It has been said that modern gaming has focused more and more on single-player titles. With the advent of cheaper storage, it’s no longer a problem to compile gigabytes of content in the shape of audio and video that’s souped up to give the very best realism in gaming.
The Allure of Expansive Open Worlds
Expansive open worlds with a single hero central to everything else is the way to go for hours of gameplay, seemingly limitless expansion packs, and the ability to fire up a game without ever needing to rely on a friend.
That said, video gaming has always been about competition, and when you’ve wrung out the juice from artificial intelligence, and beaten every difficulty mode, the only real challenge left is a fellow human being.
The explosive popularity of gaming tournaments is difficult to underrate. Millions of people plug in now to play ranked games. Thousands of professional gamers practice and compete in tournaments with cash prizes that only seem to grow with each edition.
Viewers even see it as a sport now, with hundreds of millions of watchers just tuning in to see others play.
Clearly, gaming tournaments are big, they’re great for building communities, they’re wonderful at keeping communities engaged. They’re lucrative.
Can Web3 gaming latch on to the success of tourneys?
Well, yes, and no.
Suffice to say, any kind of video gaming should be able to host tournaments and see the same types of success and results.
But it is worth pointing out that Web3 gaming, while a new and exciting field, hasn’t reached the same levels of maturity that regular video games have… and that does make a difference.
Web3 gaming communities are growing fast, but they haven’t reached millions just yet – at least, not for a single title the way regular console and PC games have. So if you’re thinking of a battle royale that involves thousands of players battling it out in hundreds of groups to reach an epic finale? That maybe isn’t what’s going to happen for blockchain games. Not in 2023 anyway.
Nevertheless, the very nature of Web3 games, which require you to connect online and play against others (there really isn’t any point in blockchain-based game assets and marketplaces if you don’t play against others, is there?), does spell a certain kind of potential for Web3 gaming tournaments.
Examples of Web3 Gaming tournaments
Some gaming companies are already quick to latch on to the premise of getting the very best gamers out there to compete for prizes on televised (or at least, live-streamed) broadcasts.
In fact, on a commercial scale that regular esports used to see in the late 90s (Quake clans anyone?), there have already been several significant tournaments that took place since the last quarter of 2022.
W3E was arguably the first well-promoted event. Dubbing itself the “first-ever live tournament for Web3 esports”, W3E was the sweetheart of Istanbul Blockchain Week, led by ex-FaZe member Thang Phan. The status of several pages on their official W3E website is full of “coming soon”, so that gives you an idea of how popular their inaugural was, but there is a Season 2 coming in 2023…
If you’ve played Splinterlands or Gods Unchained, you’ll be pleased to know that a major Web3 gaming tournament featuring these two huge Web3 titles and others played out in February 2023. Called Player One Tournament, participants played 3 different games in Singapore, each game holding $5,000 in prizes. Sure, they did have a relatively small total prize pool of $20,000 (compared to esports with purses that go up to the millions) but it’s a great start for Web3!
Then we also had the PolkaPet World Tournament, based on the PolkaPet World franchise (collectibles, anyone?). Details for this April 2023 event do seem a bit complicated, but PolkaPet holders were allowed to participate and use their NFTs to compete in a Solitaire-like game. Extra utility for NFTs – a pretty smart idea, really!
Are Web3 gaming tournaments successful?
It’s actually pretty hard to tell, but there does seem to be decent engagement of the organizer’s socials during the event – but it’s difficult to locate precise numbers of players and/or viewers for the exact tournaments themselves.
For the tournaments we discussed, we saw 800 followers on the Player One Facebook page (the only social media the event linked).
It does look far better for W3E, whose event tweet (still pinned) claimed thousands of viewers, though they only have just over 1,000 followers.
Then again, success can mean many things, so it’s important to define what your targets are for a tournament if you want to host one for your Web3 game.
In general, tournaments are quite a big investment of time and effort (not to mention prizes), so you really should consider regular events rather than large-scale tourneys if you’re a Web3 game that’s just starting out.
When is the best time to launch a Web3 gaming tournament?
As we mentioned in the earlier section, it’s really crucial that you understand what you want from your Web3 gaming tournament.
If it’s really just to get regular and periodic engagement from your community, then you should measure success by seeing how much of your community participates. If you’ve got 100 active Discord members and even half of them participate, we’d say that’s a healthy sign for your game.
If it’s a tournament to attract new gamers, then you probably might want to invest in prizes, as competitive players really only will flex their game muscles to win enough cash to make it worth their time. In the example we gave, a $20,000 prize pool didn’t seem to attract very many new gamers (can someone prove us wrong?).
So with all that considered, we feel that the best time to launch a Web3 gaming tournament is when your gamer base has reached a significant count.
What’s significant? Perhaps if we take the cue from Gods Unchained, then we’re looking at around 2000 daily users (DappRadar, as of May 2023). That’s a decent number to warrant thinking of organizing tournaments!
As for other event factors, simply consider what an online event needs to think of:
- Audience location: Where does your audience live? They should be awake to play or watch.
- Accessibility: How does your audience watch? If they use Twitch, broadcast there.
- Marketing: How much additional costs would marketing and PR incur? You need to get the word out there, or no one’s going to know. Hint: Ask us, NextGenGames!
- Competitors: The last thing you want to do is host a tournament when a bigger rival is also running one. Unless you want to compete for audiences, of course.
In summary, gaming tournaments are a great way to create buzz and foster community engagement, which are important aspects of a Web3 gaming community. They provide an opportunity for players to showcase their skills, compete for prizes, and connect with others who share their passion for gaming.
However, it’s essential to consider the maturity of the Web3 gaming industry. While it shows promising growth, it hasn’t reached the same scale as traditional console and PC games. Hosting large-scale tournaments with thousands of participants may not be feasible in the current landscape. Instead, starting with smaller events, such as Discord events or mini-tournaments, can be a practical approach for new Web3 games to gain experience and build a dedicated player base.
When determining the right time to launch a Web3 gaming tournament, it’s crucial to define your goals and audience. Regular engagement from your existing community can be a measure of success, while attracting new gamers may require offering attractive prizes. Additionally, timing is essential, and hosting a tournament when your gamer base has reached a significant count, such as around 2000 daily users, can provide a solid foundation for a successful event.
Considerations like audience location, accessibility, marketing efforts, and competitor analysis should also be taken into account when planning a Web3 gaming tournament. By carefully assessing these factors and aligning them with your goals, you can create an engaging and successful event that promotes your game and strengthens your community.
In conclusion, Web3 gaming tournaments have the potential to be a valuable component of the gaming industry. As the Web3 gaming community continues to grow and evolve, it’s important to adapt and embrace the opportunities that tournaments offer. By understanding your goals, assessing the maturity of the industry, and strategically planning your tournament, you can contribute to the success and engagement of your Web3 gaming community.