index
Web3 gaming is a promising driver of mainstream cryptocurrency adoption. But what is the current industry situation? Mike Ermolaev spoke with Jeff Zirlin, co-founder and growth leader at Sky Mavis, the company behind Axie Infinity and Ronin. In the interview, the blockchain gaming pioneer shared his insights into the industry and the role of Ronin, an Ethereum-connected sidechain, in shaping the future of gaming. This interview is part of the GoCrypto interview series presented by GoMining.
“Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry by empowering players and creating new economic opportunities,” Zirlin begins. He explained that the gaming industry is undergoing significant change as blockchain emerges as a game-changing technology. There is a shift to a more player-centric model that gives gamers more control over their in-game assets. He believes that the integration of blockchain will enable new models of player ownership, digital asset trading, and community-driven game development. The success of Sky Mavis’ flagship game, Axie Infinity, is testament to this change.
Jeff Zirlin’s vision for the future of gaming is one of empowerment and collaboration. He sees players as active stakeholders in the success of the game, not just passive consumers. “Ronin is the foundation upon which we can build the next generation of games that truly put players first,” he asserts. This means creating a world where “players and developers work together to shape the experiences they love.”
The traditional gaming model has always been about extracting value from the player, says Jeff. “With Ronin, we’re turning this around and empowering players to actively participate in the ecosystem, earning and trading valuable in-game items as they see fit.”
“At Sky Mavis, we have built a strong community of players who are actively involved in the development and decision-making process,” he explains. “This level of community engagement is critical to creating a game that resonates with players.”
When asked about the challenges of implementing blockchain in gaming, Jeff acknowledged the need for increased user adoption and regulatory clarity. “One of the key challenges is educating players and helping them understand the benefits of blockchain-based gaming,” he says. “We must also work closely with regulators to ensure the industry develops responsibly and sustainably.”
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, Jeff believes the integration of blockchain technology will be a key driver of innovation and growth.
“The future of gaming is decentralized, player-centric and community-centric,” he concludes. “We’re excited to be at the forefront of this change and see how it unfolds over the next few years.”
Zirlin’s passion for the industry is evident as he shares his vision for Ronin as the gateway to a new era of gaming where players have true ownership and control over their digital assets. He believes that by leveraging Ronin’s scalability and low transaction costs, game developers can create immersive experiences that seamlessly integrate blockchain technology.
Ronin is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible blockchain designed specifically for game developers creating games with a player-owned economy. Ronin’s ecosystem token is RON, which allows users to pay transaction fees, participate in community governance, and earn rewards by staking through validators. Ronin is growing rapidly, recording 715% growth from January to March 2023. Recently, the chain reached 1.49 million daily active addresses, setting a new record. This means it has surpassed the highs seen during the last bull market.
Sky Mavis has built both brutal bear markets and high-growth bull markets. As Jeff explains, Sky Mavis is “battle tested.” “Not only has it withstood multiple crypto cycles, but it has always grown stronger with better infrastructure, products, and partners,” he said proudly.
About a year ago, Sky Mavis opened up Ronin to non-Axie games, and since then the team has seen a phenomenon called “The Ronin Effect”, where games released on Ronin are the first to find 1,000 superfans and experience a halo effect of growth. I witnessed it. A game called Pixels is a good example of the Ronin Effect. Pixels had a DAU of 5-10,000 on Polygon before moving to Ronin, and now has over 760,000 DAU and has integrated over 90 other Web3 projects into its gameplay.
The launch of the Ragnarok Online franchise was a big event in the Ronin ecosystem recently. Ronin has partnered with Gravity to launch “Ragnarok: Monster World,” bringing the popular MMORPG to the fast-growing world of blockchain gaming. Many players see the introduction of an already popular game into the blockchain industry as a huge achievement. This is an important milestone in integrating existing and Web3 games.
Jeff points out this collaboration: “Ragnarok is more than just a game. This is one of the most iconic gaming worlds in the world. A multi-billion dollar transmedia IP that has amassed over 68 million players across a variety of titles and captivated a generation of gamers around the world. By bringing Ragnarok to Ronin, we are connecting both Web3 and Web2 player bases at a scale not yet possible.”
Turning to future plans, Sky Mavis’ goal is to bring 16 partner studios/games to Ronin in 2024. Partnerships with additional gaming franchises appear to be a promising strategy to bridge traditional gaming and blockchain technology.
Another recent development Zirlin uncovered was the integration of Coinbase. The leading cryptocurrency exchange recently announced the integration of its payment solution Coinbase Pay with the Ronin network. This integration aims to simplify the process for users to purchase and withdraw cryptocurrencies within the Ronin ecosystem. Coinbase Pay allows users to purchase cryptocurrency directly from their Ronin wallet, eliminating the need to transfer funds between separate platforms.
This feature is expected to improve the overall user experience and reduce friction associated with cryptocurrency transactions within the Ronin network. Ronin’s integration with Coinbase Pay is an important step forward in our ongoing efforts to make cryptocurrencies more accessible and user-friendly.
More and more games are appearing on blockchain. The industry is already moving beyond the first experiments and providing more tangible examples of what Web3 games can look like. For anyone looking for a game, Jeff recommends checking out Kaidro, a multiplayer action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world. Kaidro is a world that encompasses not only games, but also webtoons and animated TV series. The team behind the project is quite impressive. Kaidro’s founder previously worked on Jurassic World, Transformers, and Call of Duty. And this TV series is from Tim Hedrick, the writer of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Jeff Zirlin’s other recommendations include The Machines Arena, a 4v4 top-down hero shooter, and Ronin’s two new but promising games, Pixels or Apeiron. It might fly under your radar if you don’t participate in the Ronin ecosystem on a daily basis, but it’s definitely worth a look.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not provided or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.
Investment Disclaimer