Vibecode.game by YGG Announces Winners of First VibeBlitz Game Jam, Held With Minds by Animoca Brands

Vibecode.game, the premier editorial and discovery destination for vibe-coded games launched by Yield Guild Games (YGG), in partnership with Minds by Animoca Brands (“Minds”), a platform for persistent autonomous agentic AI, today revealed the winning entries from the first VibeBlitz, a series of game jams hosted by vibecode.game. The announcement concludes a four-week global virtual competition in which participants leveraged a Game Designer Mindset to tackle design hurdles and rapidly ship playable titles.

The game jam was built around a gap that vibecode.game and Minds collaborated to address: vibe coding tools have made code generation simple, but many creators still struggle with the design decisions, mechanics, and balancing that separate a prototype from a launch-ready game. During a two-week Build Phase, over 250 participants submitted 72 games built using a Game Designer Mind and the vibecode.game platform. A week of open Community Voting narrowed the field to 15 finalists, from which the judging panel selected the top five.

Idle Tactics: Ascension claimed first place with a browser-based pixel-art idle auto-battler where players choose a hero that fights autonomously while they manage gear, forge new upgrades, and decide when to take on bosses, winning $1,000 in $YGG tokens and $1,000 in Minds Cognition Credits. By shifting player agency away from direct combat, Idle Tactics puts the strategic focus on progression, equipment, and timing.

Tiny Realm placed second with a pixel-art real-time strategy game in which players gather resources to build and strengthen their kingdom’s defenses against waves of insect invaders, winning $600 in $YGG tokens and $600 in Minds Cognition Credits. Its simple, accessible gameplay loop combines resource gathering and base building with the mounting challenge of increasingly difficult enemy waves.

The Last Seal placed third with a dark pixel-art 2D side-scrolling action-platformer combining precision traversal, combo-based combat and a special move on cooldown, winning $400 in $YGG tokens and $400 in Minds Cognition Credits. The Last Seal weaves its story directly into its gameplay, with combat, failure mechanics and unlockable characters reinforcing its theme of successive generations of Sealkeepers.

Agent Fighter placed fourth with a browser-based 2D fighting game built on a custom deterministic engine, where human players and AI agents compete within a shared queue, economy, and leaderboard, with a $300 prize in $YGG tokens and $300 in Minds Cognition Credits.

Pixel Abyss rounded out the top five with a pixel-art roguelike dungeon crawler featuring varied runs, unlockable abilities, hidden rooms, and collectible loot, winning $200 in $YGG tokens and $200 in Minds Cognition Credits.

The judging panel consisted of Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), and Mohamed AbdelKhalek, game designer at Animoca Brands, who scored the shortlisted entries on plot coherence, playability and fun elements, creativity and originality, and technical execution. Each submission was built within a 32x32 plot of land, styled as a neighborhood where teams could earn bonus points for meaningfully referencing a neighbor’s build - a constraint Abdelkhalek tied to Animoca Brands’ broader interest in a “metaverse for agents”.

“This game jam is a clear demonstration of what happens when you put the right creative tools in front of a community that already knows what to build,” said Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands. “Over four weeks, we watched ideas move from a single prompt to games players genuinely wanted to keep playing. It’s an early look at what persistent AI agents can do for creators once the friction of getting started is removed.”

“YGG is moving heavily into AI, and vibecode.game is one way we bring our community into that world with us. It acts as our discovery layer, turning community playtesting and upvoting into validation for new titles,” said Dizon. “Seeing builders work with the Game Designer Mind to ship great games within tight constraints shows how well this model works. It gives us a clear path to find, test, and support the next generation of AI creators.”

By pairing the Game Designer Mind’s build support with vibecode.game’s discovery and community-voting infrastructure, the partnership gave participants a path from one-line prompts to published games with an actual audience behind them.

Former Icelandic Minister Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir Joins Fenris Creations to Lead New AI Partnerships

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland – Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Iceland’s former Minister of Justice and former Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, has joined Fenris Creations, formerly CCP Games, as Senior Director, AI Partnerships. In the role, she will lead the company's work with AI laboratories, universities, policymakers, and strategic partners on a new research initiative involving EVE Frontier.

Fenris Creations has spent the last several months developing the initiative to test a bold hypothesis: that persistent virtual worlds like EVE Frontier, underpinned by real social and economic systems, can offer a live proving ground for advanced AI before it becomes a greater part of our everyday lives.

Rather than relying solely on short-lived simulations that end and reset, the aim is to create a place where autonomous agents can be observed in a real, open and evolving economy, alongside real people, with real consequences, within the kind of dynamic system the company's games are uniquely able to provide.

The EVE Universe is particularly well-suited to this work. For more than two decades, it has developed as a living virtual economy, encompassing trade, production chains, currencies, commodity markets, alliances, conflict, cooperation, betrayal and loss, shaped by hundreds of thousands of real participants and all the unpredictable behavior that comes with them. Unlike chess or Go, the world has no end state: mistakes stay made, debts stay owed, relationships persist, and reputation follows you. That makes it one of the very few places where the behavior of autonomous systems can be studied under conditions that resemble a real society and a real economy, with all the irrational, emotional, and unpredictable reactions that real people bring with them.

In EVE Frontier, the new chapter of the EVE universe, autonomous AI systems will be studied within EVE Frontier’s live, open-ended world as they set goals, respond to change, and make coherent sequences of decisions over extended periods. This enables researchers to better assess model behavior in genuinely complex environments and inform the responsible development of future AI systems.

If the initiative succeeds, it opens an entirely new role for Fenris Creations and EVE Frontier, potentially making important contributions to research on intelligent agents, complex systems, and AI alignment.

What makes the work possible is the scale and longevity of what already exists. Fenris brings its experience in creating and operating a persistent virtual world, together with the engineering, design, and community expertise required to explore how autonomous AI behaves in a live, player-driven setting. Few virtual environments offer the same combination of persistence, complexity, and sustained human participation.

“Every major advance in AI has required a new proving ground. We believe persistent virtual worlds are the next frontier. EVE Frontier gives us something that doesn’t exist anywhere else: a living economy where intelligent agents can learn, cooperate, compete and make mistakes that have lasting consequences. We’re incredibly excited to welcome Áslaug to Fenris to help build the global partnerships needed to turn that vision into reality.” - Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO

“Having seen firsthand how policy is developed and implemented, I am excited to bring my political experience to this new role. There is no greater opportunity to help shape the future of AI innovation than being part of a testing ground that empowers our partners to make meaningful inroads with regulators, helping ensure safe, practical and reliable AI standards. I look forward to helping Fenris take this work forward responsibly.” - Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Senior Director, AI Partnerships

Earlier this year, Fenris Creations announced a research partnership with Google DeepMind focused on exploring intelligence in complex, dynamic systems. That collaboration is already active, with teams from both organizations completing a two-day workshop this week to exchange ideas and identify practical areas for further work. The sessions reflected a strong alignment in approach and a shared interest in how persistent virtual worlds can support meaningful research and new forms of interactive experience. Áslaug’s appointment will broaden this work by helping Fenris Creations build relationships across the wider AI research, academic, policy and strategic landscape, bringing new institutions, perspectives and opportunities into the initiative as it develops internationally.

