YGG Play the publishing arm of Yield Guild Games has taken a big step: it’s moved beyond publishing only its own titles, and signed a deal to publish Gigaverse. Gigaverse is an on-chain RPG built by studio GLHF. The game reportedly pulled in over US$6 million in annualized revenue within a few months and it did so without outside investors, big marketing budgets, or influencer pushes.
As part of the partnership, both games involved Gigaverse and YGG Play’s flagship title (LOL Land) rolled out a crossover event. For example, LOL Land now has a “Gigaland” board inspired by Gigaverse, while Gigaverse got limited-edition skins tied to LOL Land.
On the business side, YGG Play offers a publishing package: growth marketing, community outreach, user acquisition support, access to their established network of players and creators plus a transparent, smart-contract–based revenue-sharing model. Rather than waiting on irregular payments, developers receive their share in real time, on-chain.
This marks a shift: YGG Play is no longer just a game developer it’s positioning itself as a full Web3-native publisher taking third-party games to a broader audience.
What This Means for Game Studios (The Upside)
For a studio like GLHF (or any independent Web3 studio), a deal like this offers several appealing advantages:
1. Access to bigger audiences fast. Instead of building a player base from scratch, studios get direct exposure to YGG Play’s community of players, guilds, and creators. That can dramatically reduce the time it takes to reach a critical mass of players.
2. Marketing, community, and creator support out of the box. YGG Play brings marketing infrastructure, creator relationships, promotion channels, and a community network that many indie studios lack. That support can make the difference between a game that languishes and one that grows quickly.
3. Transparent, on-chain revenue sharing. Because the split is enforced via smart contract, both studio and publisher get real-time visibility. There’s no need to wait for quarterly statements or trust centralized accounting. That kind of transparency builds trust and helps align incentives.
4. The benefit of cross-promotion and ecosystem synergy. The crossover between titles (like boards in one game and skins in another) can funnel players between games, boosting retention and discovery. It’s a way to piggy-back on another game's success.
5. Reduced overhead and administrative burden for studios. Instead of doing everything (marketing, outreach, player onboarding, community building) alone, studios can lean on the publisher’s infrastructure. That lets them focus more on building and improving the game itself.
For many independent or early-stage Web3 developers, these advantages may be crucial especially when budgets, manpower, or expertise are limited.
What Game Studios Might Need to Watch Out For (Trade-Offs & Risks)
Still, working with a publisher even a Web3-native one like YGG Play often involves trade-offs. Some of the things studios should consider carefully before signing:
Creative control vs. publisher requirements. A publisher might push for changes that make the game more marketable or fit better with the broader ecosystem or user base. That can lead to compromises around game design, monetization, or roadmap direction. Over time, the studio might drift from its original vision.
Revenue share and economic dependency. While on-chain revenue sharing is transparent, it still means giving up a portion of income. If the game becomes very successful, that split may limit upside. For smaller games, the cut might be necessary but it also means long-term earnings are tied to others’ decisions (marketing pushes, scheduling, promotion priorities).
Community and expectation management. Once a publisher with a big ecosystem takes over promotion, community expectations may rise. Players may expect regular updates, higher polish, or specific features. If the studio fails to meet those expectations, pushback or backlash may occur which can hurt both the game and its reputation.
Long-term viability linked to ecosystem health. If the publisher’s broader ecosystem faces issues losing players, reputation problems, token volatility the third-party game may suffer by association. Studios effectively tie their success to the publisher’s stability and overall strategy.
Less independence. Indie studios often value autonomy and creative freedom. Working under a publishing agreement can erode some of that independence, especially if the publisher starts influencing decisions around design, monetization, or timing.
So while the benefits are real, studios need to carefully weigh what they may be giving up especially creative flexibility and long-term control.
What This Means for the Web3 Gaming Ecosystem
This kind of deal a Web3-native publisher working with third-party studios could have broader effects on how Web3 games evolve.
It may help bring more maturity and stability to the space. Smart-contract revenue sharing, community-driven promotion, and ecosystem-wide cross-promotion can make launching games more reliable and less risky compared to solo indie launches. That could encourage more developers to build Web3 games, creating a richer variety of titles and experiences.
It could also shift the balance toward hybrid models: smaller studios building games, larger publishers handling scale, marketing and community management. This may lead to more polished, better-supported Web3 games possibly with better long-term retention and sustainability.
However, there’s a risk of consolidation: a few publishers attracting many small studios. If that concentration increases, it could reduce diversity or push loyalty toward the ecosystem rather than to the games themselves.
Finally, if more users find value in cross-game ecosystems, token economies, and guild-backed gaming the user base could grow beyond niche crypto-native players toward more casual, mainstream audiences. That could help Web3 gaming evolve from “crypto-niche” to something more broadly appealing.
Overall Take
The first third-party publishing deal between YGG Play and Gigaverse feels like a milestone for Web3 game publishing. For studios, this kind of collaboration can unlock resources, user reach, and infrastructure they might not achieve alone. Smart-contract–based revenue sharing and ecosystem backing give real advantages.
At the same time, working under a publishing umbrella brings trade-offs: creative control, long-term independence, and reliance on a larger ecosystem. It’s not a guaranteed win. The success of such collaborations will depend on how well studios and publishers balance those trade-offs.
If done carefully, this model could help Web3 games mature delivering better games, wider adoption, and more sustainable communities.
