Spotting Web3’s Footprint at Gamescom
Typically for this kind of topic, I’d go to professional fintech events like Money20/20, but Devcom and Gamescom are also packed with gamer-specific fintech products. According to Newzoo, the global games market generated $187.7 billion in 2024, and all of that revenue has to move through developers, publishers, and platform holders. But what I’m really looking for at these events are the trends and new products that tie Web3 to the gaming world.
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Web3 – buzzword or building block?
Most people have heard the term, but like many buzzwords, it fades without leaving a solid “neural connection” in your brain — like a whisper in a busy street. If I had 60 seconds to explain it, I’d say:
Web3 is decentralized capitalism — open ownership and free markets without middlemen. It’s like a parallel, self-governing internet within the internet, where apps, data, and assets are distributed across participants via blockchain and peer-to-peer technologies instead of central servers.
Why “three”? Briefly, the evolution of the web:
- Web1 – Static, read-only websites; minimal interaction; mostly informational.
- Web2 – Interactive, user-generated content; centralized platforms; social media, e-commerce.
- Web3 – Decentralized, blockchain-based; user ownership of data and assets; smart contracts, tokens, and so on.
Main motivations (or call them pillars) for why people build and promote these systems:
- Control – True digital ownership. Users hold direct control over their data, assets, and identity without relying on a central authority.
- Liberty – Freedom from censorship or arbitrary restrictions. Harder for governments or corporations to block, remove, or alter content.
- Earnings – A fairer value flow. Creators and participants capture more of the revenue they generate, instead of it being siphoned by intermediaries.
- Assurance – Trustless systems where the rules are enforced by code and cryptography, not by a central entity’s promises.
- Relationships – Seamless interoperability. Assets, identities, and reputations can move and connect across platforms without being locked in silos.
Together, they make the Web3 promise C.L.E.A.R. — Control, Liberty, Earnings, Assurance, and Relationships. So, it’s not about tokens and NFT speculation a la “buy low, sell high” — it’s about the tech and the way we interact with it.
One-Click Worlds – Saga’s Web3 Vision
Last year at Gamescom 2024 in Cologne, I dropped by a side event — the Saga Afterworld 2024. Saga.xyz, the host, describes itself as a Web3 tech enabler, handling the “plumbing” so developers can focus on getting something playable out the door faster.
Think AWS for Web3: instead of building your own blockchain from scratch, you spin up a “Chainlet” like you would a server, plug in your game or app, and let Saga handle the rest. It’s a concept that reminds me of fintech orchestration — building the connective tissue so creators can focus on what actually matters. Check it out here if you’re into fintech and curious how these ideas translate beyond gaming.
The demo floor was a mix of projects. Some looked promising, others felt more like experiments than products — but that’s part of the search. Independent teams are still poking around this uncharted territory, trying to find where Web3 mechanics actually make sense and solve real (well, not always) problems in the modern gaming industry. Whether these experiments succeed or flop, this is the kind of sandbox where tomorrow’s ideas take shape.
Cloud Power Meets Virtual Worlds – Aethir & MetaGravity
Another event I visited was powered by Aethir and MetaGravity — two independent projects that teamed up to create something new through their combined strengths. In short, Aethir runs a decentralized GPU cloud, and MetaGravity builds technology for massive-scale virtual worlds. Both position themselves as potential building blocks in the Web3 puzzle, aiming for a more open, distributed internet.
They’re also part of what’s known as DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) and GPU-as-a-Service, real-world infrastructure like servers, GPUs, or storage, provided and run by a distributed network of participants rather than locked away in a single corporate data center.
There are a few reasons why their ideas clicked with me. As you might guess, I’m a big and long-time fan of EVE Online, a massive online game with a single shard. It’s the only game in the world where not just hundreds, but sometimes over 7,500 players clash together in one PvP battle — even earning a Guinness World Record for it (link). That kind of true sandbox nature is a massive driver, and I’d definitely like to see more projects like that.
Another idea that came to mind with shared cloud computing power is its potential for solving real-world problems. For example, Project Discovery — which I covered in my recent interview about citizen science — has tackled issues like COVID-19, exoplanet hunting, and cancer research. And of course, computing-power-hungry AI systems, while outside the gaming scope, could still benefit from the kind of decentralized cloud infrastructure Aethir is building.
I’ll be keeping an eye on their DePIN-powered cloud gaming experiments to see how they evolve. I’m thrilled to see if they have something new to share this year.
EVE Frontier – 22 Years of MMO Wisdom in a New Project
During my visit to Iceland for Fanfest, I saw EVE Frontier (formerly Project Awakening). We talked about it a lot with CCP Games CEO Hilmar during our interview (link). I’m genuinely inspired by this project because it’s a rare case where technologically passionate people, supported by experienced game designers who’ve managed a massive, living economy for over 22 years, are tackling something this complex.
