At the end of September , the 2024 Tokyo Game Show (TGS) was grandly held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. With the theme of "Games Lead the World", this exhibition attracted 985 companies from 44 countries and regions and organizations participated in the exhibition, with more than 270,000 visitors attending, making it the largest game exhibition in Japan's history.
TGS, along with E3 in the United States and Gamescom in Germany, is known as the world's three major game shows. It covers a wide range of game types and is naturally a show venue where Web3 games compete to enter and display.
In addition, on the eve of the exhibition, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) has just announced plans to reform its regulations related to crypto games and simplify the process for companies to handle in-game crypto assets. This reform may significantly lower the threshold for entering the blockchain game market and encourage more companies to enter the blockchain game field. The favorable policies for the emerging market of chain games will undoubtedly give the participating chain game developers a shot in the arm.
So, what Web3 games or projects will be unveiled at TGS? This article will take stock of some of the participating projects.
Dark Machine
Dark Machine is a third-person shooter game based on Immutable zkEVM technology, built with Unreal Engine 5, and developed by Meta-X, a Dubai-based Web3 game studio. As a team-based dark mech shooter, it allows up to 7 v 7 battles. Dark Machine plans to enter Beta testing in 2024 and is expected to be released in 2025. It plans to become the world's first blockchain game to support decentralized tournaments.
Apeiron
Apeiron is a god simulation game that combines unique roguelite x real-time strategy card gameplay, developed by Singaporean gaming company FoonieMagus. Last December, Apeiron migrated from Polygon to Ronin. Apeiron has different settings for the various game modes, each with their own challenges and objectives.
The game will also feature single-player and guild modes, including PvE and PvP elements. Players play the role of gods in the game and can control and build their own planet, lead a team of apostles to explore dungeons, and compete with other new gods in the arena. Apeiron received tens of millions of US dollars in seed round financing. Its investors include Hashed, IVC, DeFiance, etc., and has raised more than US$24 million. Apeiron has currently released a public beta version.
YGG Japan
YGG Japan had one of the largest booths at this year's TGS, and introduced "Axie Infinity Origins", "Battle of Three Kingdoms", "De:Lithe Last Memories" and "Kanpani Girls RE:BLOOM" at its special booth Nine blockchain games including "Coin Musume" were also exhibited, and TON ecological games "CATIZEN", "CatChef" and "YESCOIN" were also exhibited.
At the TGS 2024 exhibition, YGG Japan announced that it will launch "YAIBA", which is a Layer 3 blockchain based on Sony's public chain Soneium, aiming to introduce Japanese comics, animation, games and other IP into Web3.
Kanpani Girls RE:BLOOM
Kanpani Girls RE: BLOOM is the first blockchain game launched by Japanese entertainment giant DMM.com. It is based on the Japanese game public chain Oasys and is a fantasy role-playing game. This IP was originally a web game launched by DMM, and later launched Android and iOS versions. It has more than 2.5 million players. RE: BLOOM is a new game in this series.
The game is set in a medieval fantasy world. Players will play the role of the president of an all-female mercenary company and embark on an adventure in the sword and magic world "Mysterio". In terms of design, this game will respect the loyal player base of the previous game, provide enhanced content, allow players to fully enjoy the "value exchange" concept in Web3 games, and incorporate blockchain technology elements to better promote the game experience. Kanpani Girls RE: BLOOM was officially released on October 1, 2024.
Battle of Three Kingdoms: The Battle of the Three Kingdoms
A trading card game set in the Three Kingdoms period of China, also based on Oasys. The game is based on the "Three Kingdoms" series developed by Japanese gaming giant SEGA. The first version of this IP was launched in 2005 and is a classic under SEGA. In September 2022, double Jump.tokyo obtained the authorization for the IP, and the two parties began to jointly develop its chain game version: "Battle of Three Kingdoms: B3K" (officially referred to as "Three Kingdoms: B3K").
