tl;dr
The Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA) reports that blockchain gaming is advancing, with more seamless access for players, but public perception remains a challenge. Traditional gaming developers are entering the space, and onboarding friction rates have improved. The report emphasizes player empowermen...
Blockchain gaming technology is advancing, making it more accessible for players. However, public perception remains a challenge. Traditional gaming developers are entering the space, and onboarding friction rates have improved. The emphasis is on player empowerment and seamless user experiences as blockchain gaming platforms shift away from overt crypto elements.
The transition to blockchain-based infrastructure enables true digital ownership and shifts the focus of play-to-earn models. The introduction of autonomous worlds and fully on-chain games signifies a move towards on-chain experiences and AI integration.
The Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA) reports that blockchain gaming is advancing, with more seamless access for players. However, public perception remains a challenge. Traditional gaming developers are entering the space, and onboarding friction rates have improved. The report emphasizes player empowerment and the shift towards better user experiences similar to traditional games.
In 2025, the focus will be on player experience over financial mechanisms, with a move away from overt crypto elements. Play-to-earn models have shifted to focus on on-chain characteristics and merit-based rewards. The report introduces the concepts of autonomous worlds (AW) and fully on-chain games (FOCGs), describing games that live entirely on-chain and enable AI integration for adaptive gameplay.
Blockchain gaming is reaching a new stage of maturity, with increasing numbers of players accessing games more seamlessly. Changes in the sector, including the entry of traditional gaming developers, could create dramatic shifts. Major studios like Sony and Square Enix are entering the space through layer-2 solutions.
Public perception remains a key obstacle. The report shows that 66% of projects are still trying to establish credibility, fighting against the misconception that blockchain games are linked to scams. Despite this, the ease with which gamers can get into blockchain games has improved, with onboarding friction rates dropping from 79.5% last year to 53.9% in 2024.
"At the heart of this growth is the principle of player empowerment," BGA President Sebastian Borget wrote in the report. The report shows that over 71% of its respondents consider this the “single biggest benefit that blockchain gaming delivers.”
Efforts have been put into user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), prioritizing a seamless experience similar to what players would expect from Web2 games. The alliance noted the trend will expand in 2025, with a new emphasis on player experience over financial mechanisms. Blockchain gaming platforms are shifting away from overt crypto elements toward seamless integrations, where Web3 functionality operates in the background.
Blockchain gaming faces a new meta as 2025 arrives, and the Blockchain Game Alliance shared its predictions with Decrypt. The transition from traditional centralized gaming servers to blockchain-based infrastructure shows how games have embraced the ownership narrative. Play-to-earn models have also shifted focus to on-chain characteristics and merit-based rewards.
The report also presented two new terms: autonomous worlds (AW) and fully on-chain games (FOCGs). These describe games as being closely native to and living entirely on-chain as autonomous experiences. This includes game rules, player items, and in-game economics, rather than just keeping some pieces on-chain while running the game’s main client on regular, centralized servers.
Autonomous worlds enable games to “improve based on community input” by placing “elements of game state and logic on-chain.” Additionally, fully on-chain games could run in the near future, with advancements in AI merging with blockchain infrastructure.