Web3 Gaming on SKALE in 2024

What Is SKALE?

Stealthily in line with its “invisible blockchain” ethos, SKALE has become one of the most active networks for Web3 Gaming, with more than a hundred gaming projects now building on it. There are games spanning all genres, with some notable hits in 2024 that have garnered traction amongst investors and gamers, and more to come in 2025.  

Key Takeaways

• SKALE is a network of high-performance Layer 1 blockchains for decentralized applications with zero gas fees, high-throughput, and instant transactional finality.

• SKALE has recorded impressive growth in the gaming sector in the past year, with over 108 decentralized gaming projects on SKALE having secured total funding over $83 million. There are also currently 7 SKALE games listed on Epic Games Store.

• SKALE has also secured partnerships with Unity, DeadFellaz and Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari.

SKALE has enjoyed a successful year in terms of on-chain activity and user adoption, with over 900 million transactions executed across all SKALE Chains, and over 57 million unique active wallets. 

Source: https://dune.com/skale/statistics 

SKALE has also dominated the blockchain gaming market, having signed 108 new gaming projects with a total of $83 million in funding in 2024. 

Let’s take a look at SKALE and why web3 games are taking off on the platform. 

Introducing SKALE

SKALE is an EVM-compatible network of Layer 1 blockchains, designed to scale high-performance decentralized applications across gaming, AI, social, and more. With limitless scalability, zero gas fees, and an invisible blockchain experience, SKALE is positioned for continued success in the gaming sector. 

According to the project, games on SKALE have registered a 52% growth in average daily active users. This has led Skale to top the list of blockchains with active web3 games where SKALE has the most games with over 10,000 daily active users. Web3 games on SKALE have also recorded higher social activity than those on competitive chains.  SKALE is the first and currently only blockchain integrated into Unity’s Publisher Support Program. This partnership opened the floodgates for developers to create cutting-edge Web3 games as part of a joint accelerator program between SKALE and Unity. Additionally, Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, has also chosen SKALE to build Moxy, an accessible Web3 powered Esports platform.

SKALE: A Leader in Blockchain Gaming

While SKALE was not solely designed for web3 gaming, it is becoming a go-to platform for games looking to integrate seamless, gas-free blockchain experiences. The main catalysts for this include;

7 SKALE Games on the Epic Games Store

Seven SKALE games are currently available on the Epic Games Store, including StrayShot, Haven’s Compass, World of Dypians, What Is This Sorcery (WITS), Metaverser, Another World, and Netherak Demons. Being on the Epic Games Store allows gamers from everywhere, including traditional gamers, to easily discover and play these games.

Invisible Blockchain Experience

By being gasless, SKALE strips away the barriers to entry that typically plague blockchain games. This makes the network ‘invisible’ to gamers. That is, a number of advanced blockchain procedures like managing wallets and executing transactions are handled automatically by the network. This allows gamers to enjoy their gaming without navigating the complexities of the blockchain.

Zero Gas Fees

With zero gas fees, users of SKALE can interact with any game or decentralized applications on the network seamlessly. Gamers can play games without having to constantly sign transactions, or worry that they will run out of gas and can't perform certain actions in-game. This provides a much smoother gaming experience akin to those of traditional games, fulfilling SKALE’s intent of being an ‘invisible blockchain’.  

Block Gas Limit and Instant Transaction Finality

SKALE's ~268M block gas limit enables it to fit large amounts of transactions in a single block – significantly higher than other networks like Ethereum, Polygon, and Optimism, which have a limit of 30M per block. This enables SKALE to host massive multiplayer online games and process large volumes of in-game transactions, with no congestion issues. The speed of the SKALE network also plays a key role in its success, as instant transactional finality is critical for games that require real-time interactions, preventing lag due to transaction latency

Scalability via AppChains

SKALE enables projects to launch their own appchains, which are blockchains dedicated to a single application. These appchains allow developers to customize their own chain configurations, from governance and permissions to token mappings. SKALE Chains also enjoy default interoperability between them, as well as with the Ethereum mainnet. Games such as CryptoBlades and StrayShot have their own AppChains on SKALE.

Top 5 Live Games on SKALE

SKALE is home to over 100 immersive, blockchain enabled games, which have recorded positive user growth and adoption over the past year. Here are some of the top web3 games on SKALE:

StrayShot (Epic Games Store, Mobile)

StrayShot is an TPS (Third Person Shooter) game on SKALE, using blockchain technologies like NFTs to create a game that confers digital ownership of game assets to players. StrayShot features engaging missions filled with tasks and different modes for players. The StrayShot team has raised over $5.5 million from crypto investors Crypto Oasis, Ghaf Capital, and PrimeXM for the project’s development and marketing. StrayShot’s mobile rendition is coming soon, and will be among the most immersive blockchain enabled games available on the iOS app store and google play store.

