[MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 20 NOVEMBER 2025] The YGG Play Summit concluded its Town Hall event today at Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier, BGC. Fireside talks with key industry leaders explored developments across Web3 gaming, with several sessions underscoring how mainstream adoption is advancing through established platforms, ecosystems, and distribution channels.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) MIMAROPA Regional Director Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin delivered the opening remarks, noting that Web3 gaming in the Philippines is advancing toward a more mature, scalable phase aligned with the country’s digital transformation objectives. Her remarks highlighted how Web3 entering the mainstream through familiar rails enables faster onboarding and creates more jobs.
“At the heart of digital transformation are the people — our students, our professionals, and communities — who take these opportunities and turn them into meaningful outcomes. I hope that our partnership with YGG inspires more Filipinos to learn, innovate, and pursue careers in emerging technologies,” said Director Versoza-Delfin. “Programs like this don’t just teach skills; they open doors, build confidence, and ignite creativity.”
Expanding Web3 Gaming Through Established Rails
Jeffrey “Jihoz” Zirlin, co-founder of Sky Mavis, and Theodore Agranat, Gunzilla Games’ Director of Web3, both emphasized a common theme: meeting players on the platforms they already use as the most effective path toward mainstream Web3 gaming adoption.
Jihoz framed Ronin’s next chapter through a simple, relatable idea: Ronin as Ethereum’s Nintendo. He explained that by building on Ethereum while focusing on polished, tightly curated gaming experiences, Ronin can grow the way Nintendo did — by championing iconic titles, smooth onboarding, and a player-first approach.
Agranat shared parallel strategies from the AAA world, outlining how Off The Grid is expanding to platforms like Steam and PlayStation while integrating Web3 features that enhance, not interrupt, core gameplay.
Oliver Maroney, OpenSea’s Head of Business Development and Partnerships, also spoke at the event. He explained that gaming has long been one of the most tangible use cases for crypto, and that abstraction will drive the next stage of adoption.
“To get crypto adoption to the next level, you have to abstract the chains and tokens, and it has to be seamless and easy to understand,” said Maroney. “If I have PENGU, I should be able to buy my LOL Land item with one click on OpenSea. That’s where we’re going. That’s the narrative — and it’s a really strong one when you consider what people need in this space, especially games. You need liquidity, visibility, and the ability to bring different cultural entities together into one place.”
Luke Barwikowski, founder and CEO of Pixels, described a hybrid approach combining Web2 paid user acquisition and Web3 incentives as the next meta in designing game economies. Pixels famously pioneered the play-to-airdrop model, which rewarded active players with token allocations ahead of the PIXEL token launch in 2024 and inspired a wave of imitators across the industry.
“I am looking way more at what’s working inside of Web2 right now than I am in Web3,” said Barwikowski. “There are actually Web2 play-to-earn companies that are effective right now, and that’s what we’re taking more inspiration from. We have a huge advantage being in Web3 against these Web2 play-to-earn companies, because we have experience with live token ops.”
Longtime Web3 gaming investors Shi Khai Wei of LongHash Ventures and Alessia Baumgartner of DWF Labs emphasized emerging models for digital economies and token management, reflecting continued institutional interest and confidence in the sector’s long-term viability.
Connecting to Mainstream Audiences
Onstage, live recordings for the Web3 gaming podcasts Gamified and LOL Lounge, the official podcast of Yield Guild Games’ publishing arm YGG Play, highlighted creators bringing Web3 gaming to broader audiences.
The LOL Lounge episode featured YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon and guests GamingGrid co-founder YellowPanther and Gaming Daily founder Iceyyy. Hosted by Leah Callon-Butler, Director of Web3 investment and advisory firm Emfarsis, the conversation delved into how YellowPanther and Iceyyy grew their audiences organically by focusing on adding value to the community over short-term gains. They also discussed balancing content creation with business strategy to build sustainable careers in Web3 gaming.
The Gamified episode, hosted by Sam Steffanina, co-founder of the Web3 gaming collective WolvesDAO, included Iceyyy, Payton Kaleiwahea of WolvesDAO, Omar Ghanem of GAM3S.GG, Kohji Nagata of Parallel, Jerry Singer of The Jerry Foundation, Oliver Maroney of OpenSea, Michael Christine from Andrometa, Matthew Buxton of WARP, Hantao of Moku, and Dub of GlitterCloud. The panel engaged in lively debates on whether the sports prediction app Football.fun qualifies as a Web3 game, the most accurate terminology for Web3 gaming, the potential success of Planet-X’s new chain Gallaxia, and more.
The Town Hall panels suggested that after the industry’s years-long efforts to reinvent gaming, the next phase of Web3 will be built on established chains, proven distribution platforms, and economic models designed for long-term sustainability. The discussion indicated a broader industry shift toward execution over experimentation.
More from the City of Play
Outside of the Town Hall, the YGG Play Summit’s City of Play was also bustling with activity. The Player District and Degen District were filled with attendees wanting to try Web3’s popular games and rising stars, including Pixels, LOL Land, Aurory’s Amiko Legends (formerly Seekers of Tokane), GIGACHADBAT, Last Odyssey, and more.
Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Fates Invitational took place on the Arena stage, with YGG Esports player Tyler taking home US$1,500 from a total prize pool of US$5,000 after outperforming seven other trading card game (TCG) pros and popular streamers. Game demos of Spekter Agency, Cambria: Gold Rush, and Aurory’s Amiko Legends (formerly Seekers of Tokane) were also featured live from the Arena.
YGG Pilipinas also launched its ARC Quests, interactive challenges designed to help attendees explore the City of Play. Sponsors for the ARC Quests include Sky Mavis, Ubisoft, Spekter Games, Moonshot, Juice Gaming News, Pixels, GiG, Sui, Aurory, Parallel, Vibes, Coins.ph, Cambria, DWF Labs, and Realgo. Quest finishers can claim merchandise from these sponsors at the ARC Booth.
The YGG Play Summit will continue until November 22, with the US$100,000 YGG Parallel Showdown and the Vibes Asian Championship underway. The GAM3 Awards also returns to Manila for the second year in a row. Creators, developers, and gamers alike are eagerly awaiting the results of the most prestigious categories, including Game of the Year and Creator of the Year.
About YGG Pilipinas
YGG Pilipinas, Yield Guild Games’ regional partner in the Philippines, has been empowering a growing community of gamers, creators, and builders since 2021. As the largest supporter of Web3 and AI adoption in the country, YGG Pilipinas regularly produces educational content and hosts community events for its over 1 million members and social media followers. These initiatives include the online learning platform Metaversity, the multi-city tour MFW Caravan (formerly known as YGG Pilipinas Roadtrip), and the weekly Discord show YGG Fiesta.
About YGG Play Summit
The YGG Play Summit is the largest player-focused Web3 gaming event in the world. It returns to the Philippines on November 19-22, 2025, transforming Manila into a pop-up metropolis called the “City of Play.” The event comprises four unique districts — The Arena, Skill District, Player District, and Degen District — for visitors to explore, connect, learn, and play in different ways.
