3 Ways Games Make Web3 Accessible And Unlock Mainstream Adoption

In Brief

Web3 games are driving mainstream adoption by combining engaging, accessible gameplay with seamless blockchain integration, allowing players to enjoy true digital ownership and asset trading without needing technical or crypto knowledge.

In an era that continues to be dominated by Web2, centralized platforms hold data, which users face challenges in controlling. Web3 promises a future where users can truly own and manage their data, and Web3 games that focus on engaging gameplay and easy onboarding are helping enhance adoption of the internet’s third iteration. Games tied to sports like American football and soccer, in particular, already have massive mainstream appeal, making them a safe, trusted entry point.

1. Gameplay comes first

Gaming revenue is projected to surpass $522 billion worldwide in 2025, and exciting, engaging gameplay plays no small role in this prediction. The estimate includes revenue from subscriptions and in-game purchases as well as platforms like mobile, consoles, and PC. Mobile gaming will be a major driver of this revenue, generating an expected $138 billion by the end of the year. Web3 gaming platform Mythical Games, whose mobile titles include NFL Rivals, Nitro Nation World Tour, FIFA Rivals, and the upcoming Pudgy Party, is a prominent example of a provider that focuses on engaging gameplay, which mainstream gamers appreciate.

FIFA Rivals, launched in June 2025, blends real-time events, arcade gameplay, and digital ownership through a Web2/Web3 platform. Gameplay mechanics and controls are tailored for mainstream and casual mobile gamers, with features such as trick shots, skill moves, and signature plays modeled after real football players. The user-friendly interface offers accessible gameplay but not at the expense of a competitive edge that attracts experienced players. The game saw a million downloads within seven weeks of launching, in no small measure thanks to its official partnership with FIFA and Adidas.

NFL Rivals, which is officially licensed by theNFL, features arcade-style mechanics and similarities to fantasy football and mobile sports games. Nothing about the core gameplay requires prior blockchain knowledge, and it features standard gaming loops like leveling up, unlocking packs, and upgrading players. Released back in April 2023, NFL Rivals lets players act as general team managers and collect and manage teams as NFT cards without the term immediately surfacing.

You can play many Web3 games without understanding NFTs and choose whether to engage with ownership. For instance, you might download a game on iOS or Android, play matches, and win a rare player card. When you see someone offering good money for the card in the in-game market, which can happen weeks later, you sell it with two clicks, and without any talk of NFTs in the process.

NFT transactions often involve cryptocurrency, which can deter potential buyers. However, there are already services that let users buy and sell NFTs using credit cards or convenience store payments in fiat currencies. Companies in the NFT market can add fiat credit card payments as a feature.

2. Start playing with nothing but an email

Web3 games run on platforms that handle all blockchain operations behind the scenes, including wallet management, asset trading, and creating NFTs. Users can start playing with just an email, with blockchain transactions transpiring in the background. The concept of account abstraction invariably comes up in the context of simpler onboarding. Account abstraction enables features such as social login wallets and gasless transactions, so you don’t need blockchain knowledge to start playing.

It allows users to utilize smart contract wallets, doing away with the need for externally owned accounts (EOAs) for transactions. This eliminates the requirement to manage private keys and significantly lowers the risk of losing control over funds, because you can’t recover private keys once you lose them. What’s more, smart contract wallets offer more advanced capabilities than EOAs, which are capable of executing few actions.

Web3 games ease onboarding by offering users custodial wallets. The platform manages the wallet keys so players don’t have to concern themselves with gas fees or seed phrases. Gas fees are associated with NFT transactions and require unique, blockchain-specific calculations. Until recently, users had to calculate them manually or would find out how much they cost after the transaction. There are now tools that automatically calculate the current basic fees and the sums a given transaction will incur by entering information about an in-game asset a player wishes to purchase or sell, showing a reliable estimate of the final cost.

Critics argue that a custodial wallet isn’t really an advantage because the user doesn’t control the funds in the wallet. The platform manages the private keys and controls the assets on the user’s behalf. The criticism begs the logical counterargument that it’s unwise to let someone control something they can’t understand. That said, it’s easy to graduate to a non-custodial wallet, where you will control your assets.

You choose and set up a hardware wallet like Ledger or a non-custodial wallet like Metamask, generating a seed phrase or unique private key. You then write down and store the seed phrase securely, like you would any important Web2 passwords, such as for a traditional bank account.

3. Enjoy the games without blockchain jargon

Games say “unlock a player card” instead of “mint an NFT” and “transfer to marketplace” instead of “bridge assets.” In-game marketplaces feel like any online store; you don’t need crypto knowledge to buy, sell, or trade assets using an in-game currency or fiat. Players don’t encounter confusing gas prompts, either. What’s more, the jargon only seems complex. For example, “gas fees” are just transaction fees users pay to process transactions on a network. You don’t need to understand their specifics any more than you need to know those of bank transfer fees

The concept of a “blockchain” itself isn’t that complicated, either. It is like a shared ledger that everyone can see and agree on, a digital record book where each new page is locked in place forever once it’s filled. Instead of one person keeping the book, copies are stored by thousands of computers around the world, and everyone checks each other’s work to make sure the record is accurate.

People play Web3 games for fun, not for the tech behind them

Most email users don’t care about whether the SMTP, POP3, or IMAP protocol underpins the email service of their choice, an analogy that extends to Web3 games. Modern-day players can dabble in blockchain without financial risk or steep learning curves, not to mention avail themselves of benefits like true ownership. They can sell an in-game asset for fiat, unlike Web2 game assets, which have value only in the respective game. The MYTH token, which facilitates in-game transactions, is usable across titles within the Mythical Games ecosystem

Special edition cards are stored securely on-chain, so players can trade or sell them without asking for permission. Blockchain networks ensure there are no duplicates of rare cards, which makes collecting feel meaningful. Last but certainly not least, player achievements and collectibles are secured on-chain, rendering them immune to server wipes or company shutdowns