumors gained more traction in 2024 when it was speculated that Bitcoin and Ethereum would play a role in the game, but again, this was not confirmed by any official source. Only time will tell if GTA 6 will incorporate crypto in some way. If any game is capable of popularizing crypto gaming, it would be the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6.
Farm Frens slam TON: The Telegram game Farm Frens has delayed its FREN token airdrop on the Baselayer-2 network until February, citing necessary adjustments to its roadmap due to “unreasonable deadlines” from Telegram and The Open Network (TON). In a post on X, the game claimed that “heavy-handed restrictions” were imposed on mini app developers following the recent announcement that all Telegram mini apps with crypto integrations must exclusively use TON. The Farm Frens team criticized this move, stating that it goes against the principles of decentralization and censorship resistance, and referred to TON as “The Closed Network.” The airdrop will still take place on Base, but the game will initially lack in-game crypto integrations due to the TON exclusivity pact.
ICYMI
Characters from Ubisoft’s Champions Tactics are now available as avatars in the Ethereum metaverse game The Sandbox.
B3, a layer-3 gaming chain built on the Ethereum network Base, is preparing to launch a token.
The Ethereum gaming network Ronin will receive an AI agent SDK later this year, promising a new level of immersion in gaming.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has launched a Web3 art history game on Base, rewarding players with NFTs.
The Ethereum combat game Moonray will be released on Xbox in 2025, but without its crypto features, like the PS5 version.
MMORPG Legends of Elumia is migrating from Solana to the Ronin gaming network.
The popular crypto shooter Off the Grid is now playable on the Ethereum gaming arcade Bsmnt, with a collectible cartridge.
The developers of crypto shooter Shrapnel provided an update on the progress towards its full, free-to-play launch.
Yuga Labs’ metaverse game Otherside attempted to break a Guinness World Record for the most players in an FPS battle but fell short of the goal.
Mark Long has been appointed CEO of Unio, a game development studio. Long previously served as the CEO of Shrapnel developer Neon Machine until he transitioned into an advisory role in December.
The Telegram game Zoo concluded its mining phase on Friday in anticipation of an upcoming airdrop.
The Sandbox announced the acquisition of QED, a Romanian software development firm.
Telegram gaming platform GOAT Gaming secured a $4 million funding round, with participation from TON Ventures.
A new Off the Grid battle pass was released on Monday, introducing a new shotgun.
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we recommend for a weekend read:
[Original stories]
Edited by Andrew Hayward