GAM3 reveals shortlist for Web3 gaming awards with $2M prize pool

GAM3S.gg and Magic Eden revealed the short list for the GAM3 Awards, which they position as the Oscars of Web3 gaming.

GAM3S.gg and Magic Eden are offering a prize pool of $2 million this year to celebrate Web3 gaming excellence. I actually served as a judge on the panel of 70 industry experts, and there were a lot more entries than I expected for this second edition of the awards.

The Game of the Year finalist nominees are My Pet Hooligan, Wildcard, Big Time, Deadrop and Parallel. For the full list of nominees, visit gam3awards.com. Final voting starts November 22 and runs until December 1, directly on GAM3S.GG’s platform on the GAM3 Awards page.

The organizers are poised to crown the champions of the Web3 gaming sphere on December 14.

After a rigorous selection process, the final shortlist of nominees for the GAM3 Awards 2023 has been unveiled. Of 214 nominated games, the judges chose 40 finalists representing the best of Web3 gaming.

The award ceremony, reminiscent of the traditional Oscars, will bring together luminaries from both traditional and blockchain gaming sectors to curate a stellar lineup of the most deserving games. Industry stalwarts from Amazon, Google, Ubisoft, Microsoft, and Samsung, among others will be among the judges.

With nine blockchain networks represented and a notable debut by Arbitrum with four shortlisted finalists, the diversity and innovation showcased by the nominees highlight the dynamic evolution of the gaming landscape, GAM3S.gg said. The top five networks represented in the final shortlists are Polygon, Ethereum, Immutable X, Arbitrum and Avalanche. 

Last year’s finalists are here.

George Yousling, director of business development at Polygon Labs, said in a statement, “Despite the macro headwinds, I’m encouraged by high quality games reaching open beta and early access. Games that are fun to play with fleshed out core loops, tutorials, in-game economies, and progression systems. User flows that remove friction through account abstraction and help get players enjoying the experience upfront as opposed to clunky onboarding.”

The community’s voice assumes a pivotal role in the decision-making process, accounting for 10% of the vote. Certain categories like the People’s Choice Award and Best Content Creator are exclusively determined by community votes, amplifying the gamers’ influence in this prestigious event.

Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, said in a statement, “2023 is going to be remembered as a milestone year, on the one hand because the economic downturn meant that only the most dedicated developers continued building, but on the other hand, because the kinds of games that we’re seeing launch now are far more polished than the first generation of web3 games.”

Among the standout nominees garnering the most nominations are Big Time, Wildcard, Parallel, Deadrop, Illuvium, and MetalCore, each symbolizing the pinnacle of Web3 gaming ingenuity.

The ceremony on December 14 will be streamed across major platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and X, treating viewers to exclusive game trailers and premieres from titles like Star Atlas and The Unioverse.

With voting open from November 22nd to December 1st, enthusiasts and industry aficionados alike can participate in shaping the destiny of the gaming elite at gam3awards.com. Community rewards will top $100,000.

Chris Akhavan, Chief Gaming Officer at Magic Eden, said in a statement, “We are thrilled to see over 200 web3 games nominated for the GAM3 Awards.  Can’t wait to see who the winners will be on December 14th, and in the meantime, we all have a lot of playing to do.”