Leo Li is the Chief Growth Officer and CVO at CARV.
Off The Grid could be the mainstream moment we’ve been waiting for in web3 gaming – not because it flaunts blockchain features, but because it doesn’t. Off The Grid, the major console release, integrates NFTs into the background and lets gameplay take centre stage. The main attraction is the game, but the blockchain adds value by facilitating trading, ownership and expression.
Like Telegram, who quietly slips crypto wallet functionality in hundreds of millions pockets, game developers understand that simplicity is key. By hammering gamers with crypto-heavy onboarding, you can alienate them.
The next gaming bull rush will not be led by blockchain games—it will be driven by great games that happen to use blockchain.
The quiet revolution of blockchain gaming
Off The Grid is causing a lot of noise for a game that’s not officially out yet. The cyberpunk battle royale from Gunzilla Games – only available via early access on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X – is getting plenty of attention for its tongue-in-cheek violence and gritty visuals from filmmaker Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium).
“Part schlocky satire of streaming culture, part sendup of gamers, all shrewd self-aware storytelling: Off The Grid is a fun time,” CNET wrote about this in October.
It’s a fun time, indeed, that’s entirely on the blockchain. Off The Grid, a web3 native title, is built on an Avalanche Subnet. It also allows for crypto-based gameplay including the upcoming token, NFT coining and trading in-game skins and weapons on OpenSea. What’s the best part? So far, players aren’t obligated to engage with these features. The blockchain is separate from the game, but they are both complementary.
It’s a similar story over on Telegram. Clicker games are a hit with players because of their simplicity and engaging nature. Telegram’s integration of wallet functionality and endorsement of The Open Network (TON), as the official web3 infrastructure, makes it easier for gamers without realizing it to embrace crypto. No more complicated onboarding or clunky user interfaces. Telegram’s mini-app gaming occurs automatically inside the known and trusted chat platform.
Success is impressive in all areas. TON Clicker Notcoin’s token and market cap reached more than $500 million, while BANANA attracted 12,000,000 players in less than a week after its launch. Off The Grid has also gained a lot of traction. During the first week, millions of wallets have been created. The game then became the most popular free title on Epic Games Store. The numbers are clear: mass adoption is inevitable when the blockchain integration becomes invisible.
The blockchain lesson for game makers
Since the sector’s inception, we’ve been waiting for the blockchain gaming “mainstream moment.” The one-two punch of Off The Grid and Telegram suggests we’re inching closer, but their wins hold essential lessons for developers.
First, arming your game with blockchain isn’t enough. There are 400 crypto games Since 2018, there has been more than All blockchain games account for three-quarters The campaigns have been abandoned because they failed to generate any interest. What was the reason? Games weren’t fun enough, and blockchain features weren’t compelling enough. In the future, game designers must begin with the game first and then work backwards. The blockchain element will never take off without a great game.
The second lesson is on accessibility. Web3 leaders: a quarter agree The learning curve and lack of user-friendly interfaces for blockchain technology remain major obstacles to adoption. Solutions like CARV ID The example of combining player profiles under a single banner in order to enhance interoperability, and display achievements across different games is instructive. These new games show that we must start with great gameplay and make it accessible, then bake blockchain into the base. This is a great way to get both sides involved. “blockchain gaming”Work together.
In my view, it’s time to think of blockchain gaming like cloud computing—something consumers seldom encounter, but that drives the backend thanks to invisible integration. Just as we don’t think about cloud computing when using Netflix, players shouldn’t have to think about blockchain when inside our games.
Balance between blockchain and gameplay in 2025
In the new year, the blockchain gaming industry is more likely to reach the mainstream. AAA studios have taken us seriously, while gamers are warming up to the idea of blockchain-based features that enhance gameplay.
However, there’s a fine line between creating a great game and ensuring meaningful crypto synergy. Neopets Metaverse – a NFT powered game based off the wildly popular 1999 pet sim – was under development for two years. The reason? The CEO said that gamers “didn’t care“ Titles are intended to be repurposed into a standard mobile game. The game must be great, and the addition of blockchain should make sense, improve the ecosystem, and add value.
It is important to understand your audience. Gamers trend younger and want better ways to express themselves, own their identities, and make money online – all things blockchain can enable. Blockchain will be the key to driving web3 gaming’s next bull run by making these features more accessible and meaningful.
This is the challenge for our sector in 2025 – making blockchain relevant to the game, invisible to the player, and powerful enough to drive adoption. It’s now up to us – the developers – to get there. Off The Grid and Telegram are showing us the way forward – put blockchain in the background and let the games lead the charge.
Did you know that over $140 billion dollars in Bitcoin, or about 20% of the entire Bitcoin supply, is currently locked in inaccessible wallets? Or maybe you have lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? Don’t let those funds remain out of reach! AI Seed Phrase Finder is here to help you regain access effortlessly. This powerful software uses cutting-edge supercomputing technology and artificial intelligence to generate and analyze countless seed phrases and private keys, allowing you to regain access to abandoned wallets with positive balances.