Future of Trust Forum Highlights Growing Government Support for Trusted Digital Innovation

Building trust in the digital age requires more than adopting new technologies. It requires collaboration among government, industry, and policymakers to ensure innovation is supported by strong governance and public confidence.

This was the central message at Future of Trust: A Leaders Forum on Technology and Governance, the opening event of Philippine Blockchain Week 2026, where government leaders, legislators, regulators, and private sector executives explored how blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital governance can shape the country's digital future.

Among the strongest signals of support came from Senator Bam Aquino, who reaffirmed the importance of enabling legislation that allows emerging technologies to flourish responsibly.

“When we leverage technologies like blockchain and AI, we have a rare opportunity to leapfrog our nation's progress and development," Senator Aquino said.

He also thanked the Blockchain Council of the Philippines for its support of the proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, which seeks to institutionalize blockchain-based budget transparency, expressing hope that government and industry can continue working together to advance the measure.

Panel discussions also demonstrated how government agencies were beginning to explore practical applications of emerging technologies.

For Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre, technology adoption must ultimately serve the public. “We're studying whether blockchain has applications within MMDA's operations," he said.

While noting that the agency already relies heavily on artificial intelligence to improve traffic monitoring and frontline services, Torre said emerging technologies continue to be evaluated based on how they can strengthen operational efficiency while protecting data privacy.

The forum gathered leaders from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Budget and Management, MMDA, and major private sector organizations to discuss the future of digital identity, AI governance, blockchain infrastructure, cybersecurity, and trusted digital services.

Offering a global perspective, Dr. Kamal Anand, Founder and CEO of Bigod Group, said: “The Philippines is far ahead on the blockchain adoption curve.”

“We work with many countries around the world, and I believe the level of adoption here is remarkable, especially in Southeast Asia,” he said. “The key now is trust. When trust is supported by clear regulations and strong collaboration between government and industry, innovation can move forward much faster. The market is already growing, blockchain adoption is booming, and I believe the Philippines is well positioned to lead in this space."

Discussions on trust also extended into traditional industries where blockchain and AI are beginning to unlock new opportunities. During a panel on the future of real estate, valuation, and emerging technologies, Josemari Cuervo, President & Managing Director of Cuervo Appraisers, highlighted the potential of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization to broaden access to investment opportunities while underscoring the importance of trusted information as the foundation of any digital asset ecosystem.

"Tokenization could open real estate investment to more Filipinos across different income levels. But before we can unlock that opportunity, we need trusted data and trusted valuations. That's the foundation that allows investors to participate with confidence," he said.

The discussion reflected a recurring theme throughout the forum: whether in government services, financial systems, artificial intelligence, or real estate markets, technology can only scale when trust exists in the data, institutions, and frameworks that support it.

As the opening event of Philippine Blockchain Week 2026, Future of Trust underscored a common realization among both public and private sector leaders: the next phase of digital transformation will not be defined by technology alone, but by the ability to build trusted systems that are transparent, secure, and accountable—laying the foundation for sustainable innovation and economic growth.

Philippine Blockchain Week 2026 is made possible through the strategic support of our sponsors and partners: Bigod Token, Binance by Blockshoals, Vaulnox, Smashpay, Predict Protocol, Creatachain, and many more.

YGG Play and Planetarium Labs Launch New Nine Chronicles Game, Ragnarok Breaker

YGG Play, the publishing arm of Yield Guild Games (YGG), has officially launched Ragnarok Breaker, a web-based roguelike auto-shooter set in the Nine Chronicles universe. Created by Planetarium Labs, the same game developer behind Nine Chronicles, Ragnarok Breaker drew more than 3,000 pre-registrations, with 58% sign-ups from referrals, demonstrating strong anticipation among Web3 gaming guilds ahead of the launch.

Ragnarok Breaker is built around five Meta Tags, each defining a different combat approach, including projectile damage, area control, and explosive critical hits. Build identity is determined by Wave Shop choices rather than character class, meaning two players can start a run identically and finish with completely different builds.

Items progress across four tiers to Legendary Crowns, named for Norse artifacts such as Mjolnir and Gungnir, that reshape how a build functions rather than just raising its numbers. A total of 42 collectible pets deploy up to 10 at a time, running as a second build layer alongside item synergies. Two endgame modes also ship at launch. Valhalla Trials is an endless PVE gauntlet, while League is a score-based PVP competition with Ruby Coin rewards.

As Ragnarok Breaker’s publishing partner, YGG Play provides go-to-market support, player acquisition, and community growth through the YGG Play Launchpad, which established the Casual Degen category of crypto-native casual games.

“The impressive pre-registration interest we’ve seen from competitive guilds is a testament to YGG Play’s user acquisition engine and deep community network,” said JC Kim, CEO of Planetarium Labs. “By pairing our Verse8 AI-native infrastructure with YGG’s distribution strength, we can rapidly scale polished Web3 experiences to meet this demand. Seeing our development speed match YGG’s community momentum at launch proves how powerful this collaborative model is for the future of onchain gaming.”

Ragnarok Breaker is the second official IP expansion of Nine Chronicles, an onchain MMORPG with an active NCG token economy, and the first built entirely on Verse8, an AI-native game creation platform. Verse8 demonstrated its development pace by shipping a complete 3D shooter from a single prompt in three days. Earlier this year, YGG Play and Verse8 co-hosted the Casual Degen track of BuidlHack 2026 at Korea Buidl Week, where 120 teams submitted vibe-coded prototypes in under a month, with standout projects under review for publication by YGG Play.

YGG guilds that have previously played Nine Chronicles include Allgud, NFT X-Street, Synergy Guild, Sando, and AxU, with members drawn in by its idle mechanics that kept progress moving and spending on in-game items along the way.

Activity surged when the game was featured on the first questing platform developed by YGG, the Guild Advancement Program (GAP), which ended after 10 seasons in August 2025. Nine Chronicles drew 11,723 quest sign-ups in GAP Season 6, ranking second among all eight of the featured games, and returned for Season 7. Ragnarok Breaker extends the Nine Chronicles universe into a faster, more accessible format and opens a new competitive entry point for guilds already inside it.

“Ragnarok Breaker shows the power of expanding a strong IP like Nine Chronicles into new, accessible formats,” said Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG. “YGG Play is built as a launchpad where developers keep full ownership of their IP, which flips the traditional publisher model on its head. Planetarium Labs has built a great ecosystem here, and now it's time to let the players take over.”

Philippine Blockchain Week 2026 Marks Shift from Web3 Potential to Real-World Deployment

MANILA, Philippines — The next phase of the digital economy will not be announced after the fact—it will take shape in real time at Philippine Blockchain Week (PBW) 2026.

From June 19 to 21 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, PBW 2026 returns with the theme “Decoded: Deployed.” This year’s event moves beyond theory to showcase how blockchain is already being used to power real systems—from finance and gaming to public infrastructure and digital identity.

