[Recap] The Playbook of Tomorrow: Gaming on Blockchain’s Cutting Edge

On February 12, 2025, The Tie hosted its second webinar of the Innovator series, “The Playbook of Tomorrow: Gaming on Blockchain's Cutting Edge," moderated by Sacha Ghebali, SVP of Strategy, The Tie. The discussion featured Ryo Matsubara, Representative Director, Oasys along with Theodore Agranat, Director of Web3, Gunzilla Games and Andrew “Coop” Cooper, Senior Marketing Manager, Gaming Growth, Ava Labs. The discussion revolved around the rapidly transformative potential of blockchain in gaming, examining the latest advancements and trends that are shaping the industry's future.

The panelists opened by assessing the evolution of blockchain gaming since its inception. Theodore acknowledged foundational milestones like Axie Infinity’s gamified staking model but stressed that blockchain gaming is still in its early adoption phase, with blockchain technology still maturing for mainstream gaming integration.

Ryo affirmed the industry's early stage status, outlining Oasys’ strategy to connect Web2 and Web3 ecosystems through partnerships with major gaming giants like Sega and Ubisoft. By integrating these studios as validators, he highlighted Oasys’ multi-layer architecture which minimizes gas fees and speeds up transactions. Ryo also emphasized Oasys’ transition to a token-centric model.

Coop acknowledged the early stage of adoption, emphasizing that high-quality games like Off the Grid take years to develop with many studios still preparing to enter the market. He outlined Avalanche’s infrastructure advancements, including customizable L1s that enable studios to launch tokens and avoid network congestion.

Theodore detailed Off the Grid’s success, attributing it to a gamer first design that prioritizes onboarding Web2 users. As the first blockchain enabled game on PlayStation and Xbox, Theodore mentioned Off the Grid surpassed “13 million wallets and 360 million transactions” following its October 2024 launch. He emphasized that a high percentage of players retained engagement after using the in-game marketplace, proving blockchain’s utility extends beyond speculative trading to tangible player benefits.

Coop expanded on strategies to accelerate adoption, sharing plans for global gaming café partnerships and guild collaborations. Coop emphasized that Ava Labs’ support is crucial for most studios to onboard Web2 gamers, providing essential resources in areas like compliance, liquidity, and marketing. He also noted that a significant portion of Avalanche’s network is dedicated to gaming. 

Ryo highlighted Asia as a major growth opportunity for Oasys, pointing to Japan’s crypto deregulation and India’s expanding real money gaming sector as key areas for collaboration. He noted that user retention tripled with the introduction of blockchain features like in-game marketplaces, mirroring the retention trends seen in Off the Grid. Ryo also highlighted the Middle East’s potential for Web3 gaming expansion, particularly in onboarding Web2 users. 

Theodore and Coop agreed that AI will revolutionize gaming, particularly through smarter NPCs and advanced anti-cheat technologies. However, Theodore cautioned against deploying AI agents to play games on behalf of users, calling token farming practices unsustainable gimmicks that undermine player trust. Coop added that a large percentage of studios already leverage AI for asset generation and code optimization, accelerating development cycles while reducing costs.

Ryo highlighted AI’s potential to streamline IP revenue distribution and infrastructure management, arguing that blockchain powered AI solutions could outperform traditional in-game systems for tracking and monetizing intellectual property. Ryo argued that traditional studios will hesitate to adopt Web3 until governments establish clear frameworks, though both he and Coop highlighted seismic shifts like Japan’s relaxed crypto policies and California’s blockchain based car titles as catalysts. 

In this Innovator Series webinar, Ryo, Theodore, and Coop discussed the rapidly advancing blockchain gaming landscape, emphasizing its early adoption stage and the crucial role of technological innovation and partnerships for broader integration. Theodore highlighted Off the Grid as a key success story for Web2-to-Web3 onboarding with its ability to engage players through blockchain powered in game marketplaces. Ryo highlighted Oasys’ multi-layer architecture which reduces transaction fees and facilitates seamless integration between Web2 and Web3 ecosystems, supported by strategic partnerships with major gaming companies like Sega and Ubisoft. Ava Labs' ongoing support for game developers, especially in areas like marketing, was identified as a key factor in driving blockchain gaming adoption. This, along with Avalanche's customizable L1 solutions that enable developers to launch tokens without causing network congestion is helping accelerate the growth of blockchain gaming. The panel also discussed growth opportunities in the U.S., Asia and the Middle East. They also pointed to the role of AI in improving game development, from smarter NPCs to enhanced anti-cheat systems. As institutional interest and regulatory clarity grow, the panel expressed optimism about blockchain gaming's future believing it will lead to a more inclusive and sustainable gaming ecosystem.