The crypto gaming space is ever expanding, and with prominent games releasing, token airdrops piling up, and the constant shifting of the markets around them all, it's a lot to take in.
Luckily, we're all over it here at Decrypt's GG. And if you're looking to keep tabs on the latest happenings around crypto video games, this weekly roundup gives you a quick overview of the biggest stories we covered over the past week, along with a smattering of other interesting tidbits from around the space.
Top stories
Walking Dead, dead soon: Gala Games announced last week that The Walking Dead: Empires, a multiplayer survival game featuring Ethereum NFTs, will shut down on July 31. The game allowed players to purchase NFT assets like weapons, supplies, and land deeds—some selling for as high as $67,000 during the 2021 NFT boom.
As compensation, Gala will distribute NFTs with "equal functionality" from other games to current holders, though some users have griped on social media about the value of the expected assets. The PC game had been in open beta for about a year.
'The Walking Dead' Ethereum NFT Game Is About to Be Killed Off
An officially licensed “The Walking Dead” role-playing game based on the popular TV show will be shut down after July 31, according to blockchain game publisher Gala Games. The Walking Dead: Empires, a multiplayer survival game that was built around Ethereum NFTs, was playable in open beta for the last year after first being announced in late 2021. “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to sunset The Walking Dead: Empires, with the last playable date set for July 31,...
Flappy Bird sans crypto: The classic mobile game Flappy Bird has launched on the Epic Games Store for Android without any crypto features, despite previous plans for a token tied to its Telegram version. This new release maintains the original tap-to-navigate gameplay while adding a quest mode, supported only by ads and in-app purchases.
Last year's Telegram version of the game faced heavy pushback from gamers, and was ultimately shuttered earlier in April. However, it doesn't appear that Flappy Bird is done with crypto. Last week, following the Android release, the official Telegram channel hosted a community call and wrote, "The Flappy Bird brand belongs to the community."
'Flappy Bird' Relaunches Without Crypto Elements After Divisive Telegram Return
Popular mobile game Flappy Bird launched in the Epic Games Store for Android this week, but the game’s latest reboot doesn’t contain any crypto elements—despite plans to launch a token tied to the now-shuttered Telegram version. The tap-to-flap game maintains its classic mode that asks users to navigate a pixelated bird through a continuous field of pipes, as well as introduces a quest mode in the “Web-2 only” release. “The Flappy Bird app available on Epic Games Store will never have any Web3...
MapleStory N launching: Nexpace, backed by Nexon, will release MapleStory N on May 15, bringing blockchain integration to the beloved 2D side-scrolling game. Running on its dedicated Avalanche L1 chain "Henesys," the game allows players to own and trade in-game assets on-chain.
The 22-year-old MapleStory franchise boasts 250 million users worldwide, with this PC release marking the first official game in the MapleStory Universe ecosystem, which recently switched from Polygon to Avalanche.
'MapleStory N' Avalanche Crypto Game Launching This Month
Nexpace, a blockchain company backed by South Korean gaming giant Nexon, announced Thursday that its Web3 expansion of the popular MapleStory franchise will launch on May 15. The new game, MapleStory N, will blend the franchise's traditional 2D side-scrolling gameplay with crypto assets on the Avalanche blockchain, allowing players to own and trade in-game assets on-chain. The studio has launched its own dedicated Avalanche L1 chain called Henesys, which went live in April. "The launch of MapleS...
Sui gaming stablecoin: Playtron announced plans to release Game Dollar, a specialized stablecoin for gaming on the Sui blockchain in Q4 2024. The token will support purchases, subscriptions, and rewards across Playtron's GameOS ecosystem, including the upcoming SuiPlay0X1 handheld console.
Unlike traditional stablecoins, Game Dollar will be programmable at the use case level, backed by short-term U.S. Treasuries, and designed to incentivize specific user behaviors. Playtron CEO Kirt McMaster told Decrypt that this programmability will enable new economic models for developers and marketplaces.
Sui Gaming Stablecoin Launching for SuiPlay0X1 Handheld, Playtron Ecosystem
Gaming startup Playtron announced onstage at Sui Basecamp in Dubai that it plans to roll out a stablecoin on Sui that is specifically designed to be used for gaming. Set to launch in Q4 this year, the Game Dollar will be used for purchases, subscriptions, and rewards across the Playtron GameOS ecosystem, including on the upcoming SuiPlay0X1 handheld console. Playtron claims that the stablecoin will be backed by short-term U.S. Treasuries as defined by M0, the platform behind the token. A stablec...
ICYMI
- Early Ethereum NFT game Zed Run has been reborn on Base after closing down the original Polygon version.
- Mobile crypto games are likely to benefit from Apple's relaxed iOS rules about external payments and buying NFTs, which were forced by an antitrust court ruling.
