YGG Play has announced a new partnership with Proof of Play (PoP), the creators behind Pirate Nation, as part of its broader push to expand its casual web3 gaming network. The deal marks a strategic move ahead of YGG Play's Launchpad debut, set for October 15. 

The agreement brings Proof of Play Arcade into the YGG Play publishing platform. This follows months of collaboration between the two teams, including early playtesting support for Pirate Nation through YGG's Game Testers Program.

A New Publishing Partnership

Proof of Play will now become a 3rd-party publishing partner under YGG Play. Pirate Nation had gained attention across both web2 and web3 communities before undergoing a major shift in direction earlier this year. The game's classic onchain version was discontinued in September due to high operational costs. It has since been ported to the PoP Arcade on Abstract. 

Adam Fern, a co-founder of Proof of Play and founding member of CashApp, spoke about the deal in comments shared with CCN.

"We are extremely happy about how the Proof of Play Arcade on Abstract is performing so far and are looking to bring it to a wider audience, which we know YGG will be able to deliver," said Fern. "They have the largest cohort of players and gamers, and we're excited to bring them into the Pirate Nation IP universe."

Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), noted that YGG Play was built to help web3 game developers reach their audience using the tools and experience YGG has gained over the years.

"We provide full-stack publishing support, from go-to-market strategy and creator-led marketing to UA, token launches, and our smart contract-enforceable model for revenue share," said Dizon.

Pirate Nation's Turbulent Path

The new partnership comes just weeks after Proof of Play shut down the original fully onchain Pirate Nation game in September, citing costs of up to $150,000 per month. Player numbers had fallen sharply from over 100,000 DAUWs during peak periods to just 10,000 at the time of closure. In-game assets could be converted into a plunder certificate, which will grant holders future access to the $PIRATE token.

While some NFT holders received a $50 reimbursement, community response was mixed. Web3 gaming content creator Apix said that the outcome was disappointing but unsurprising given the risks involved.

"Pirates were hyped up for years as THE premier asset of the game and studio, and a $50 reimbursement is a little bit of a joke," said Apix. "That's what happens when you invest into highly speculative and risky assets."

Proof of Play has since shifted focus to its Abstract-based arcade, where players pay around $0.50 per credit to play Pirate Nation's endless mode and compete on leaderboards.

Tensions Around Trust and Rebuilding

Apix also pointed out that the studio now faces challenges in regaining community trust.

"You will have a very hard time satisfying your core community and earning back their trust now," he said. "With every game shutting down, more people will be unhappy than not, no matter how much you try to reimburse them."

The team behind PoP is now working on a new game, though few details have been shared.

Why This Matters for YGG Play

For YGG Play, the decision to work with Proof of Play Arcade ties directly into its "Casual Degen" strategy: a genre centered on short-session, crypto-integrated games aimed at mass-market appeal.

"Our player and creator communities are already very familiar with the Proof of Play team," Dizon said. "Pirate Nation was a big hit among the YGG community, and many of our community members were playing in its very early days through our Game Testers Program."

YGG Play has been building momentum in recent months. In mid-September, it teamed up with Delabs Games to publish GIGACHADBAT, a web3 mobile game. It also announced partnerships with Pudgy Penguins and Gigaverse earlier this year.

Launchpad Debuts with $LOL Token

The partnership with Proof of Play lands just as YGG Play prepares to roll out its Launchpad. The platform combines token launches, game discovery, and reward systems into a single hub. The first game featured on the Launchpad will be LOL Land, a board game-inspired title built by Hype Reel and published by YGG Play.

The Launchpad opens with a $LOL token launch. This token powers LOL Land's VIP system, where staking $LOL unlocks faster progression and better rewards. Only 10% of the total token supply (5 billion $LOL) is being made available in the initial sale, with a target of $90,000 USD to be collected in $YGG tokens. Trading will begin on November 1 exclusively on DEXs through the LOL Pool.

All players will start at the base reward level, but staking more tokens moves them up the VIP tiers, unlocking gameplay perks like increased earning caps and premium content. This structure ties the token directly to in-game utility rather than speculative value.

A Closer Look at Token Distribution

YGG Play itself will not receive any share of the $LOL token supply. Instead, the distribution is set up to support builders, players, and liquidity needs.

10% is reserved for developer Hype Reel, while another 10% goes to Play-to-Airdrop rewards. 10% is allocated to the Launchpad sale, and another 10% will provide liquidity via the LOL Pool. The remaining 60% is reserved for future gameplay incentives.

The Play-to-Airdrop system runs in 2 seasons, with the first ending on October 29. Players earn leaderboard ranks by staying active and spending in-game. Buying in-game NFTs gives 5 times more points, though marketplace trades are not counted.

The Launchpad will open with a questing phase on October 15. Players can earn points by staking $YGG or completing game tasks. These points determine who gets first access to contribute during the main token contribution window from October 29 to 31.

Lessons From Past Failures

With that, Dizon made it clear that YGG Play is trying to avoid the mistakes seen with previous web3 game launches. In 2024 and 2025, titles like Hamster Kombat and Bombie generated large user bases on Telegram but were later criticized for having unsustainable reward models.

Dizon referenced LOL Land, YGG Play's first published title, which launched in May and brought in $4.5 million in revenue to date. That result, he said, gave the team the confidence to help others through its publishing arm.

"Game publishing is difficult, and not every game will make it," Dizon said. "But the numbers tell us that we're proving something with the Casual Degen category."