If you have ever used a digital wallet, played an online game to earn, or questioned how public funds are tracked, you are already part of this shift. PBW 2026 is where you see where it goes next—and who is building it.

From “Decoded” to “Deployed”

PBW 2026 reflects the country’s transition from understanding blockchain to actively implementing it. What was once experimental is now being deployed—with growing relevance in transparency, accountability, and economic participation.

The event is expected to draw over 15,000 attendees, surpassing last year’s 11,000 participants and marking its largest gathering since its launch in 2022.

“PBW 2026 brings together the energy of a festival with the depth of a world-class conference. We're creating a full-spectrum experience, where business, culture, and community come together in one space,” said PBW President and Co-Founder Janelle Barretto.

Designed to be the most expansive PBW yet, the event brings together decision-makers, builders, creators, and communities across multiple touchpoints:

Here’s what to expect at PBW 2026:

Philippine Blockchain Leadership Forum
An invitation-only summit co-presented by the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), aligning leaders from government, finance, and global industry to shape policy, accelerate collaboration, and define blockchain’s role alongside AI and cybersecurity.

Alt+Tab Gaming & Music Festival
A high-energy cultural platform connecting blockchain to the next generation through gaming, esports, P-Pop, cosplay, and fandom-driven experiences.

Decoded: Deployed Main Conference
Where global thought leaders present real-world applications of blockchain—from financial inclusion to secure data ownership and beyond.

Innovation Expo
A hands-on look at Web3 in action, featuring fintech platforms, gaming ecosystems, and enterprise solutions already being deployed across the Philippines.

Also featured: Celebrity Bazaar, PBW Fight Night, hackathon, VC–startup matchmaking, after-parties, and curated networking events designed to turn conversations into partnerships.

The Philippines’ young, mobile-first population and deeply embedded gaming culture continue to position it as a key Web3 market. From play-to-earn ecosystems to digital asset platforms and emerging fintech solutions, blockchain is no longer niche—it is becoming part of everyday life.

Blockchain: A New Era of Digital Trust

As the Philippine digital economy accelerates, blockchain is moving from exploration to execution.

From transparency initiatives to policy proposals like the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, both industry and government are beginning to operationalize the technology. Programs such as the BCP’s Integrity Chain further reflect this shift—exploring how blockchain can strengthen accountability in real-world settings.

At PBW 2026, this momentum converges—bringing together the people, platforms, and policies shaping what comes next.

“Blockchain is no longer just about potential—it’s about execution,” said BCP Chairman and Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) President, Donald Lim. “What matters now is how we align efforts across industry and government to turn early use cases into systems that deliver real, lasting impact.”

This is not just another industry event—it is where the next wave of partnerships, products, and policies begins. If you are serious about being part of the digital economy, this is where you need to be—not after, but while it is happening.

Since its inception, PBW has evolved into a platform where ideas turn into action. For tickets and more information, visit https://pbw.ph/ or email info@pbw.ph

Bitget’s New Book “Code Like a Cook” Uses Kitchen Analogies to Simplify WEB3 for Young Learners

Manila, Philippines – Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has launched “Programming4Youth: Code Like a Cook,” a beginner-friendly educational book designed to introduce young learners to blockchain development and decentralized applications through simple, everyday analogies.

The initiative was developed under Bitget’s Blockchain4Youth and Blockchain4Her programs, in collaboration with GANAP with Eli, as part of the broader effort to address the growing need for accessible learning resources amid rising global interest in blockchain technology.

Rather than relying solely on technical instruction, Code Like a Cook reframes core programming concepts through the familiar process of cooking to make them easier to understand for first-time learners. In the book, ingredients represent small pieces of code, recipes illustrate algorithms and logic, tools refer to development platforms such as Remix and MetaMask, cooking symbolizes running code, and plating reflects deploying and sharing the finished application with others. This approach breaks complex ideas into visual, intuitive steps, making blockchain development more approachable for beginners with no prior coding experience.

“Learning to build should not feel inaccessible from the start,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “The goal is to make the first step easier to take. When concepts are explained in a way that feels familiar, more people are willing to try, and that’s the aim with Code Like a Cook. We want to help beginners move from learning to creating.”

The book guides readers through a structured learning journey, beginning with fundamental concepts such as Web3 and programming languages, before progressing to practical experimentation. Chapters cover topics such as what Web3 is, what programming languages are used, how Solidity works, and how to use essential Web3 tools. For example, a core hands-on component of the guide introduces learners to building a simple Tip Jar decentralized application, allowing them to write a smart contract, deploy it in Remix IDE, connect a MetaMask wallet, and test the application on a blockchain testnet.

The launch underscores Bitget’s broader strategy to empower the next generation not only to understand blockchain but to participate in shaping its future. By lowering the barriers to entry for aspiring builders, the initiative is designed to help young people move from curiosity to experimentation and from learning to creation. The project also reinforces Bitget’s belief that access to knowledge should lead to the confidence to build, particularly as blockchain adoption continues to expand worldwide.

Initial distribution of “Programming4Youth: Code Like a Cook” will begin in the Philippines, with plans for a wider global rollout to follow.

CCP Games Announces Winners of $80,000 EVE Frontier × Sui 2026 Hackathon

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland – CCP Games today announced the winners of the EVE Frontier × Sui 2026 Hackathon, concluding a three-week online event that brought together over 800 participants who created over 120 projects exploring how players can extend and reshape a live game universe.

CradleOS, developed by modder Reality Anchor, secured the $25,000 grand prize for its player-led civilization management system, which included $15,000 in cash, $10,000 in SUI Tokens, and a trip to EVE Fanfest 2026. Designed to manage everything from governance and defense to logistics and economy, CradleOS represents the pinnacle of the competition’s mission: empowering players to move beyond surviving the dangers of the Frontier and begin architecting the foundations of its universe for the far future.

Overall Winners

• First Place: CradleOS (link) (Video Demo) A complete civilization management system that gives player groups the tools to govern territory, coordinate resources, manage defense, and run logistics all through shared on-chain infrastructure, letting them build and operate a functioning society from the ground up.
• Second Place: Blood Contract (link) (Video Demo) A bounty system that lets players place rewards on targets and define hunt conditions, with automatic payouts that turn PvP into a structured and repeatable activity.
• Third Place: Civilization Control (link) (Video Demo) A control system that lets players manage infrastructure like gates, trade routes, and defenses from a single interface, with clear tools for setting rules and access.

Category Winners

• Utility: EasyAssemblies (link) (Video Demo)

A beginner-friendly tool that lets any player configure Smart Assemblies through a simple visual interface, customizing structures like gates, storage, and defenses in minutes.

• Technical Implementation: Frontier Flow (link) (Video Demo)

An open-source visual tool for building Smart Assemblies. Players drag and connect logic to design, test, and deploy automation in their browser, without coding, while still generating real, working Sui Move code.

• Creative: Bazaar (link) (Video Demo)

An immersive walkable marketplace that turns trading from a menu into a shared social space, letting players explore shops and interact with others inside a living Bazaar within the Frontier.

