Key Takeaways
- Telegram’s partnership with The Open Network requires all Mini Apps to operate exclusively on TON.
- PAWS migrated its app entirely from TON to Solana.
- Other Mini Apps have Solana and other blockchain integrations, but remain on Telegram.
Last year, Telegram’s play-to-earn (P2E) titles injected Web3 gaming into the mainstream for a brief moment.
Hamster Kombat, PAWS, Catizen, Bombie and others were pulling millions of players and dollars to the messaging platform. But now, Telegram’s Web3 gaming scene is increasingly moving over to other apps and networks.
Web3 Gaming Drops Telegram
Telegram’s Web3 achievement tracking app, PAWS, had ambitions of expanding beyond the messaging app and The Open Network (TON) blockchain.
However, these ambitions went against the grain of a newly inked partnership between Telegram and TON, which would require Mini Apps to operate exclusively on TON. Therefore, it closed down its Telegram app and migrated tens of millions of users over to Solana (SOL).
Another popular game, Pixelverse, didn’t migrate entirely away from TON, like PAWS did. What it did do was integrate Solana’s MEW token into its Telegram mini-games, essentially bridging Telegram’s ecosystem to Solana assets.
Notably, the likes of Bombie and Cattea, which both exist in the Telegram-native Catizen ecosystem, have branched out into the freeware messaging app, LINE.
In addition, both have expanded into the Kaia blockchain. Unlike PAWS, Bombie and Cattea somehow continue to operate across two messaging apps and blockchain networks.
A Steady Exodus?
It’s this very exclusivity from Telegram’s TON partnership that drove ZKcandy, one of Web3 gaming’s most prolific upcoming mobile game developers, to forge its own layer-2 after initially eyeing integration with Telegram.
Web3 gaming superstar-turned-airdrop disappointment, Hamster Kombat, while also having its own L2 to build on, appears to remain loyal, or at least locked into the TON ecosystem.
At this point, it’s unclear if these Web3 games will be moving away from Telegram and TON in a manner akin to PAWS or adopt a hybrid approach like Pixelverse.
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.