As a trading card game, the NFT cards in this game are naturally one of its highlights. They not only cover the generals, strategists and other characters in the arcade version of "Three Kingdoms", but also new cards specially created for this game. The game is expected to be officially launched at the end of this year and will initially be mainly targeted at PC players.
SYMBIOGENESIS
SYMBIOGENESIS is a new NFT entertainment game that provides 10,000 uniquely designed character NFTs and stories based on Ethereum. It is launched by Square Enix, the developer of the well-known IP "Final Fantasy" series. The form of Symbiogenesis is similar to a visual novel web game, and its official positioning is called "NFT collection art experience."
Players will be able to unlock each character's story as they search for items hidden on the floating continent and participate in world quests. These NFT characters will be released when the six chapters are revealed in sequence, and players will be able to complete all plots of the story by advancing the main story and tasks. The game has "main story", "side story" and "cooperation story". The main story can be read directly, while the side stories need to find props to unlock. The cooperative story can only be opened by the cooperation of all players.
CROSS THE AGES
CROSS THE AGES (CTA) is a trading card game based on Immutable zkEVM. Its background story combines fantasy, science fiction, and apocalyptic themes. It is adapted from seven fantasy and science fiction novels written by 13 authors. Different from other games in the same category, this game is based on a 4×4 grid and has unique gameplay and mechanics.
In May this year, CTA announced the completion of US$3.5 million in equity financing, led by Animoca Brands. With additional investment from The Sandbox's Sebastien Borget and Tenergie's Nicolas Jeuffrain, the round brings the total funding to $15 million. During TGS, Cross The Ages announced that it will launch "Cross The Ages: TCG" and its latest action role-playing game "Arise" in 2025 on Seamoon Protocol developed by DMM Crypto.
BloodLoop
BloodLoop is a 5v5 hero shooter and MMO game based on the Avalanche blockchain. BloodLoop offers multiple game modes, the main mode being 5v5 battles where strategy and teamwork are crucial. Teams must place and defend bombs at designated locations, which requires coordinated efforts and tactical planning.
The game's dynamic map adds another layer of complexity, with controllable elements such as destructible barriers, hidden paths, and interactive traps. These elements ensure that the battlefield is always changing, challenging players to adapt and strategize on the fly. For those looking for a more direct combat experience, BloodLoop also offers deathmatch and free-for-all modes, allowing players to focus on fast-paced, thrilling combat.
According to the roadmap, BloodLoop plans to release the full version of the game in the first quarter of next year, and its early access version has been launched in the first half of this year.
Badmad Robots
Badmad Robots (formerly Drunk Robots) is a free-to-play 6 vs 6 multiplayer shooter that will be released exclusively on Immutable. The game is built using Unreal Engine 5. The art design is derived from cyberpunk and Japanese styles, and the background is set in a post-human society. Badmad Robots mainly offers two game modes: Control Point and Team Deathmatch.
In Control Point, teams fight strategically to control specific points on the map, while Team Deathmatch focuses on eliminating opponents to achieve the highest kill count. There are a variety of roles in the game, players can choose to play as a tank, damage dealer or support specialist, each with unique abilities and weapons, including hand cannons, jetpacks and rocket launchers.
Tatsumeeko
Tatsumeeko is a role-playing game with life simulation elements for mobile and PC, with Telegram integration spin-off Lumina Hunt. Fighting in turn-based battles, players form alliances with friends and complete missions, decorate the interior of their houses and more. The game will enter beta in the fourth quarter of 2024.
In June 2022, Tatsumeeko announced the completion of a US$7.5 million seed round of financing, co-led by Delphi Ventures, Bitkraft Ventures and DeFiance Capital, with participation from Binance Labs, Animoca Brands and others. Before participating in the TGS exhibition, Tatsumeeko had just announced its entry into the Ronin ecosystem in mid-September.
Sekuya
Sekuya is an anime-focused game entertainment company, and its flagship game Sekuya Saga combines two of the most popular game genres: fast-paced MOBA and RPG modes. Sekuya said it was one of 10 projects selected by the Indonesian government to represent the country at TGS 2024.