• Weirdest Idea: Shadow Broker Protocol (link) (Video Demo)

Turning spycraft and intel into a tradeable resource, it lets players buy, sell, and weaponize data and intelligence as a form of power alongside traditional warfare.

• Live Frontier Integration: Frontier Factional Warfare (link) (Video Demo)

A player-driven feature that creates live conflict zones with capturable objectives, letting players join factions and fight for control through rules enforced directly by in-world structures.

Players create mods in EVE Frontier by configuring how in-game infrastructure behaves and by building tools that interact with the live universe. Using Smart Assemblies, they place structures such as stargates, storage units, and defenses into the world. Each of these structures has its own interface and a programmable layer, allowing players to define how it operates. This can range from simple configuration to more advanced logic that controls access, automates actions, or creates entirely new gameplay systems. These systems run directly inside the game world and respond to player activity in real time.

Alongside this, the game’s data layer is publicly readable. External applications can read the state of the universe and feed that data into tools, dashboards, or connected systems that interact with what’s happening in-game. Together, this creates functionality that exists as part of the live environment, persists after deployment, can be extended by other players, and continues to shape the Frontier over time.

Centered on the theme “A Toolkit for Civilization,” the hackathon challenged participants to build these systems directly into the Frontier, either through Smart Assemblies or through external applications connected to the same live environment. Entries ranged from marketplaces and logistics infrastructure to fully realized gameplay systems and experimental builds, including trading hubs, autonomous service networks, bounty contracts, alliance governance layers, and live intelligence tools.

AI-Native Game Creation Accelerates Web3 Innovation at BuidlHack 2026 in Seoul

Seoul, South Korea — A new generation of fast-built, commercially viable Web3 games is emerging following the success of the BuidlHack 2026 hackathon in Seoul, where Verse8 and YGG Play showcased the rapid development potential of “vibe-coded” blockchain games. Hosted during Korea BUIDL Week, the event highlighted how AI-powered workflows are reshaping game production timelines and unlocking new commercial opportunities.

The hackathon’s “Casual Degen” track challenged developers to create snackable, crypto-native games using Verse8’s AI-assisted creation tools. Over the course of a week, 120 teams submitted playable entries, with several projects progressing from early concepts to polished prototypes in less than a month.

Taking first place was Bank or Plank, a pirate-themed 3D multiplayer board game developed by a solo creator working remotely. The game combines strategic decision-making with time-based risk mechanics, encouraging players to collect and secure in-game gold before unexpected events—or a strict five-minute limit—force them to lose their progress. Designed with layered gameplay and a progression system, the project demonstrated how small teams can now produce retention-focused experiences at remarkable speed.

Second place went to Dungeon Raising, created and pitched live during Builder Day in Seoul. Meanwhile, Gas Wars, Black Hole Survivor, and Attack on Idol shared third place, each presenting lightweight gameplay loops supported by embedded onchain mechanics and repeat-session engagement.

Developers credited Verse8’s procedural generation tools for significantly reducing development complexity. By enabling creators to generate assets, environments, and game logic through natural-language prompts, the platform compressed production timelines from weeks into hours. Builder Day on April 14 provided participants with direct support from industry operators ahead of the final showcase on April 18, where teams presented their projects to judges including Kevin Lee, Gabby Dizon, and JC Kim of Solarium Fund.

The event reinforced the growing relevance of the Casual Degen category, a class of Web3 games defined by accessibility, rapid development cycles, and integrated crypto-native monetization. Since launching in stealth in July 2025, Verse8 has reached more than 3.5 million monthly active users and enabled over 5,000 creators to produce approximately 25,000 games. At the same time, Yield Guild Games has reported over $9 million in lifetime revenue through YGG Play titles since May 2025, highlighting strong market demand for this emerging format.

Together, the results from BuidlHack 2026 demonstrate how AI-native tooling and integrated publishing infrastructure are lowering barriers to entry for creators while accelerating experimentation, engagement, and commercialization across the Web3 gaming ecosystem.

YGG Play and Verse8 Tap into the World’s Most Dominant Crypto-Gaming Pipeline with BuidlHack 2026 in Seoul

[SEOUL, South Korea] YGG Play, the publishing arm of Yield Guild Games, and Verse8, an AI-powered game creation platform, have announced a strategic partnership to host a dedicated $5,000 "Casual Degen" game track as part of BuidlHack 2026. Taking place April 13-19, during the prestigious Korea BUIDL Week, the hackathon invites developers to leverage "vibe coding" and professional publishing expertise to build the next breakout hits in the crypto-native gaming sector.

The hackathon focuses on the "Casual Degen" category, driven by a pioneering thesis by YGG Play. These are lite, fast-paced, "snackable" games designed for players to enjoy on a second screen while they trade NFTs, memecoins, or perps. The category’s potential was recently proven by YGG Play’s flagship title, LOL Land. Launched in May 2025, LOL Land reached a lifetime revenue of $8.2 million by the end of the year, boasting a peak monthly Average Revenue Per Paying User (ARPPU) of $4,263. The figure vastly outperforms traditional mass-market casual games, which typically see an ARPPU of $25 to $50.

By combining Verse8’s generative AI tools with YGG Play’s commercial infrastructure, BuidlHack 2026 participants can move from a simple concept to a monetizable prototype with unprecedented speed. Beyond the $5,000 cash prize pool, winners will split an additional $5,000 in Verse8 platform credits and dedicated ad support to scale their titles. The most promising projects will also gain direct access to Verse8’s investment network and will be reviewed for publishing on YGG Play, unlocking the publisher’s premier player acquisition network, Web3 infrastructure, and global community distribution.

“South Korea is one of the only places where crypto and gaming culture are actually mainstream, with nearly a third of the population active in the market,” said Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games.

“With thousands of PC bangs that serve as social hubs and their history of pioneering esports, Seoul is the natural place to continue building the Casual Degen category. We’re looking for those builders who can take their ideas and turn them into a sustainable business with real revenue.”

BuidlHack is a core fixture of Korea BUIDL Week, an annual series of technical events attracting over 20,000 participants to Seoul, a market where the South Korean won often rivals the US dollar in global crypto trading volume. By combining this liquidity with Korea’s status as a global gaming powerhouse, YGG Play and Verse8 are positioning BuidlHack as the premier incubator for the Casual Degen category.

“The Casual Degen category has proven demand; what it's been missing is velocity. Verse8 was built to eliminate the bottleneck: from idea to playable prototype in days, not months,” said Kevin Lee, CEO of Verse8. “By partnering with YGG Play for BuidlHack, we are providing builders with the tools to generate and remix Web3 experiences instantly, and then plugging them directly into the industry’s most sophisticated publishing and scaling engine.”

YGG Play’s publishing portfolio includes GIGACHADBAT, a baseball title developed by Delabs Games. Delabs is the Web3-focused arm of Korean studio 4:33 Creative Lab, co-founded by James Joonmo Kwon and JC Kim, who also serves as the Director of Solarium, a seed round investor of Verse8. This latest collaboration on the hackathon builds on the established relationship between YGG and Delabs, underscoring their history of working together to further the Casual Degen ecosystem.

