Folks, to be honest, I used to think YGG was just that guild that became popular by 'renting accounts for gold', after all, that wave of 'play-to-earn' in 2021 was quite the sensation. But recently, I took a closer look at its current state and found that it is no longer what we remember. Today's YGG resembles more of an infrastructure project quietly building a 'on-chain player ecosystem'; the approach has completely changed.
1. From 'renting accounts for gold' to 'localized fission'
YGG's most ruthless move now is to implement SubDAO splits. The parent DAO oversees the overall strategy, while regional sub-guilds operate independently. For example, YGG SEA has already cultivated over 20,000 active members in Southeast Asia, managing localized activities, training, and collaborations entirely on their own. What are the benefits of this model? Player preferences and cultural habits vary greatly between regions, and operating separately allows for precise engagement. In simple terms, YGG is no longer a 'one-size-fits-all guild', but has transformed into a collection of 'locally unique teams'.
2. YGG Play: It aims to be the 'distribution channel' for blockchain games
The distribution of blockchain games is no longer satisfied with Twitter bombarding + airdrop fishing; project parties really want genuine players, not opportunists. YGG Play is doing just that—covering everything from game testing, economic model design, cold starts, community operation to incentive distribution. This is equivalent to 'packaging and selling' the player network accumulated by YGG directly to game developers. Compared to those marketing companies that only know how to generate traffic, YGG's approach is more substantive, as players are its core asset.
3. Conduct training offline to turn players into 'digital workers'
This year, YGG held a Play Summit in Manila, a four-day event packed with people, but what surprised me the most was that they specifically opened a 'Skill District' to teach players content creation, operations, and Web3 skills. Isn't this the 'Digital Blue Collar' concept? In the past, guilds retained players by relying on 'gold farming profits', but now YGG retains players through 'skill training'. Redirecting players from 'earning money through gaming' to 'earning money through skills' creates a completely different level of engagement.
4. On-chain reputation: The 'Sesame Credit Score' for Web3 games
The Guild Protocol that YGG is working on aims to write down players' contributions, attendance, and task records as on-chain SBTs. If this is successfully accomplished, it will become the 'player credit system' for future Web3 games. The number of activities you have participated in, the amount of testing you have done for games, and even your gaming skill levels will all be verifiable on-chain. For players, their time investment will finally become a verifiable asset; for games, they will finally be able to distinguish who is there to take advantage and who is there to play seriously.
5. Treasury and tokens: Ecological fuel and market reality
The 50 million tokens in YGG's Ecosystem Pool clearly serve as 'fuel' prepared for ecological projects, partners, and incentive pools. In the short term, releases will increase selling pressure, but in the long term, without this barrel of oil, the ecosystem cannot function. The token price is currently hovering between $0.1 and $0.15, not zero but also not soaring. This trend actually aligns well with its current state—quietly building infrastructure, waiting for the right moment.
Risks and opportunities coexist
The biggest risk for YGG is that the GameFi sector as a whole has not rebounded; no matter how hard it tries, it still has to rely on the overall market conditions. Additionally, the selling pressure from token releases is structural and difficult to resolve in the short term. However, it has two advantages that many projects cannot match: firstly, the player network is real and not generated by airdrops; secondly, it has long been laying out skill training and offline networks, which is much more stable than a purely online gold farming model.
My view
I currently see YGG as a 'sector barometer', not blindly chasing long-term investments nor only playing short-term, but observing where the entire blockchain gaming industry is headed through it. For example, participating in its CreatorPad activities allows one to research while earning tokens, which is more practical than blindly trying to catch the bottom. Essentially, YGG is redefining 'players'—in the future, you may not just be 'playing games', but participating in the entire Web3 gaming ecosystem using YGG's on-chain identity, skill certificates, and SubDAO networks. If this path proves successful, its ceiling will definitely not be limited to just one guild.