Apple Eases NFT, Crypto Rules for iOS Apps Following Antitrust Ruling
Fortnite maker Epic Games’ antitrust case against Apple benefited the crypto industry on Thursday, when the iPhone maker loosened restrictions on developers’ ability to offer apps in the U.S. that direct users to non-standard purchasing methods or digital collectibles. Apple updated its iOS App Store review guidelines after a U.S. District Judge found this week that the tech titan “willfully” violated a court injunction issued in 2021. Moving forward, the federal court prohibited Apple from coll...
- Solana NFT project Claynosaurz is expanding to Sui, and its upcoming mobile game will also launch on the SuiPlay0X1 handheld device.
- An officially licensed Black Mirror token is launching, tied to a social campaign that includes an AI assistant.
- Gaming giant Ubisoft has teamed with interoperability protocol LayerZero to launch a network for moving gaming assets across chains.
Ubisoft, LayerZero Launch Network for Cross-Chain Gaming Assets
Gaming giant Ubisoft announced Wednesday the launch of its Decentralized Verification Network, or DVN, a blockchain-based system designed to secure digital asset transfers across multiple blockchain platforms. The maker of popular games like Assassin's Creed, Just Dance, and Far Cry collaborated with LayerZero to leverage its interoperability protocol, allowing gamers to move digital assets seamlessly across Ethereum, Solana, Polygon and more than 130 other blockchains. "With the launch of the D...
- An official One Championship MMA league game, called One Fight Arena, launched on iOS and Android last week with optional Sui crypto and NFT features.
- Crypto exchange Bitget took legal action against wallets tied to an alleged $20 million market manipulation scheme around the VOXEL gaming token.
- Goblintown: Really Hard Driving launched on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Goblins, take the wheel.
Goblintown: Really Hard Driving Game is now in Early Access on Steam and Epic Games.
Steam: https://t.co/21cdoo9pO7
Epic Games: https://t.co/omY8kGtUi0 pic.twitter.com/MgGO60M7Zl
— goblintown (@goblintown) April 30, 2025
- Off the Grid's latest battle pass has launched.
- Ragnarok Landverse Genesis shared its roadmap for the coming year.
- Pixels has launched PIXEL staking rewards across the main game, Pixel Dungeons, and Forgotten Runiverse.
Staking is here. And it changes everything.
Starting today, you can stake $PIXEL to:
💎 Earn rewards
💎 Support your favorite games
💎 Help shape the future of the Pixels ecosystemPixels is building a decentralized publishing model powered by staking, where games themselves… pic.twitter.com/6ojdNGri7d
— Pixels (@pixels_online) May 1, 2025
- Wemade's WEMIX gaming token plunged in price last week as South Korean exchanges delisted it.
- Ethereum NFT game The Lost Glitches has launched on Steam. It's not immediately clear how the crypto functionality works in this version, given Steam's broad NFT ban.
- Game developer Jungle has purportedly abandoned its Web3 plans for mobile shooter FTW. Decrypt reached out to the team for confirmation but did not receive a response.
- Ronin network creator Sky Mavis and Ragnarok: Monster World developer 0x& had a blow-up after the game expanded to an additional network, Cross.
Weekend reads
The Biggest Games Releasing in May 2025
This month's release calendar isn't quite as explosive as recent months, which had titles like Kingdom Come Deliverance II, Civilization VII, Assassin's Creed Shadows, among others. And some of those are big enough that you might still be playing them. But that doesn't mean May doesn't have some interesting releases. There are a few high-profile ones in here, along with some smaller games that shouldn't be missed. The biggest game this month is Doom: The Dark Ages, which bridges the gap between...
Next Telegram Gaming Boom Will Come From Reinventing Classics: 'Notcoin' Founders
Telegram game Notcoin kick-started last year's tap-to-earn revolution that amassed hundreds of millions of players on the messaging app, but enthusiasm for the model has since dwindled following underwhelming token launches tied to increasingly overcomplicated schemes. Now, a year after Notcoin’s NOT token launch sparked the frenzy, the game’s founders believe that reinventing classic video games via its recently announced Not Games platform will prompt the next Telegram gaming boom. Sasha Plotv...
GTA 6 Preview: What We Know About the New Grand Theft Auto and Crypto Rumors
It’s been over a decade since Grand Theft Auto 5 was released—but what will the sequel bring? The massively popular open-world action franchise has sold over 430 million copies as of August 2024, putting it in the pantheon of the all-time best-selling game series. And that success has ignited widespread excitement over the next entry. Now Grand Theft Auto 6 has been officially revealed, and there’s plenty we already know from the initial trailers and announcements. Here’s what you need to know a...
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