The crypto gaming space is busier than ever lately, what with prominent games starting to release, token airdrops piling up, and a seemingly constant array of other things happening at all times. It’s a lot to take in!
Luckily, Decrypt’s GG is all over it. And if you need a quick way to get caught up on the latest moves around crypto video games, we’re happy to present This Week in Crypto Games.
Our weekend roundup serves up the biggest news from the past week, along with a few other tidbits you might have missed. We also showcase a few of our original stories from the week.
Biggest news
X Empire airdrop: Telegram tap-to-earn game X Empire has completed its latest mining phase, shutting down the game ahead of this Thursday's X token launch on The Open Network (TON). The short-lived "Chill Phase" of the game formerly known as "Musk Empire" lasted just over two weeks, giving players a last shot to get a bigger slice of tokens ahead of the October 24 airdrop.
This isn’t the first time that X Empire has gone through this process. The game completed its original, monthslong mining phase on September 30, with plans for the X token launch to take place soon thereafter. But it returned two days later, relaunching with a "Chill Phase" that offered an additional 5% of the total token supply to players.
![Artwork from X Empire. Image: X Empire](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/x-empire-artwork-gID_7.png@webp)
Elon Musk-Themed ‘X Empire’ Ends Telegram Gameplay Ahead of Airdrop
As expected, X Empire—a Telegram tap-to-earn game that has amassed more than 50 million players—has completed its latest mining phase, shutting down the game ahead of next week’s X token launch on The Open Network (TON). The brief “Chill Phase” of X Empire lasted just over two weeks, giving players a last chance to earn a larger share of tokens ahead of the planned airdrop on October 24. This isn’t the first time that X Empire has gone through this process. The game completed its original, month...
Not everyone is thrilled with the airdrop rollout, however. After the game revealed airdrop allocations to players on Friday, many complained that they had been left out entirely—and the game's creator revealed that just 6 million players were eligible, out of a total of more than 50 million total players.
Some players have taken to Twitter to complain to Elon Musk about it... but he doesn't actually have anything to do with the game, despite the original name and the cartoonish avatars bearing his likeness.
![Elon Musk. Image: Shutterstock](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/elon-musk-1-gID_7.jpg@webp)
Why 'X Empire' Telegram Players Are Complaining to Elon Musk About the Airdrop
Telegram tap-to-earn game X Empire will launch its X token on The Open Network (TON) on Thursday, but its reveal of airdrop allocations has drawn complaints from players who say they were deemed ineligible for a share of the rewards. And some of them are telling Elon Musk about it. X Empire revealed its allocations on Friday, disclosing to players how many X tokens they can expect to receive and begin trading on October 24. The Elon Musk-themed game is also letting players choose their withdrawa...
Hamster Kombat Season 2: We knew that the second season of smash Telegram crypto game Hamster Kombat was due later this month, but on Thursday, the developers revealed the theme—and it's a big overhaul.
Instead of a hamster CEO running your own crypto exchange, you'll now start and expand your own development studio, creating games, building out your team, and launching a platform for such games. A brief teaser shows development activities that take potentially days to complete, but also the return of tapping gameplay, the familiar daily combo, and more.
![Image: Hamster Kombat](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hamster-gID_7.png@webp)
‘Hamster Kombat’ Telegram Game Overhaul Revealed for Season 2
Hit Telegram tap-to-earn game Hamster Kombat is set to launch a new full season later this month, following September’s token launch and airdrop, and now we know about the significant shift coming with the game’s next major phase. While the first season of Hamster Kombat was focused on running a fictional crypto exchange, the second season will focus on building out a video game platform and developing games for it. Hamster Kombat’s developers released a short teaser video Thursday that showed...
Moonray on PS5: The makers of Ethereum-based combat arena game Moonray announced that they will release the free-to-play title on PlayStation 5 next year. However, citing Sony's policies, the game will be launching on the console without Web3 features.
On PC, the game has already run a play-to-airdrop campaign, and its upcoming mobile auto-battler game has similar plans alongside its release next year. But this will not be the case for the PS5 version of the arena combat game, at least from the outset. This is due to Sony’s “rules and conditions” limiting the game, they said.
Still, it leaves a big question mark over the future Off the Grid—which is currently on PS5 in early access without direct integration of crypto features that players can use. Off the Grid developer Gunzilla Games has yet to clarify its crypto integration plans for consoles, despite Decrypt's inquiries.
![Image: Moonray](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Moonray_Banner2-gID_7.jpg@webp)
Ethereum Game 'Moonray' Coming to PS5—Without Crypto Features
The makers of Ethereum-based combat arena game Moonray announced that they will release the free-to-play title on PlayStation 5 next year. However, citing Sony's policies, the game will be launching on the console without Web3 features. On PC via the Epic Games Store, the game has already run a play-to-airdrop campaign, which saw gamers complete challenges to earn a chunk of its soon-to-launch MNRY token—and those who own the project’s NFT got an extra bonus. A similar system will be put into pl...
Off the Grid goes viral: Avalanche battle royale shooter Off the Grid launched two weeks back to huge buzz and excitement. That hype followed through to last week with tons of clips going viral, displaying why the game quickly became the most popular free-to-play title on the Epic Games Store.