The hackathon is open to developers, designers, and crypto enthusiasts, who will be guided throughout the process by Gabby Dizon, Kevin Lee, Hakyong Tae, VP of Business Development at Verse8, and Joe, Game Producer at Raitomira, the studio behind the hit Minesweeper-inspired Casual Degen game, Waifu Sweeper. The judging panel will consist of Joe, Gabby Dizon, Kevin Lee, and JC Kim. Judging criteria may be found here.

To kickstart development, YGG Play and Verse8 hosted an online workshop on March 25, 2026, offering an introduction to vibe coding protocol and the Casual Degen thesis. Wise Kim, VP of Marketing at Verse8, led a live vibe coding session, demonstrating how Verse8’s end-to-end AI agent solution lowers the technical barrier for creators to build and launch games. During the session, Kim transformed a basic natural language prompt into a functional platformer in minutes, highlighting Verse8’s ability to coordinate multiple AI models to handle game logic, asset generation, stage functions, and more.

Dizon and Kim also discussed the core elements of a successful Casual Degen title, with Dizon emphasizing that the best games feature simple, “one-button” mechanics paired with strategic economic loops and a balance of skill and luck. He noted that the efficiency of AI-powered development allows creators to rapidly prototype dozens of ideas to find the most engaging loops. Kim added that the hackathon is a search for serious builders who intend to turn these prototypes into tangible businesses.

A full replay of this session is available on the X account of BAS, co-organizer of BuidlHack 2026.

This preparation leads into "Builder Day" on April 14, an offline gathering in Seoul culminating in the Final Pitch and Project Showcase on April 18. International participants may pitch online, while teams located in South Korea must send at least one member to pitch in person.

How to participate in YGG and Verse8’s Casual Degen hackathon:

• Create a Casual Degen game using the Verse8 platform at create.verse8.io.
• Publish the game using the #YGG tag.
• Submit the project through the YGG & Verse8 track via Ludium.
• All participants must submit their entries by April 17, 2026, 11:59 PM KST.

For more information on the full suite of bounties and technical tracks, please visit the official BUIDL website: https://www.buidlkorea.com/buidlhack2026

Bitget Champions Women Shaping Education-First Web3 Growth in the Philippines

Manila, Philippines — Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), highlighted the growing impact of women-led Web3 education and advocacy in the Philippines through its flagship women-in-blockchain initiative, Blockchain4Her. The initiative supports women who are advancing blockchain literacy, community access, and responsible participation across emerging digital economies.

Blockchain4Her is designed to elevate and empower women in blockchain through education-first programs, grassroots partnerships, and community-led advocacy. By focusing on access, knowledge, and long-term inclusion, the initiative aims to close the gender gap in Web3 and create pathways for women to participate as builders, educators, and decision-makers.

In the Philippines, a market shaped by strong grassroots adoption and a rapidly expanding digital economy, Blockchain4Her has supported women working at the intersection of education, community-building, and responsible innovation. Advocates, including Bea Llana, Arshelene “Tita Arsh” Lingao, and MaryWave (Wave3), have emerged as leading voices helping women and young people approach Web3 with clarity, structure, and purpose.

“We started Blockchain4Her to create a safe space and build confidence for women to imagine a future in Web3,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget and initiator of Blockchain4Her. “Seeing women in the Philippines take ownership of education and community-building shows what inclusion looks like when it begins at the grassroots level.”

Across their work, the advocates share a common focus on education over speculation and long-term understanding over short-term participation. Llana, a Southeast Asia–based ecosystem builder and co-founder of Buhayin, has worked to translate blockchain and emerging technologies into practical opportunities for local communities, particularly through education and connectivity initiatives in underserved island regions.
“There wasn’t one defining moment,” Llana said. “But working closely with communities showed how thoughtfully applied blockchain technology can support access and participation. That’s when curiosity became intention.”

Education has also been central to the work of Arshelene “Tita Arsh” Lingao, founder of Cryptita Plays, who has focused on improving Web3 literacy among Filipino youth and underserved communities. Alongside Bitget's other CSR initiative, Blockchain4Youth, she developed the Young Learners’ Encyclopedia, an accessible resource designed to introduce blockchain concepts in a clear and age-appropriate way.

“Too many young people enter crypto without honest guidance,” Lingao said. “Education helps them see Web3 as a space for learning and creativity, not hype.”

MaryWave, also known as Wave3, has addressed similar gaps in the trading space by building education-driven communities centered on market structure, discipline, and risk awareness. As co-founder of Wave3, she has focused on creating environments where women and beginners can learn without pressure or misinformation.

“What was missing was structure and honest education,” MaryWave said. “When people understand the market, confidence replaces fear.”

Through Blockchain4Her, Bitget continues to support women-led initiatives that emphasize responsible learning, long-term empowerment, and inclusive participation in Web3. In markets like the Philippines, where community-driven education plays a critical role, the initiative aims to ensure that women are equipped with knowledge beyond hype, as they explore opportunities in web3. This approach aligns with Bitget’s global education initiatives with UNICEF, which aim to expand access to digital skills and blockchain education for young people and underserved communities worldwide.

Waifu Sweeper Is Going Live: YGG Play and Raitomira Open New Game to Players

YGG Play, the Casual Degen-focused Web3 gaming publisher, will officially launch Waifu Sweeper this FRIDAY, 30 JANUARY 2026 at 8:00PM SGT (GMT+8). Waifu Sweeper is a new game from studio Raitomira, combining the logical and strategic depth of Minesweeper with the highly popular element of gacha “waifus”, which are collectible anime-inspired female characters that act as players’ avatars or companions. In the game, players must use the information available to them to uncover monsters and treasures hidden around the board.

Unlike traditional gacha games that rely heavily on chance, Waifu Sweeper is built on a skill-first design, allowing players to actively influence their rewards and outcomes. The development of the game is being directly overseen by Raitomira co-founders Hun Pascal Park and Karan Singh.

“Waifu Sweepers' goal is to give players more agency about their in-game winnings by introducing 'Skill to Earn' — reducing randomness and distributing rewards more towards skilled players in the game,” said Hun Pascal Park, co-founder of Raitomira. “YGG Play is an exciting new platform that is shaping a new Web3 gaming landscape with the Casual Degen genre, and we are happy to be part of it.”

Hun Pascal Park is a former publishing professional at Blizzard Entertainment, where he worked on high-profile titles such as StarCraft II, Overwatch, and Hearthstone, and later contributed to PUBG Mobile at Tencent in a publishing capacity. Karan Singh, under the handle Karan Wasabi, has worked at PUBG Mobile at Tencent in a publishing capacity as well and has also four years of experience in project management and development in mobile games.

YGG Play’s partnership with Raitomira is a second-party deal that will see the publisher integrate into its network of players, guilds, games, and key opinion leaders (KOLs). An enforceable smart contract revenue sharing will also be implemented, ensuring fairness for both parties.

