New web3 games to watch in 2024

Explore the thrilling universe of new web3 games set to revolutionize the gaming landscape in 2024.

With many analysts forecasting 2024 to be a landmark year for the blockchain gaming industry, an exciting wave of web3 gaming titles that have been eagerly awaited and previously announced are gearing up for their official launch, fueled by an increasingly positive sentiment pervading the broader web3 space. 

These games promise heightened player enjoyment and an immersive experience underpinned by transparency, security, and the potential for real-world earnings, all thanks to the power of blockchain.

With that in mind, let’s start the year with a list of existing and upcoming web3 games that players and investors might want to monitor in 2024.

Shrapnel

In 2021, Neon, one of the leading web3 gaming companies, successfully raised over $10.5 million to fuel the creation of what looks set to be one of the most popular web3 games, Shrapnel.

Many feel this ambitious project will redefine the web3 gaming landscape, moving away from the traditional focus on visual aesthetics and collectability to deliver an immersive triple-A gaming experience.

Currently, on pre-alpha playtesting, Shrapnel is a first-person extraction shooter set in a dystopian near future, leveraging web3 technologies like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and GameFi and built on Unreal Engine 5’s Avalanche subnet.

Its innovative gameplay occurs in a future world where a catastrophic asteroid collision with the moon has led to Earth being bombarded by lunar meteorites. Amidst this chaos, players compete to control a valuable substance that has shifted the power balance.

With a comprehensive suite of player-creation tools, Shrapnel fosters a community where players can create unique items and game modes, adding to the replay value of this already highly anticipated title.

Illuvium

Another of the best upcoming web3 games is Illuvium, a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) engineered on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain by the Illuvium DAO. 

It offers a rich, open-world role-playing game (RPG) adventure where players seek to hunt and capture deity-like creatures called Illuvials.

The game, currently in early access and playable through the Epic Games Store, features 3D worlds, characters, and gameplay modes that aim to cater to various player preferences.

In Illuvium, players crash into an alien world, taking on the role of a hunter who must explore, capture beasts, and unlock the mystery of the cataclysm that shattered the land. 

The game is developed on Unreal Engine 4 and boasts detailed regions and environments that distinguish it from previous titles by other web3 gaming platforms. 

It also introduces players to collectibles, items, and native creatures (Illuvials), all in the form of NFTs, which are integral to gameplay. The NFTs offer competitive advantages and can be traded via IlluvDEX, the game’s decentralized marketplace.

Blocklords

Blocklords, a medieval strategy game for PCs, is another one of the most anticipated upcoming crypto gaming projects. The game has been under development by MetaKing Studios since 2019. It showcases the intricacies of crafting a fully decentralized, on-chain game economy.

It features several playing styles, including farming, fighting, ruling, and resource management, allowing players to carve their own paths and shape the world with their decisions and skills.

David Johansson, a former Hollywood and free-to-play game director, conceptualized the game, envisioning it as a massively multiplayer online (MMO) medieval metaverse that blended the best features of grand strategy games while empowering players to create and own their characters and backstories.

The game is deployed on Ethereum-based layer 2 blockchain Immutable (IMX), and despite currently being in the development phase, the early community beta launched in 2023 has garnered success among its 5,000 players, indicating promising potential for the full release.

While still being refined, the game’s developers have stated that it offers a variety of features, including progression and dynasty systems, an in-game store, turf wars, and both player-vs-environment (PVE) and player-vs-player (PVP) modes, among others.

The game uses web3 technology, enabling players to trade, buy, and monetize their in-game experiences, with heroes functioning as tradable digital assets outside the game, adding an economic interaction layer to the gaming experience.

Gas Heroes

Gas Hero is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game from Find Satoshi Lab, the creators of STEPN, MOOAR, and DOOAR. The game is playable via web browsers and mobile phones.

Described as a web3 social and strategy game, Gas Hero uses a unique tree-like world structure where players compete for power, glory, and wealth.

To set itself apart from traditional games, Gas Hero emphasizes game theory and richer strategies for players and leverages decentralized trading platforms for transparency. It also introduces a highly participatory governance experience that allows deeper player engagement. 

The game is enriched with hero NFTs, which have varying lifespans and rarities and are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay. Its energy mechanics govern the consumption and recovery of energy for adventures, adding another layer of strategy and resource management.

