Sky Mavis co-founder Jeffrey Zirlin told Cointelegraph that crypto gaming investors are no longer blindly throwing funds into “Axie killers” that fail to deliver.
The Web3 gaming industry is facing tighter investment conditions as capital flows become more selective, with investors prioritizing sustainable projects over hype-driven fundraising.
In February, Gunzilla Games Web3 director Theodore Agranat described blockchain gaming as a “game of musical chairs” in which the same capital cycles through different projects and “no new money” comes in. The executive also said users go from project to project to extract value. After that, they leave and search for the next project.
In the same month, the much-anticipated Web3 game Illuvium announced a 40% layoff, demonstrating the need for teams to go “super lean” in today’s market. Sky Mavis co-founder and CEO Trung Nguyen announced a similar move in October 2024, cutting 21% of its staff to optimize its budget for upcoming projects.