Haven’s Compass (Epic Games Store)

Haven’s Compass, another FPS, features engaging gameplay with tactical shooting and a compelling storyline. Players can choose between different characters, each with their own distinct backstories and skills. Skins, weapons, and characters can be owned, traded and sold as NFTs.

In its first open alpha phase on the Epic Games Store, the game’s NFTs quickly sold out and it went on to register over 20,000 downloads and 40,000 hours of gameplay. It also has a large player base, with over 30,000 on-chain players and 10,000 Web2 players. The Haven’s Compass team has also raised capital from several investors, including Maven Capital, Kaizen Finance, and Castrum Capital.

Hurley Super Surfer

Hurley Super Surfer, an online platformer from the global surf brand, lets players surf, dodging various obstacles like sharks, while collecting sand dollars and power-ups. Hurley released their Super Loot Box Packs in 2023 that comes with a series of NFTs featuring its characters, the Surfing Sloths Reef and Sandy, with 10,000 boxes selling out over a week. Hurley is also about to release auctions for two special NFTs: Reef and Sandy. These NFTs will act as the player’s avatar in the Super Surfer Game, and can be traded on the Jump.trade marketplace. Upon successfully purchasing an NFT, players will also be able to claim physical Hurley merchandise. 

World of Dypians (Steam, Epic Games Store)

World of Dypians, now available on Steam, is an action-adventure Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) set in a vast immersive world with vibrant landscapes, mysterious dungeons, and dynamic cities. There is a lot to do as gamers can explore, interact, complete quests, and engage in thrilling battles with players from all over the world. The game encourages players to form communities, generate content, and partake in meaningful interactions.

In addition to the gameplay, World of Dypians is also closely integrated with blockchain technologies, featuring in-game DeFi solutions, external NFT integration, and a multiservice marketplace. Gamers can purchase or earn tokens or NFTs by playing the game, and trade them directly on the marketplace. Since launch, the game has continued to attract interest and activity, with close to 1 million daily unique active wallets at the end of 2024.

Pixudi

Pixudi is a board game on SKALE, combining traditional board game mechanics with Heroes of Magic that utilizes blockchain technology. Players compete to collect valuable objects and coins by conquering obstacles and completing missions, where each board has its own unique scenario, mechanics, treasures, and adventures. 

Players can breed pets, collect items and characters, improve their stats, and trade these as NFTs. Moreover, to ensure that dice rolls in Pixudi are fair, they are implemented on-chain to ensure that rolls are randomized and immutable. These elements give players true custody of their game assets while revolutionizing the board game experience. 

Upcoming Games

In addition to these, new games are set to launch on SKALE, including:

Death Touch by Deadfellaz (Epic Games Store)

Deadfellaz has partnered with Unity to build a Trading Card Game (TCG) that brings digital ownership and digital collectibles to the TCG genre. Death Touch is nearing its official launch as the project team continues to build on SKALE. 

Death Touch will present an exciting and interactive trading card game that appeals to TCG enthusiasts who wish to explore the gaming experience on the blockchain. Death Touch is also expected to benefit from Deadfellaz’s popularity. With 300,000 followers across social media networks and over 8,000 collectors in the community, the game could be off to a solid start at launch.

Moxy

Moxy is a video game tournament and gamification platform founded by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari. As part of the partnership with SKALE, Moxy will migrate the Moxy Token from Ethereum to SKALE. This decision is said to be fueled by SKALE’s high throughput and cost efficiency, as the Moxy team claims that this move will save the project up to $3.5 million in fees annually. 

What Is This Sorcery (WITS) Trading Card Game (Epic Games Store)

WITS is an innovative trading card game that aims to blend physical collectibles with dynamic and interactive digital gameplay. In addition to physical play, WITS physical cards are embedded with NFC chips which also integrate seamlessly with online gameplay. Players can collect these physical cards offline, and then use them in online battles against opponents from around the world. The game is set in the fantasy world of Catena, with ten factions, each with their own faction-specific starter decks for players to choose from. The game will be free-to-play with in-game purchases, and will have a play-to-earn element as well.

Final Thoughts

With 100+ games over 48M UAW, SKALE is a key player in the blockchain gaming landscape thanks to the network’s gas-free, invisible blockchain experience. For developers and players, blockchain networks with primary design for high throughput and cost-effectiveness are a perfect fit. This is what SKALE offers, in addition to flexibility and interoperability. It is therefore no surprise that the network has become a go-to platform for decentralized games, some of which we have discussed in the course of this article. With more exciting upcoming games and partnerships to come in 2025, the network seems poised for continued expansion. 

Note that this article only reviews the progress of decentralized games on SKALE. It is only meant for educational purposes and is not financial or investment advice. Always do your own research before depositing any capital into any protocol. For more details on SKALE and their gaming ecosystem, you can refer to the SKALE 2024 Gaming Report.