“Casual Degen games are evolving, and Waifu Sweeper shows very interesting skill-based gameplay,” said Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG. “Raitomira is a new studio, but both its co-founders, Hun and Karan, have been building in Web3 gaming for several years. They are introducing new combinations that have not been explored in YGG Play, and I’m very excited to see the game’s progress.”

Waifu Sweeper’s launch reflects YGG Play’s broader focus on delivering easy, accessible, and engaging games for crypto-native players. More publishing collaborations and game launches are planned as the publisher continues to expand its portfolio in 2026.

Players can find and play Waifu Sweeper on YGG Play at: yggplay.fun/waifusweeper

YGG Play Brings Bearish IP to GIGACHADBAT for Exclusive Ecosystem Boss Raid

YGG Play, the premier publishing hub for "Casual Degen" games, has announced a major in-game IP crossover between its hit title GIGACHADBAT (GCB) and Bearish, the second-most prominent IP on Abstract after Pudgy Penguins.

Starting January 31 and running through to February 3, 2026, the Bearish "Big Four" will descend upon GIGACHADBAT as Bosses in a limited-time CHAD Raid: Barry “The OG,” Bella “The Heartbreaker,” Scotty “The Street Bear,” and Toli “The Chaos King.” The "CHAD Raid" focuses on competitive progression, offering participants 2x points toward the GIGACHADBAT Play-to-Airdrop (P2A) leaderboards.

“Bearish has grown by building products and IP that people actually want to use,” said Toli, co-founder of Bearish. “Partnering with YGG Play is about plugging into an ecosystem that understands games, communities, and how to scale them globally. YGG knows how to turn strong IP into addictive gameplay, and CHAD Raids bring Bearish into GIGACHADBAT in a way that’s native to the gameplay itself.”

With over 4.8 billion GIPHY views and a combined social following of nearly 100,000 across TikTok and Instagram, Bearish represents one of the strongest community-driven identities in Web3. In January 2026, the brand surpassed household names like Pokémon, Disney, and Fortnite in daily GIF views on GIPHY.

“One of the things we’re most excited about at YGG Play is how easily strong Web3 IP can move between games and formats,” said Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG. “Bearish understands that games are one of the best ways to bring an IP to life, and CHAD Raids are a great example of what happens when you put community-first IP into a gameplay loop that players actually care about. This is exactly the kind of crossover we want more of in the YGG Play ecosystem.”

The crossover comes as GIGACHADBAT prepares for the launch of its upcoming $CHAD token on the YGG Play Launchpad this February 6, 2026, with a Play-to-Airdrop campaign already underway where players earn YGG Play Points that influence leaderboard rankings and participation in the token generation event (TGE). By tying CHAD Raids into this progression system, the Bearish collaboration connects in-game competition directly to the broader $CHAD launch.

The timing follows Bearish’s recent $BURR token launch on Aborean, a decentralized exchange and liquidity hub on Abstract, with $BURR structured as a hybrid ERC-404 asset that unifies fungible $BURR tokens and their NFT counterparts within the same ecosystem.

The Bearish ecosystem is led by Web3 veterans Toli and Scotty. Toli, the visionary behind Drip Rewards, a platform with over three million users that lets brands launch custom virtual economies to turn engagement into rewards, and Scotty, a technical lead with experience at Brawler Bearz and Origin Protocol, have positioned Bearish as a launchpad for builders. They have scaled rapidly, consistently ranking Bearish as a top 5 NFT project on Abstract by both social engagement and onchain transactions.

Following the GIGACHADBAT Boss Raid, the collaboration will expand in March 2026 with the launch of an exclusive Bearish x LOL Land Board, further cementing Bearish within YGG Play’s growing portfolio.

Players can join the CHAD Raids and climb the leaderboards at: gigachadbat.fun

YGG Pilipinas and DICT’s Regional Builder Residency with Sui Foundation Produces 50 Graduates

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - YGG Pilipinas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have announced the first results of MFW City, their joint talent-development initiative designed to equip Metaverse Filipino Workers (MFWs) with the technical skills, mentorship, and career pathways needed to participate in the global digital economy. Its inaugural effort, carried out in the MIMAROPA region, trained participants in the Move programming language for the Sui blockchain, successfully producing 50 graduates.

Of the total 127 participants, 80 percent were third-year or higher students in computer science, IT, computer engineering, or related fields, with nearly half already coding for one to two years. The program addressed a clear exposure gap, introducing blockchain for the first time to a highly skilled cohort: 76 percent had zero prior exposure to blockchain, and none had experience with the Move language. The program required a high level of commitment, with one online class and one in-person class held each week in Puerto Princesa, complemented by mentoring sessions with Sui contributors and ecosystem partners for feedback and code review.

The pilot attracted a mixed group, with one in five female participants, and students from a number of educational institutions across the region, including Palawan State University, Holy Trinity University, Fulbright College, the Association of Computer Scientists (ACS), and STI College.

“We're thrilled with how it's gone, and we're tremendously proud of the effort that everyone put in — DICT, YGG Pilipinas, and Metaversity, and especially the students,” said James Wing, Head of AAA Gaming Partnerships at Mysten Labs, the first contributor to Sui. “We faced a lot of challenges with the weather, and we still were able to get really strong graduation numbers and really unique, innovative products that we wouldn't have thought of before. It's a testament to their perseverance: being able to adapt on the fly, especially with something as significant as not having internet. There is always going to be a huge demand for builders who can adapt like these guys have proven they can do.”

Typhoon Tino struck Puerto Princesa on November 4, bringing severe flooding, widespread power loss, and interruptions to internet and mobile connectivity. It forced the cancellation of the final class, yet the cohort still achieved a notably strong 40% completion rate for a voluntary blockchain developer program, demonstrating sustained commitment through both a technically demanding curriculum and the disruptions of a natural disaster that arrived in the program’s final week.

The program culminated with the presentation of the students’ capstone projects, where they were required to design and launch a working prototype on the Sui blockchain and pitch their solution to a judging panel. Teams were tasked with solving the problem of creating a trusted, verifiable way to recognize community contributions across schools, guilds, and online communities, so these achievements could be demonstrated when applying for work.

Two members of the winning team, Nicholo Dela Rosa and JK Rabanal, were flown from Puerto Princesa to speak at the YGG Play Summit held at SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, 19-22 November 2025. Their team, The Scouts, created Campfire, a way to digitize certificates while also serving as a gamified, NFT-based community platform. The first runner-up was Spot Me, a web application that connects event organizers and participants through reward-based engagement.

“During our last few days of the program, a typhoon suddenly hit the Philippines. It made it very hard for us, especially when one of our classes was suspended because of internet issues. Especially with all the challenges we experienced, we didn’t expect to win the competition, so we feel very proud of what we were able to do,” said Rabanal, who graduated from Palawan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2022 amid the pandemic.

