Crypto Gaming Faces Massive Shutdowns in 2025

Crypto gaming has experienced a growing trend of games and studios shutting down in 2025. Developers are struggling to sustain their games and digital economies, despite the initial promise of blockchain technology allowing gamers to own and trade unique items. Several once-promising blockchain games have already closed, with more shutting down each week.

One of the notable shutdowns is Deadrop, an extraction shooter game developed by Midnight Society. The studio announced its closure in January, giving employees just two days' notice. The game, which sold NFT access passes on the Ethereum scaling network Polygon, left players with useless non-NFT items. Players rallied to secure refunds through credit card chargebacks and bank reversals, claiming the product was never fully delivered.

Ember Sword, an Ethereum game that received over $200 million in pledges for an NFT land sale, also shut down in May. The developer, Bright Star Studios, cited a lack of funding as the reason for the closure. The game entered closed beta and early access but faced criticism from players and struggled to find a permanent home after moving chains multiple times.

Nyan Heroes, a Solana cat-mech shooter game, ended its run in May due to an inability to secure the necessary funding to complete development. The game's NYAN Solana token plummeted in value, rendering it useless. The studio is exploring acquisition options but faces an uncertain future.

Realms of Alurya, initially expected to launch on Treasure’s blockchain, was forced to migrate to the Ethereum gaming-focused sidechain Ronin due to a funding issue. The developers claimed that Treasure unexpectedly cut grant funding, leaving the studio unable to complete its roadmap. The game is offline until further notice as the team explores future solutions.

Square Enix's Ethereum-based blockchain game Symbiogenesis will end this July. The game, which has links to multiple Ethereum scaling chains, was designed to conclude its storyline in July 2025. Unlike other games forced to fold due to funding issues, Symbiogenesis' end was intentional, marking the conclusion of its narrative.

The Mystery Society, an Ethereum game blending elements of Among Us with murder mystery, suspended operations in February. The developer, Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, was unable to find the necessary funding to complete the game despite previously raising $3 million. The game migrated to the gaming-centric scaling chain Immutable in late 2024 before its shutdown.

Gala Games’ zombie-themed MMORPG The Walking Dead: Empires will shut down this year. The game, officially licensed from the AMC show The Walking Dead, will only be playable through the end of July. Players will receive mystery boxes filled with NFTs from other games published by Gala as compensation for the shutdown.

MetalCore, a mech shooter game, closed its servers and Discord community in March. The developer, Studio 369, announced important changes to the game but has not provided updates since. The game, which started on the Ethereum layer-2 network Immutable zkEVM, began a migration to Solana but has since gone silent.

Blast Royale, a mobile battle royale-style game, signaled its discontinuation in mid-May. The developers will open the game's source code on June 1, allowing the community to further develop and modify it. The game will close to players on June 30, with its NOOB token continuing to trade on Base, the Ethereum layer-2 built by Coinbase.

Mojo Melee, an NFT-fueled auto-battler game, is the latest addition to the list of shutdowns. The developer, Planet Mojo, is pivoting to AI with plans to launch a movie-making platform. Mojo Melee and the studio's WWA platform for AI gaming agents will shut down on July 1. The studio cited shifting market realities as the reason for the closure, despite the passionate community that grew around the projects.

These shutdowns highlight the challenges faced by crypto game developers in sustaining their projects. Funding issues, lack of player adoption, and market volatility have contributed to the closure of these once-promising games. As the crypto gaming industry continues to evolve, developers will need to find innovative solutions to overcome these challenges and create sustainable digital economies.