In this XAI Games Chain Update we take a look at recent ecosystem developments surrounding XAI, the L3 network for gaming built on top of Arbitrum Orbit. We take a look at the developments surrounding the ecosystem, but even more we will look at the games launching on the network.
XAI Games launched its network as a premier destination for the future of gaming, with a strong focus on onchain mechanics and indie game development. Despite having a whole bunch of projects building on XAI, the DappRadar Rankings show only one dapp gaining major traction; The Lost Glitches. The trading card game recently became available through Steam, the biggest online store of game downloads, and the Epic Games Store.
The wake of this initial success, other gaming projects are building towards a full release. In recent weeks Tollan Universe launched its first version, while MAYG is working towards a release date. The mobile extraction shooter Planet X is also getting closer to launch, while the looter shooter Riftstorm just launched a demo on Steam. Despite XAI’s current niche appeal, more mainstream products could suddenly make the chain very relevant.
The Lost Glitches sits on the XAI throne
Late 2024, XAI Games became a force to be reckoned with thanks to the football management game Europe Fantasy League and the party adventure game Crypto Unicorns. In those days XAI Games attracted over 100,000 UAW per day, but times have changed. Europe Fantasy League is now active on Sei Network, while Crypto Unicorns announced ‘a new chapter’ in May.
While these two projects saw their numbers drop, others stood up. The trading card game The Lost Glitches is a knight in shining armor, defending the XAI Games fortress with all its might. With 116,140 active wallets in the past 30 days, the card game is by far the biggest project on XAI right now.
On average every wallet engaging with The Lost Glitches performs two transactions per day. Over the past 30 days the number of transactions exceeds 2.1 million, highlighting the high retention rate of the active player base. Those who play, really seem to love it.
Better tools and smoother onboarding
The Lost Glitches is available on Steam without any Web3 features. These are the current market conditions that still cripple blockchain gaming, because gamers still ‘hate NFTs’. However, the better the tools and onboarding features, the more seamless and painless the onchain experience can become.
XAI Games launched Xai Play in February, to connect their blockchain to Steam achievements and potentially welcome more gamers to their ecosystem. It’s these types of developments that potentially help to grow the blockchain gaming space, and Arbitrum Gaming Ventures surely realizes that. That’s why the Arbitrum DAO invested $10 million in XAI Games, and various projects such as two card-based MOBA game Wildcard and onchain gaming studio Proof of Play.
Introducing Raijin
Despite the lack of onchain activity from many projects, that doesn’t mean that XAI Games is quiet. With Raijin they launched their own player engagement and growth platform, allowing players to compete for prizes by playing certain blockchain games, or games on Steam.
This means that gamers can win money from prize pools by playing games such as Kingdom Come Deliverance II, or the recently praised Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Earning achievements in these games lets you climb the leaderboard to win a share of the prize pool.
Amidst rewards for playing Elder Scrolls or Cyberpunk 2077, of course blockchain-powered titles are also promoted. Think about The Lost Glitches, Sparkball or Badmad Robots. These challenges on Raijin attract hundreds and sometimes even thousands of participants, highlighting the success of the platform.
Trending games and updates
In this final section we look at various games and their roadmap. What’s happening right now, and what can we expect in the near future from these projects? More importantly, what do you need to keep your eyes on?
Tollan Universe
The action-adventure roguelite game Tollan Universe just finished Season 1: Ogre Hunt, which came with more than $7,500 in rewards. They are now looking to introduce Tollan XP to create ongoing progression, a referral program, and of course Season 2. Tollan Survivors attracted 1,350 active wallets in the past 30 days, responsible for 1.96 million transactions on XAI.
Planet X
Onchain activity for Planet X is still very minimal, but that makes sense because the game isn’t officially out yet. The mobile battle royale extraction shooter allows players to win real-world prizes, and players can pre-register now for the beta test.
MAYG
My Angry Yakuza Girlfriend, or simply MAYG, is an NFT-powered, competitive beat’m up for desktop computers. They envision a future where the game runs with an open game economy and shared ownership over game assets, while MAYG taps into a cross-media IP and lets players build something of their own while earning from their efforts. They are getting very close to launching the game, and they will use an AI influencer to help them. (see article header)
Riftstorm
The fourth and final game on this list is Riftstorm, a co-op looter shooter. The demo just launched on 9th of June through Steam. You need to collect loot to find or create better weapons, only to take on mythic challenges that will demand lots of skill. Players can level up and craft their own characters and weapon sets, setting the stage for infinite ways to play the game.
Closing words
The XAI Games network is poised for a breakout moment, with The Lost Glitches paving the way and projects like MAYG, Tollan Universe and Riftstorm gaining momentum. In addition, the connection with Steam paves the way for better user onboarding, emphasized by the initial success of Raijin’s innovative rewards platform. To conclude, XAI Games has an exciting future ahead of it, and the ecosystem could very well become the indie game heaven for onchain gaming.