Set in the year 2084, the web3 NFT game’s futuristic lore evolves from a rogue AI’s nuclear strike, leading the United Nations to establish Operation Spark and the “Gas Heroes”.

The game introduces an automated combat system where players arrange their battle lineup before conflicts. Battles involve six heroes, each with their own codenames, the ability to use pets, and equipped weapons. Each hero has up to seven skills, with primary attributes such as attack, defense, HP, SP, and speed influencing outcomes.

The game will feature a dedicated marketplace and is expected to enable decision-making through decentralized voting mechanisms. Though the game is still under development, Gas Hero plans to adopt STEPN’s GMT token at launch.

Star Atlas

Star Atlas uses Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite to deliver high-quality video game visuals and blockchain technology provided by the Solana (SOL) protocol, offering a largely serverless gameplay experience.

The game is set in 2620, in a futuristic universe where players can explore, gather resources, engage in strategic gameplay, and participate in crafting and trading.

In addition, Star Atlas introduced Star Atlas: Golden Era (SAGE) Labs. This space economy simulation game caters to the Solana network and enthusiasts of play-to-earn (P2E) web3 games.

While it remains under heavy development, various game elements can already be used and played. For instance, through SAGE Labs, players can start creating resources and earn the game’s native token, ATLAS, which they can use to buy in-game items such as weapons, ships, land, and mining equipment.

The NFT items allow players to take ownership of their strategies and choose their adventures. They can also expand their space empire by acquiring land, mining resources, and exploring the galaxy in search of ancient artifacts.

As of December 2023, Star Atlas has live playable features, including resource gathering and collection through SAGE Labs, joining a faction, staking spaceships, and earning passive rewards through Faction Fleet.

Honeyland

Another of the new blockchain games is Honeyland, a casual strategy game recently launched worldwide in the App Stores.

Built on the Solana network, the game’s key features include simple onboarding with a Google or Apple sign-in, in-app purchases through Google Pay or Apple Pay, and buying and selling NFTs in the app using its web3 gaming crypto, HXD.

The game has generated $3.5 million in in-game revenues since its launch, demonstrating significant interest from players worldwide.

Honeyland 2.0, the next step in the game’s future, is now live, claiming a more immersive and interactive gaming experience. Players can build and manage a swarm of bees, harvest rewards, compete in quests and PVP battles, and customize their Hive with unique decorations. 

The game also offers daily spins to win free items and features vibrant graphics and intuitive gameplay. It is free-to-play, and upon downloading the app, players receive a starter Hive, including one Gen Z Queen and a set of Gen Z Bees.

Furthermore, players can earn Honey through harvesting and use it to play games, buy assets, join events, or convert it into HXD. 

Honeyland has also entered a strategic partnership with Magic Eden that allows for player-to-player transactions of NFTs.

MetalCore

To wrap up our list of new web3 games in 2024 is the large-scale free-roaming sci-fi shooter, MetalCore that has been in development since 2021 by U.S.-based Studio 369. 

The game is set in a dystopian future on the planet Kerberos. It involves player versus environment (PVE) gameplay focusing on exploration, looting, mission completion, and PVP events where factions vie for planetary dominance, an experience that some describe as blending elements of early Battlefield and MechWarrior games.

It features over 150 mechanized vehicles, tanks, infantry units, and airplanes, all of which can be crafted and collected. Additionally, it presents an open marketplace where players can trade or rent vehicles and collect rare weapons, pilots, and cosmetic items, all tradable as NFTs.

The game’s development team is not just focusing on the action-packed gameplay but is also aiming to establish a comprehensive metagame with a sustainable ecosystem, including high-utility NFTs.

MetalCore uses the state-of-the-art Unreal Engine and has raised about $15 million in funding. The ambitious project is slated for a browser and PC release later in the year, with its deployment planned on Immutable.

This choice was influenced by Immutable’s decision to implement Polygon’s new zkEVM scaling technology, which ensures rapid throughput and low gas fees while maintaining the security of the Ethereum mainnet. 

Moreover, MetalCore will incorporate Immutable Passport, which is designed to onboard gamers without the need for crypto wallets.

Currently, the game is conducting alpha testing with its vehicle, land, and pilot NFTs, which are set to be released in the coming months.

While its developers say the game can be experienced without web3, they have reiterated that its use empowers players with actual ownership and control of their in-game gear.