Key Takeaways
- NFTs can represent in-game items like weapons and armor, offering utility beyond speculation.
- Gaming remains the most popular use case for NFTs.
- Several Web3 games launching this year treat NFTs as optional extras that don’t affect gameplay.
After over a decade of loot crates, overpriced cosmetics, and battle passes that only last as long as you keep playing, or as long as the game exists, mainstream gamers still view non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with skepticism.
The concept of “true digital ownership” is finally here. But just as players pushed back against predatory downloadable content (DLC), NFTs have earned a bad reputation in recent years.
That may be starting to change.
The Roots of Skepticism
Gamers are a passionate group—and often, a deeply reactionary one. But not without reason.
Years of bad-faith attempts to integrate NFTs into games, along with high-profile failures like Logan Paul’s CryptoZoo and a wave of cynical “art projects,” turned the NFT label into a liability for Web3 developers.
Altcoins went through a similar trust crisis during the initial coin offering (ICO) boom of 2017. When it became easy to launch tokens on Ethereum (ETH), everyone did, leading to a flood of projects with wildly different levels of quality and “utility.”
Eventually, the bubble burst under the weight of overpromising whitepapers, failed launches, and a surge in scams and fraud.
Like ICOs, NFTs saw a boom-and-bust cycle, and most NFT projects, including games, didn’t survive it.
Trust is a hard thing to rebuild.
Player Choice
Some of Web3’s longest-running games, like Axie Infinity, require players to buy NFTs just to start. That means setting up a wallet, funding it, and navigating token purchases before even pressing play.
It’s not inherently bad, but it’s a few steps too many for most mainstream players, skeptics or not.
However, with games like Off The Grid (OTG), Moonray, and others, the lines between Web2 and Web3 are getting blurry. And with time, the user experience could evolve to the point where players won’t even realize they’re using NFTs.
That hinges on how central NFTs are to the game’s core economy. But many upcoming titles—some even launching on PlayStation 5—treat NFTs as optional extras that don’t affect the gameplay experience.
For example, Might & Magic: Fates uses NFTs to represent in-game assets. But players aren’t required to buy anything, use crypto, or trade on marketplaces to play and collect.
These types of games aim to unlock the utility of NFTs without putting their value or market hype above the actual experience.
Meanwhile, other titles lean more heavily into Web3 systems without compromising on gameplay. MapleStory N and Ragnarok Landverse: Genesis make NFTs a core part of their mechanics, using them to represent items, cosmetics, and resources that power in-game economies.
Web3 Gaming’s ‘Singularity’
In 2025, years of trial, error, and iteration have reshaped how developers and players think about NFTs in games.
What remains uncertain is whether Web3 gaming will continue as a niche category marked by blockchain branding, or if its underlying technology will become invisible and seamless, just another part of how games work.
However, one thing is clear: NFTs are here to stay in Web3 gaming. And their era of true utility may finally be approaching.
Eventually, players may stop caring what an NFT is worth and start focusing on what it can do.
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.