“We learned about the Sui builder program from our peers, and we were interested to learn more about the Move programming language and the Sui ecosystem,” said Dela Rosa, a third-year Palawan State University student. “This opportunity has changed our mindset. Now we are thinking more and dreaming big, especially after flying to Manila [to speak here on stage at the YGG Play Summit]. We’re hoping to improve our winning project and have many more opportunities like this.”

By piloting in Puerto Princesa, the collaboration demonstrated how regional hubs can serve as replicable models across the Philippines to deliver scalable blockchain education and professional development tracks, aligning with DICT’s mission to create 8 million digital jobs by 2028.

DICT MIMAROPA provided the backbone for the program by opening training hubs, computer labs, and internet access (including Starlink for remote areas), mobilizing participants through its regional networks, and linking the initiative to local governments, schools, and community leaders. In parallel, YGG Pilipinas, through its Metaversity platform, drove program design and delivery, from curriculum and mentorship to workshops, project sprints, demo days, and certification.

“What YGG, Sui, and DICT have accomplished in Puerto Princesa demonstrates the power of partnerships rooted in a shared purpose. When government, industry, and communities come together, barriers fall, and possibilities expand. This program is more than training—it marks the beginning of long-term pathways for Filipinos to thrive in the global digital economy. And we look forward to bringing this kind of opportunity to even more communities nationwide.”

YGG Play Summit 2025: A Milestone Event for Web3 Gaming in the Philippines

The YGG Play Summit 2025, held from November 20–22 at SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City, made a powerful statement about the future of Web3 gaming and the Philippines’ role at the center of this global movement. As the world’s largest player-focused Web3 gaming event, the summit welcomed more than 5,600 in-person attendees, attracting both local enthusiasts and international participants who gathered to celebrate the next era of digital play.

With the theme “City of Play,” this year’s summit shone a spotlight on the trailblazing content creators who are pushing Web3 gaming from niche subculture to mainstream entertainment. Their impact was felt not only on the ground but worldwide, as the event reached over 490 million people online, with livestreams across YouTube, Facebook, and X garnering more than 500,000 unique viewers, based on Meltwater tracking.

The Summit emphasized a major shift in the digital landscape: creators are now essential pillars of the Web3 ecosystem. Across product discovery, community building, and user education, they are shaping how new audiences enter the space. This aligns with broader global trends, where creator-driven advertising skyrocketed to US$37 billion in 2025, growing four times faster than the traditional media industry. With 90% of consumers turning to social media for trends, according to Sprout Social, the Summit became an important hub for rising Web3 creators to learn, collaborate, and refine their craft.

The event officially opened on November 20 with the Town Hall at Samsung Hall, featuring insight-driven fireside talks with industry leaders. These sessions explored how mainstream adoption of Web3 gaming continues to accelerate through established platforms and distribution channels. A notable highlight came from DICT MIMAROPA Regional Director Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin, who emphasized that Web3 gaming in the Philippines is entering a more mature and scalable phase aligned with national digital transformation goals. She also noted how familiar rails make onboarding faster and create new job opportunities for Filipinos.

Competitive excitement also took center stage. YGG Esports’ Tyler claimed victory in Ubisoft’s first Might & Magic: Fates tournament. The prestigious $100K Parallel Tournament crowned Viper as its champion, while the high-energy Vibes Asian Championship saw Filipino breakout star Oxtraxex dominate the finals on November 22.

The YGG Play Summit 2025 successfully showcased how community, innovation, and creator-driven engagement are shaping the future of gaming—locally and globally.

Vibes Asian Championship Crowns Oxtraxex as Champion at YGG Play Summit 2025

The two-day Vibes Asian Championship at the YGG Play Summit concluded on Saturday, November 22, 2025, marking a major milestone for Web3 trading card games in Asia. Emerging victorious was John Fitzgerald “Oxtraxex” Poculan of Web3 gaming guild 8888, who defeated guildmate Jerald Jay “Asamax” Pamiloza in a tense and methodical final match. Seventy-seven competitors from across Asia battled in Manila for a share of the US$20,000 prize pool, with Oxtraxex claiming the US$4,000 top prize in the first Asian championship for Orange Cap Games’ Vibes TCG, featuring the Pudgy Penguins IP.

The finals saw Asamax enter with ten straight wins, but Oxtraxex ultimately outplayed his counterdeck to secure the championship title. The match was cast by YGG Esports player Feno and Orange Cap Games co-founder Elliot Kahn. For Oxtraxex, who traveled from Zamboanga Sibugay, the event marked his first competitive TCG experience—remarkably achieved without ever playing the physical version of Vibes, which he has followed online since Season 0 launched in December 2024.

Among the top contenders were seasoned Filipino players who were familiar with one another through YGG Pilipinas community events. Joining the finalists in the top 8 were Hearthstone pros CaraCute and Staz, Magic: The Gathering competitors Eton Delmoro, MoisesOng, and Cholo Pascual. The tournament followed a Swiss+1 format with up to 12 proxies allowed to balance card accessibility, culminating in a single-elimination bracket on day two.

The top 32 competitors earned prizes, ranging from US$250 to US$4,000. The event was officiated by Magic: The Gathering Premier Judge Sashi Balakrishnan from Malaysia, ensuring competitive integrity throughout the tournament.

In Vibes, players construct “huddles” of penguins, relics, and action cards—a system designed to be approachable for newcomers while offering strategic depth that appeals to fans of Magic: The Gathering, Disney Lorcana, and One Piece. Orange Cap Games’ Elliot Kahn personally presented the trophy to Oxtraxex and invited all top 8 players to compete in the Vibes 2025 World Championship at SCG CON Portland on January 23–26, 2026.

The YGG Play Summit also hosted major esports events, including the US$100,000 YGG Parallel Showdown, won by TCG veteran Viper, and the competitive debut of Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Fates. Beyond gaming, industry leaders such as Sky Mavis’ Jihoz and OpenSea’s Oliver Maroney shared insights at the Summit’s Town Hall, while workshops, demos, and the GAM3 Awards rounded out one of Web3 gaming’s biggest annual gatherings.

Web3 Momentum Builds as Moku’s Grand Arena Preseason Kicks Off and Spekter Hub Expands the Future of Player Rewards

The excitement at the YGG Play Summit 2025 continues to build as two major announcements from yesterday set the tone for an action-packed weekend. Both Moku and Spekter Games revealed significant advancements in Web3 gaming, strengthening the industry’s shift toward player-owned ecosystems and meaningful onchain rewards.

Moku’s Grand Arena officially launched its preseason phase, giving players their first hands-on experience with the long-awaited 24/7 fantasy sports and AI battler platform. With the introduction of the Moki Manager mode, Moki holders can now dive into a strategic management simulation that lays the groundwork for competitive play. The stakes are already high: through Moki Mayhem, players can optimize their builds, battle in team-based matchups, and earn points that determine their ranking. What makes this preseason even more impactful is that all player statistics and progress will carry over into Season 1, where a massive US$1 million prize pool awaits. This design choice positions Moku’s Grand Arena as one of the most ambitious competitive Web3 titles this year.

