Play to Earn Games to Watch in January

The year ahead looks to be a strong one for web3 gaming. And so far, we're off to a strong start! Announcements, alphas, and general good vibes permeate the space, promising new and exciting things to come. Here are a couple of games to watch in January.

Even though many developers and companies are still easing into the new year, others are developing and releasing new alphas, previews, and announcements! Here are a few games to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.

Gala Games

Not just one game, but this is an entire ecosystem to watch. Gala Games is already making a splash in 2023 with their recent acquisition of a mobile gaming company with the intent of onboarding all of their existing games onto the Gala ecosystem and upcoming Gala blockchain!

Gala Games has been criticized for starting and funding dozens of games but not delivering much. That has already started to change with the release of Superior, alphas for Legacy and Echoes of Empire, and now they just went out and outright bought a company that already has a number of existing games. We don't have the full details on this purchase, but there should be a bigger announcement about this event soon as well as some talk about how Gala actually plans to begin incorporating this new suite of games into their ecosystem.

On top of this they also have their new Gala Music and Gala Film divisions. Gala Games will be one to watch throughout the entire year!

Mist Pre-Alpha

Mist now opens their pre-alpha to everyone! Even Mac players! They opened a closed alpha test for NFT holders about a month ago, and I guess the testing went smoothly enough that they are now ready to invite the general masses! Playtest opens on January 9th at 18:00 UTC. The download links should be revealed then. Watch their Twitter feed for more info.

This MMO has been releasing details about their game over the last few weeks, so be sure to read up before you play!

Undead Blocks

Undead Blocks has already been hosting a steady stream of play to earn events. But now they kick things up a notch with the addition of co-op multiplayer! No longer must you face the hordes of undead alone. Now you can bring a friend for some co-op, zombie killing fun! The team has already announced their intentions to also add a 4-player mode. Already off to a great start for 2023, Undead Blocks looks to have claimed a long-term spot in the web3 ecosystem!

Champions Ascension

Champions Ascension continues to impress with improvements and additions to their virtual world, arena combat, and selection of in-game, mini-games. Their alpha previews open three days a week, every weekend, for several hours at a time, and are open to everyone (if you don't own a Champion NFT, access codes are easy to find).

Players can earn tickets from participating in the arena or any of the mini-games. Use those tickets to buy Mystery Boxes with random, NFT items inside.

And with their upcoming Elemental mint (basically lesser Champions, though with some unique traits only available to Elementals), expect to continue to see more news about Champions Ascension in the near future!

Axie Infinity

Though Axie Infinity has still been slipping in the charts in regards to active players, the recent first alpha launch of land gameplay, called Homeland, seems to have galvanized their playerbase. Axie land holders have been waiting a long time for this release, and initial reports are promising. With the additional recent major revamp of their game and economy, the Axie ecosystem seems to be thriving and growing.