With that kind of inspiration still fresh, I’m already eyeing Devcom and Gamescom as my next hunting grounds for modern Web3 trends. I’ll be sneaking around presentations, summits, and side events, looking for the next big ideas worth adding to my radar.
Compliance – Web3’s 2025 Boss Fight
Speaking of trends, one big challenge that’s emerged in 2025 is called compliance. On top of the usual KYC and AML tightening, we now have DORA, MiCA, and the SEC applying the Howey Test to a much broader range of digital assets than just a few years ago.
While it’s a huge headache for businesses, I think it’s great news for us, the end-users. The internet in recent years has been filled with stories of scam projects and unfair business practices, and all these frameworks are designed to combat and refine them — leaving in business only those projects that are compliant and safe (or at least trying; no guarantees, as even fully licensed banks sometimes disappear). A more complicated regulatory landscape should reveal more legitimate projects, that’s for sure.
Like any boss fight, it’s a test of skill, resources, and persistence — and the projects that clear it will be the ones truly worth our attention.
Owning My Digital Self – A Gamer’s Web3 Dream
For a moment, I want to dream a bit about how I see the future of the gaming industry and Web3.
And I’ll start with the biggest issue I personally have: asset ownership and transferring. You know, as a middle-aged man who still (shame shame) plays video games after more than three decades, I’ve accumulated massive assets. In some games, I’ve put in a significant effort and hold lots of unique items, in-game currency, estates, and more. But everywhere, the ToS or EULA basically says: you own nothing; you’re just renting it from Acme ABC for as long as the service lasts.
That often kills the motivation to continue playing — or to return to a game once the dopamine wears off. I’ve sold crafts in World of Warcraft, accumulating millions of gold. While it’s still there (I hope), it’s not really mine. It’s Activision Blizzard’s. I can’t transfer it anywhere, I can’t use it outside the Auction House of Orgrimmar, and I can’t even brag about it properly.
But what if that changed? What if one day I could create a true digital avatar — a unified version of “me” in gaming; that carries my accumulated experience, effort, and assets across worlds? Not in the literal sense of dragging an SMG from Valorant into a God of War campaign (though, let’s be honest, that would be a riot), but as a persistent profile that reflects my progress, status, and creations.
That’s where blockchain tech as a shared database could make a real difference. Right now, every game has its own siloed records. Where should my EVE Online balance live? With CCP? On Steam? What if I play via Epic?
The answer could be “everywhere and nowhere” — a decentralized database, accessible to every platform and every player, not locked away in one company’s vault.
Another idea: an open market where someone offers a service — say, creating any skin or model from Game X for Game Y. Someone pays for the design to own the “blueprint” and can then either keep it forever or mint copies to sell on the market. Other players buy them, platforms and developers get their cut, and everyone wins. Cosmetics alone are enough to keep a game running; no need for pay-to-win.
There could even be projects where communities vote to produce balance items. I can only imagine the weapon race that would trigger — probably starting with auto-aim sniper rifles and escalating quickly to atomic bombs. But hey, if everyone’s having fun DIY-ing new ways to eliminate undesirables, why not?
Web3, at its core, isn’t a quick-profit scheme — it’s an architecture for connection. A way to share, exchange, and preserve value across platforms without losing control of it. It’s about building transparent, interoperable services on top of systems we already use, but without the lock-ins and silos that define Web2.
Shaping the Future
We’re living in interesting times. Still not sure if that’s a curse or a blessing. The world is changing rapidly in all layers and aspects, and we’re moving toward finally leaving this rock to discover new horizons… or wipe out the whole planet. Or maybe both. 😀
One shift I’m seeing daily is how Web3 is now amplified by AI. Artificial intelligence can automate or replace much of the middleware — payment processors, verification services, content moderation — making decentralized systems leaner and more autonomous.
I’ve started applying that myself, gradually replacing different SaaS tools with AI agents that work directly with databases. A few years ago, I was wiring CRMs like HubSpot to Jira through Zapier. Today, I can skip both and run Vertex AI (or similar) with a simple Postgres DB in a Google bucket, where dozens of prompted agents handle the workload.
Friends sometimes ask why I don’t just start my own project. The ideas are solid, and the technical execution is doable. But I’m more of a builder than a pitch-deck guy. I can create systems — I just don’t go chasing investors. Maybe one day that will change, and perhaps through this blog I’ll meet the right people to assemble a team.
For now, that’s it — until the next build, the next chain, or the next idea worth chasing.
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