Meanwhile, Spekter Games unveiled Spekter Hub, a unified ecosystem designed to power rewards across all its titles. The hub introduces Spark, a loyalty currency earned by completing missions and contributing to the community. Players who rise to the top will also receive Spek Vaults—high-value digital collectibles stored on TON and Soneium. These Vaults unlock a range of perks, including exclusive cosmetics, premium bonuses, and early access features. By processing its onchain mechanics seamlessly in the background, Spekter Hub removes the common onboarding hurdles often found in Web3, making its ecosystem accessible to both crypto-native and traditional gamers. The absence of paywalls further reinforces Spekter’s commitment to fair and open participation.

As these innovations drive the momentum forward, today’s YGG Play Summit schedule keeps the energy high. Early birds can start with the Pickleball Open at 7:00 AM before the Expo officially opens at 11:00 AM. Attendees can look forward to a full lineup: the Vibes Asian Championship Qualifiers, live showmatches at the Playzone, the Metaversity Leaders Workshop with Gabby Dizon, and the Creators Lunch & Learn with WolvesDAO. The evening culminates with the highly anticipated GAM3 Awards Ceremony, followed by the Night Cap.

With groundbreaking platform launches and a full day of community-driven events ahead, the YGG Play Summit 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most influential gatherings in the future of gaming and Web3 innovation.

YGG Play Summit 2025 “City of Play” Expands Skill District to Power the Philippines’ Digital Workforce

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - In the lead-up to its 2025 edition, the YGG Play Summit has revealed a major expansion of the Skill District, the learning hub within its City of Play experience. Designed by Metaversity, the educational arm of YGG Pilipinas, the district offers an immersive upskilling experience to uncover earning opportunities across Web3 and AI. Visitors can join workshops that teach practical, job-oriented skills for the digital economy in content creation, marketing, community management, game development, and more.

The Skill District is one of four themed zones in the City of Play alongside the Player District, Degen District, and The Arena. Three new experiences have been added: The Prompt to Prototype vibe coding workshop will teach aspiring builders how to create games using AI. The Metaversity Interactive forum will gather stakeholders across industry, government, and academe to work with students to address critical skills gaps in the emerging tech workforce. Finally, Metaverse Filipino Worker (MFW) City — the pioneering builder residency led by YGG Pilipinas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) — will unveil the results of its pilot program to educate developers from the MIMAROPA region in the Sui blockchain’s Move programming language.

“This collaboration truly reflects the core of our DICT thrust in Digital Bayanihan, showcasing how industries, communities, and the government can work together to empower talent across all regions of the country,” said DICT MIMAROPA Regional Director Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin. “Aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives to create more jobs for Filipinos and Secretary Henry Aguda’s commitment to generate more digital and digitally enabled employment opportunities through our Trabahong Digital Program, initiatives such as MFW City in Puerto Princesa and the Skill District at YGG Play Summit are creating pathways for Filipinos to actively participate in the global digital economy. These efforts bring us closer to a future where Filipinos can build transformative, sustainable, and rewarding careers without having to leave the comfort of their own homes.”

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies technology as the dominant force reshaping the global labor market, driving both job creation and displacement. Expanding digital access alone is expected to generate 19 million new roles while rendering 9 million obsolete. AI and information processing technology are forecasted to create 11 million jobs while displacing 9 million. For the Philippines, this underscores the urgent need to develop digital fluency and technical capabilities, so workers can seize opportunities instead of being left behind by automation.

Official school partner STI College - Bonifacio Global City will participate in the Skill District alongside IT, computer science, and esports organizations from more than 10 schools across different regions of the country, including:

• University of Santo Tomas
• National University
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines
• University of Southeastern Philippines - Davao City
• Philippine Christian University - Cavite

Upskilling the Next Generation of Filipino Builders

With Sui providing primary sponsorship as its anchor partner, the Skill District will feature three key sessions offering unique opportunities for skills development:

MFW City, a regional builder residency co-created by YGG Pilipinas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), brought together more than 120 developers in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to learn the Sui blockchain’s programming language, Move. As part of the Sui Builder Program initiative under the MFW City program, participants received mentorship from industry experts and built minimum viable products on the Sui blockchain. On November 21, two graduates will join James Wing, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Investments at Mysten Labs, developers of Sui, on the Summit main stage to share a first look at the results of the pioneering program and explain how the initiative is opening new pathways for Filipino talent in the provinces.

Metaversity Interactive will bring together industry leaders, government representatives, members of the academe, and Metaversity students to map the Philippines’ emerging tech skills landscape. The session will identify the most in-demand skills sought by global and local employers and assess the readiness of current job candidates across these skills. The resulting data and dialogue will inform the strategic development of future Metaversity programs, ensuring they are aligned with market needs to maximize students’ employability. The forum is scheduled for Friday, November 21.

Prompt to Prototype is a 4-hour vibe coding workshop where up to 50 attendees will learn how to turn their game concepts into playable prototypes using AI-powered, no-code tools. Participants will gain hands-on experience using infrastructure by B3, a Layer-3 open gaming ecosystem built on Base, and AI tools from OpenxAI, a P2P permissionless AI protocol. Sponsored by Base, the session will be led by Base Philippines’ Developer Relations Lead Ambassador, who will teach attendees how to use these tools and serve as a mentor throughout the process. The workshop will take place at 11 AM on Saturday, November 22.

“The YGG Play Summit’s Skill District is where learning meets play for those seeking actionable pathways into the digital economy. Anyone looking to level up their career or personal growth will find opportunities to gain in-demand skills that lead to real jobs. Through our programs, we aim to help Filipinos prepare for the future job market and ensure our communities are not just keeping up but leading the way,” said Mench Dizon, Country Head of YGG Pilipinas.

More Highlights Ahead at YGG Play Summit

Aside from the Skill District events, esports tournaments in the trading card games Parallel, Vibes, and Might & Magic: Fates will be held at The Arena on November 20-21, with a combined prize pool of US$125,000.

Industry leaders will also take the stage for panels, fireside chats, and keynotes. Speakers include Mench Dizon of YGG Pilipinas, Sylvain Loe Mie of Ubisoft, Luke Barwikowski and Heidi Christine of Pixels, Theo Agranat of Gunzilla Games, TK of Spekter Games, Jihoz of Sky Mavis, Kohji Nagata of Parallel, Roby John of SuperGaming, Hantao of Moku, Alessia Baumgartner of DWF Labs, Shi Khai Wei of LongHash Ventures, Daryl Lim of TRIVE Digital, Oliver Maroney of OpenSea, Wei Zhou of Coins.ph, and Joony Koo of AO Labs.

Summit sponsors this year include game studios Sky Mavis, Aurory, Pixels, Parallel TCG, and Vibes TCG; the Layer-1 blockchain Sui; creative powerhouse Spekter Agency; Web3 investment firm DWF Labs; and Philippine crypto exchange Coins.ph.

Set to run from November 19 to 22, 2025, YGG Play Summit returns to SMX Aura, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Metro Manila, Philippines. Tickets and the full event agenda are available on the YGG Play Summit website at yggplaysummit.com.