Key Takeaways
- YGG Play is partnering with Proof of Play ahead of its Launchpad rollout on October 15, 2025.
- Bombie, Hamster Kombat, and other Web3 airdrop disappointments have raised questions about sustainability for “casual degen” gaming.
- YGG Play’s first game, LOL Land, has pulled over $4.5 million in revenues since launching in May.
Yield Guild Games’ publishing arm, YGG Play, is expanding its casual on-chain gaming ecosystem ahead of its Launchpad rollout in a new partnership with Pirate Nation creators, Proof of Play Arcade.
For the Players
According to details shared exclusively with CCN, YGG Play has signed Proof of Play Arcade as its latest third-party publishing partner.
Proof of Play is the team behind the highly successful on-chain mobile game, Pirate Nation, which pulled swathes of players from Web2 and Web3 communities.
Speaking with CCN, Adam Fern, founding team member of CashApp and co-founder of Proof of Play, noted:
“We are extremely happy about how the Proof of Play Arcade on Abstract is performing so far and are looking to bring it to a wider audience, which we know YGG will be able to deliver. They have the largest cohort of players and gamers, and we’re excited to bring them into the Pirate Nation IP universe.”
Co-founder of YGG, Gabby Dizon, explained that YGG Play was started as a way to share the expertise it’s built over the past five years.
“We provide full-stack publishing support, from go-to-market strategy and creator-led marketing to UA, token launches, and our smart contract-enforceable model for revenue share.“
He explains that they have been vetting, investing, and working with hundreds of Web3 games “so we can help developers like Proof of Play reach their audience.”
“Our player and creator communities are already very familiar with the Proof of Play team. Pirate Nation was a big hit among the YGG community, and many of our community members were playing in its very early days through our Game Testers Program,” Dizon adds.
The news arrives just ahead of YGG Play’s Launchpad rollout. It’s a new platform within YGG’s ecosystem designed to enhance game discovery as well as launch new games and tokens.
Players can also earn YGG Play points, which can grant perks during launchpad events.
Moreover, it’s a platform designed to bridge the gap between casual and blockchain players, fitting neatly within YGG Play’s “casual degen” appeal.
Fern explains that the duo had already been working together over the past few years, noting that YGG had helped them with playtesting during Pirate Nation’s early development. Live demos and playtests were also “heavily featured” during YGG tours across the Philippines.
Sustainable Degens
YGG Play’s expansion is gaining momentum. In mid-September, it partnered with Delabs Games and released the Web3 mobile game GIGACHADBAT.
This followed prior partnership announcements with Pudgy Penguins and others.
In 2024, Telegram had a number of rather catastrophic play-to-earn airdrops for its casual game offerings, namely Hamster Kombat and Bombie, which came amid a broader push from the Web3 gaming industry that lasted all the way through into 2025.
The question of Web3 gaming’s long-term sustainability, especially in the casual and mobile gaming segment of the sector, was in doubt.
Adding to this, Proof of Play’s Pirate Nation was forced to sunset its fully on-chain version in mid-September due to unsustainable costs. The game continues to live on in the Proof of Play Arcade on Abstract.
Dizon states that games like Bombie overpromised and underdelivered, “but most importantly, they built models that couldn’t sustain real player engagement.”
The hype alone can’t make up for poor game design, imbalanced tokenomics, and poor user retention mechanics.
“Game publishing is difficult, and not every game will make it. But the numbers tell us that we’re proving something with the Casual Degen category.“
Citing the success and lessons learned about the degen audience from its first supported game, LOL Land, which has pulled in $4.5 million in lifetime revenues since May 2025, Dizon says they’re now ready to share their knowledge with other developers.
“We want to replicate this with other games and set the standard for how crypto games are done right.“
YGG Play Launchpad debuts Oct. 15, 2025.
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Eddie is a gaming and crypto writer at CCN. Covering the often weird and wonderful world of Web3 with an adoring, but skeptical eye.
Prior to CCN, Eddie has spent the past seven years working his way through the crypto, finance, and technology industry. He began with PR and journalism with Bitcoin PR Buzz and BitcoinNews.com, eventually working his way to become a copywriter with a dozen firms, including the likes of Polkadot before returning to journalism in 2023.
Having studied Radio production and journalism at University in the UK, Eddie spent a few years making podcasts and presenting on a local London radio station as he built up his writing chops.
A lifelong skateboarder, Eddie can often be found at the skatepark or touring the streets looking for something new to try. That, or kicking back playing JRPGs on his original PSP.
