I still remember waking up in 2021 and seeing friends from the Philippines posting about earning real money from a game called Axie Infinity. That was my first real exposure to Yield Guild Games. Back then, YGG was lending NFTs so people without upfront capital could play, earn, and split rewards together. For a moment, it felt like gaming might actually become a livelihood for millions.
Then the bubble burst. Prices collapsed. Most guilds faded away.
YGG didn’t.
Instead of disappearing, they adapted. Today, YGG looks very different. They’re no longer just managing assets — they’re publishing games and building on-chain tools that help communities organize, reward contributors, and coordinate activity at scale.
Watching highlights from the Play Summit in Manila last month really drove that home. The venue was packed. Thousands showed up in person, with many more online. People weren’t there staring at token charts — they were learning, competing, and connecting. Gabby Dizon’s message stuck with me: real communities last longer than market cycles. And it showed.
That community focus now feeds directly into YGG Play, their publishing platform built for casual players first. You don’t need deep crypto knowledge to jump in. Their flagship game right now is LOL Land — quick, fun mini-games you can play in short bursts.
And it’s working.
LOL Land has already generated millions in real revenue, mostly from small in-game purchases by people just having fun. That income isn’t theoretical — a portion is used for $YGG token buybacks, helping balance ongoing unlocks.
The token itself has been relatively quiet this cycle, trading around the low $0.07 range with a market cap near $50M. Nothing flashy. But unlike many gaming tokens, it’s increasingly tied to actual game revenue. Stakers are still locking tokens for launchpad access and ecosystem rewards, which suggests long-term conviction in the publishing strategy.
Day to day, YGG feels alive. Friday nights turn into chaotic community play sessions. Creators jump into calls to talk about what they actually need next year — better tools, funding, or sustainable ways to earn from content. Quests keep rolling out, tied to games, events, and simple fun challenges.
The conversations go beyond gaming too. People talk about cross-game reputation, non-transferable achievements, and guilds forming around local events or even non-gaming work. That broader vision lives inside the Guild Protocol, quietly powering everything behind the scenes.
It’s not all perfect. Retention is still hard in Web3 games. Casual games have to be genuinely fun first, blockchain second. Token unlocks add pressure, and building sustainable hits takes time.
YGG’s response has been simple and practical:
build games that earn revenue, use that revenue to support the ecosystem, and manage the treasury conservatively. It’s slower than hype-driven cycles, but far more durable.
Looking ahead, next year feels important. More games are coming. The protocol is opening up beyond gaming. And YGG’s distribution gives new titles instant exposure that most teams can only dream of. If a few more games reach LOL Land’s level, buybacks could start to matter in a very real way.
What stands out most to me is how human the project still feels. From helping people earn during tough economic times to hosting massive summits that blend education and celebration, YGG continues to put community first.
In an industry obsessed with the next narrative, betting on fun games and real connections feels like the smarter long-term play.
If you’re curious, check out active quests and games at guild.xyz and yggplay.fun. Just one long-time observer’s take on a project that refused to disappear when most others did.
