Epic Games Store Welcomes More Web3 Titles: Are Blockchain Games Going Mainstream?

Web3 games, also known as blockchain games, started as a niche interest and have grown into a real gaming genre in just a few years.  In a way, it mimics the path blockchain currencies have paved, becoming a mainstream investment option.

These games integrate blockchain concepts, such as tokens, into gameplay.  These are earned in-game and can be spent in-game or on any other blockchain network. In regions such as Southeast and East Asia, where mobile gaming dominates, these mechanics have gained traction faster due to players already being comfortable with digital economies and in-game assets.  In this article, we’ll discuss the growing interest in these games and how Epic Games Store has expanded its collection, leading others to do the same.

Epic Games’ Open Approach to Web3 Titles

Epic Games has had an open stance towards Web3 since blockchain games first became available.  Competing platforms have been mostly skeptical due to the tokens’ volatility and the novelty of the concept.  However, Epic Games allowed developers to upload these games to their store, even when there was little interest.

For instance, Steam banned such games in 2021, including those that use NFTs.  It forced developers to look for alternatives, and for most, Epic Games became the platform for experimenting with blockchain games.

However, Epic Games still imposes strict restrictions that developers must adhere to if they want to use its platform.  These govern legal compliance, transparency, and consumer protection.  Also, Web3 games can’t use the Epic Games payment structure; instead, they need to use their own.

Growing Number of Blockchain Games on the Epic Game Platform

Epic Game Store has been adding more blockchain games for years.  It began with a few experimental games and grew into a catalog with menu genres and different approaches to the blockchain twist.

The developers have been naturally drawn to the store, as it allows them to reach a wide audience of PC gamers and features built-in tools to support and promote the games it hosts.  Epic also offers a relatively favorable revenue split for developers, making it financially attractive for new studios experimenting with blockchain technology. Studios from the Philippines, Vietnam, and other east Asian markets, that already had a growing game industry, were among the first to adopt Web3.

Notable Web3 Games Already on the Platform

The number of blockchain games on Epic has been growing steadily for years now.  For instance, Illuvium is a Web3 open-world role-playing game that combines exploration, creature collecting, and strategic battles.

The in-game creatures in Illuvium exist as NFTs that can be sold in and out of the game.  Players use blockchain marketplaces to sell the creatures they’ve captured in the game.  It combines the experience of a competitive AAA game and the features of the blockchain market.

Gods Unchained is a free-to-play digital trading card game that blends competitive strategy with blockchain technology, as well.  The cards used in the game are similar to those in Magic: The Gathering, but are also NFTs used for trading.  The game focuses on strategic deck-building and deck use, with NFT trading just a part of the broader gameplay.

A Changing Crypto Landscape

 The shift in approach to blockchain games reflects the broader shift in the crypto outlook.  Cryptos started as a niche interest for tech enthusiasts and are now widely accepted and traded on crypto exchanges in the Philippines, as well as in many other growing business hubs, and in traditional financial centers such as US stock markets. In Southeast Asia in particular, countries like the Philippines and Vietnam have become key markets for blockchain gaming. Players from these countries are used to the mobile first approach.  Axie Infinity in particular, gained a huge fan base in the Philippines, during its peak. The regional growth has helped normalize the use of blockchain games across the world. 

An average investor is now expected to hold at least a portion of their assets in crypto.  Experts such as those from Webopedia also write about the increased efforts to regulate the crypto industry, as it’s now a part of the financial mainstream.

Challenges in Crypto Game Adoption

Even though interest in blockchain games is growing and the Epic Games Store catalog is expanding, there are still challenges to their adoption.  Many traditional gamers remain skeptical of NFTs and crypto-based economies.  These features are associated with speculation rather than with gaming and entertainment.

Tokens won in the game can be just as volatile as other crypto assets, which can scare some players and prompt others to sell them as soon as they get hold of them.  There’s also regulatory uncertainty, which continues to trouble all crypto assets, as governments are still getting used to increased crypto use.

To Sum Up

Epic Games Store has hosted blockchain games for years, and recently, the number of these games is growing, as is their variety.  These games feature in-game coins or items tied to the blockchain that can be bought and sold in-game and on the blockchain market.

The games have already found their player base and become more complex, combining the features of modern AAA games with blockchain technology.  Within this, there’s a huge opportunity to be creative and to find innovative ways to use blockchain. As adoption continues to grow in Southeast and East Asia, these regions are likely to play a key role in shaping how blockchain games evolve globally. It’s expected that more players will delve into both crypto and gaming and the user base for Epic Games players will grow and expand into this market.