From Fortnite legend Ninja showing off the power of the "Slam Fist’"cyberlimb to popular streamer TimTheTatman sniping the last man standing in midair, it was clear that audiences were loving the game. Not only that, but it appears that some traditional gamers are coming around to the idea of NFTs too. Does this open the door for crypto gaming to enter the mainstream?
![Artwork from Off the Grid. Image: Gunzilla Games](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/off-grid-ninja-gID_7.png@webp)
5 Viral 'Off the Grid' Clips That Show Why It's Such a Hit With Gamers
Is crypto gaming having its Fortnite moment? Avalanche shooter Off the Grid launched in early access on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC last week to rave reviews from both crypto and non-crypto gamers alike. It’s a breath of fresh air for the Web3 gaming industry after the summer was dominated by basic Telegram tap-to-earn games that appealed to ultra-casual gamers. Developed by Gunzilla Games, the game drops players in a reality show-themed battle royale shooter with robotic limbs that gra...
ICYMI
- Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung predicted that all Web3 projects will have a Telegram complement.
- Mobile crypto RPG studio Azra Games raised $42.7 million in a round led by Pantera Capital.
- Crypto Clash of Clans clone Heroes of Mavia announced that its land NFT integration will come this month.
- Call of Duty said that its ToxMod AI has blocked over 45 million messages since it launched in 2023.
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— Loot Legends: Rogue Dungeons (@LootLegendsGame) October 15, 2024
- Mobile game Loot Legends is live on iOS and Android with a play-to-airdrop campaign underway.
- Parallel's co-founder called out Twitch for blocking the NFT card game’s ads while allowing Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering to advertise on Parallel streams.
- Immutable zkEVM, a layer-2 Ethereum gaming network, has removed its deployer allowlist; now anyone can build on the chain.
- Paravox, a 3v3 shooter, announced a Latin American esports tournament with a $130,000 prize pool.
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we think are well worth a weekend read:
Will 'Off the Grid' Take Crypto Games Mainstream?
Off the Grid is the talk of the gaming world right now—but can it stay on top? Last week, the battle royale game (launched in early access) quickly became the top free title on the Epic Games Store, with 148,000 viewers watching the countless streamers playing it on Twitch. Developed by Gunzilla Games, players are dropped into a reality show-style online shooter experience, kitted out with robotic limbs that give them powerful abilities. What many players don’t know, however, is that Off the Gri...
![Image: Shutterstock](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bitcoin-gaming-shutterstock-gID_7.png@webp)
Bitcoin Is Booming—You Can Earn More by Playing These Free Games
Bitcoin has been on a hot streak since Donald Trump's election win last month, boosting its all-time high price mark by $30,000 during the span and finally smashing through the $100,000 milestone last week. If you’re keen on stacking satoshis however you can, then here’s one way that won’t cost you anything but time: You can earn Bitcoin by playing a bunch of free games. Decrypt’s GG has been covering the rising trend of free-to-play mobile games and apps that offer up small bounties of Bitcoin...
![Artwork from Off the Grid. Image: Gunzilla Games](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/off-grid-artwork-gID_7.png@webp)
5 Big Upgrades That 'Off the Grid' Needs Before Leaving Early Access
Off the Grid has had an impressive launch thus far, topping the charts and racking up a massive player count. As far as crypto games go, it’s easily the biggest launch to date and has cracked the world of mainstream gaming fans, many of whom don’t even realize there’s blockchain involved. (To be fair, the crypto stuff isn't fully integrated yet.) But the initial hype of the launch is starting to cool off, leaving Gunzilla Games with its next big challenge: improving and evolving the game so that...
'Dookey Dash: Unclogged' Tips Guide: How to Dominate the Bored Ape Game
Dookey Dash is back, with the Bored Ape Yacht Club-themed endless runner from Yuga Labs getting a free-to-play rendition on iOS, Android, PC, and Mac with Dookey Dash: Unclogged. It still features some well-known Apes, of course, and is also offering over $1 million in prizes for top-scoring players in the season-ending tournament. As an Ape riding some kind of submarine through sewers, avoiding all kinds of debris, there isn’t all that much strategy to the game; a lot of it comes down to your r...
![](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/gaming_litepaper-gID_5-pID_4.png@webp)
'Off the Grid' Hex Guide: How to Extract the Most Hexes in the Battle Royale Shooter
With Off the Grid suddenly becoming one of the biggest games in the space right now, attention is starting to turn to the game’s promised earning potential, which looks to be tied to the hex system of loot boxes and the items they contain. Once all of the Avalanche-based crypto and NFT tech is fully implemented, we suspect that you may be able to make some cash from buying and selling both hexes and the items they contain on the in-game marketplace, and then cash out your earnings on exchanges w...
![Image: Rod Martinez/Decrypt](https://img.decrypt.co/insecure/rs:fit:3840:0:0:0/plain/https://cdn.decrypt.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sorare-learn-gID_4-pID_2.png@webp)
What Is ‘Captain Tsubasa: Rivals’? The Telegram Anime Soccer Game and Airdrop
It’s hard to make a Telegram tap-to-earn game stand out these days, with countless Hamster Kombat clones vying for your attention. But using the license from a beloved Japanese anime and manga series—about soccer, no less—is one interesting way to shift the vibe for a Telegram tapper. That is exactly what Captain Tsubasa: Rivals has done, with the tap-to-earn game racking up millions of players since its recent launch, likely thanks to the fact that a lot of people will be familiar with the bran...
Edited by Andrew Hayward