Play To Earn Games: How to Earn Crypto Token Rewards Playing Top P2E Game Titles

NFT Games Core Mechanics and Ecosystems

In P2E games, you’re an investor and owner, not just a player. Unlike freemium games, P2E replaces loot boxes with blockchain-backed assets. NFTs grant you provable ownership, making your in-game items tradable assets. Blockchain and smart contracts ensure fairness.

To truly thrive in P2E and NFT games, you need to grasp core mechanics. NFTs are key: they are distinct assets with value that can be improved and sold for profit. NFTs change games by making time valuable and enabling rewards. To trade NFTs, use marketplaces like OpenSea.

By owning an NFT character, you own a unique digital item, allowing value for its specific characteristics. Many of these digital assets are valued based on rarity. A unique and important aspect in the long run is that these NFT and associated character value is decided by you.

Key aspects to know include:

• Rare items have more value.
• The value you bring depends on the possessions you obtain.
• Unique traits are linked to your actions.
• Games are built on blockchain technology.

Web3 enables interoperability, allowing NFTs to function across multiple games. A sword earned in CyberVerse could be used in Decentraland, creating interconnected virtual economies. DAOs govern many P2E games, with token holders voting on updates and revenue distribution. For instance, ApeCoin holders shape Otherside’s development, promoting community-driven growth.

Blockchain Platforms: The Foundation of Play-to-Earn Gaming

Blockchain platforms are the underlying infrastructure that makes Play-to-Earn games possible. More than just a buzzword, blockchain provides the essential technological foundation for P2E’s core tenets: ownership, security, transparency, and decentralized economies. They are needed for P2E games to thrive.
Key Functions of Blockchain in P2E Gaming:

Digital Asset Ownership (NFTs): Blockchain enables the creation and management of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). In P2E games, NFTs represent in-game items, characters, land, and other assets, granting players verifiable ownership of their digital possessions. The integration of Web3 principles ensures that players retain ownership even if a game’s servers shut down, a stark contrast to centralized gaming ecosystems

Secure and Transparent Transactions: Blockchain provides a decentralized and immutable ledger for recording all transactions within the game. This ensures transparency, preventing fraud and manipulation of in-game economies. All transactions are made secure and you can verify its history.

Cryptocurrency Integration: Blockchain platforms support the creation and management of cryptocurrencies. P2E games use cryptocurrencies as in-game currencies and rewards, enabling players to earn real-world value for their participation. Players can buy and sell this value.

Decentralized Governance (DAOs): Blockchain facilitates the creation of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), which are community-governed entities. DAOs allow players to participate in the decision-making process for the game’s development, tokenomics, and overall direction, giving them a stake in the game’s success.

Game Logic and Smart Contracts: Blockchain platforms support smart contracts, self-executing agreements coded directly onto the blockchain. Smart contracts automate game rules, ensure fair gameplay, and automatically distribute rewards based on pre-defined conditions. 

Cross-Game Interoperability: Blockchain can enable interoperability between different games and metaverses. In the future, assets earned in one P2E game could be used or traded in other games built on the same blockchain, creating a more interconnected and valuable gaming ecosystem.

Popular Blockchain Platforms for P2E Games

This brings us to the Blockchain platforms, of which there are several to be aware of:

• Ethereum: The dominant blockchain platform for NFTs and DeFi, supporting a wide range of P2E games. (Uses ERC-721, ERC-1155).
• Binance Smart Chain (BSC): A faster and more affordable alternative to Ethereum, gaining popularity for P2E games.
• Solana: Known for its high transaction speeds and low fees, attracting developers of fast-paced P2E games.
• Polygon (Matic): A layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, reducing transaction fees and improving scalability for P2E games.
• Wax: A blockchain specifically designed for NFTs and digital collectibles, often used for trading card games and virtual assets.
• Immutable X: A platform that scales your transactions, with instant trades, and gas-free NFT.

Benefits of Using Blockchain for P2E Games

Using  Blockchain as the underlying infrastructure for Play To Earn games has several positives:

• Increased Transparency>: All game transactions and asset ownership are publicly verifiable on the blockchain.
• Enhanced Security: Blockchain’s decentralized nature makes it difficult to hack or manipulate in-game economies.
• Greater Player Ownership: NFTs give players true ownership of their in-game assets, empowering them to trade and monetize their achievements.
• New Revenue Streams: P2E models create opportunities for players to earn real-world value through gameplay.
• Community-Driven Development: DAOs enable players to shape the future of the game. Games with Discord servers or Subreddits often have healthier economies due to enhanced player engagement.

Games rely on blockchain security via cryptographic keys which makes transparency and ownership very reliable for most parts of the game. Digital objects in game and all records of events are put into the blockchain, which also assures that rules are followed and verify identities. The use of block chain also leads to a safe market where you can perform exchanges and avoid exposure to fraud.

“Axie Infinity” demostrates how this all works: players breed, raise, battle, and trade Axies (NFTs) with unique attributes. Your time, skill, and strategy increases in value as the game progresses.

• NFTs enable the construction of different objects and personas.
• Crypto enables play, rewards, and earning value for participation.
• Ownership gives you control over your funds and assets. You as the user, have total authority on how to use and spend the digital items. This control empowers you to get the most revenue from your efforts.

You navigate a living economy with carefully designed tokenomics. Deflationary burns create scarcity, while staking pools reward loyalty. Faucets (reward sources) must balance sinks (gold drains) to prevent hyperinflation.

Guilds, Scholarships, and DAOs create a community aspect to ensure that P2E thrives by offering support.

Overall, P2E game mechanics seen in the top titles create a financial avenue for gamers that rewards consistent play.

Top Play-to-Earn Games and How They Work

Several games will appeal to Play To Earn gamers. One of the most popular genres is multiplayer online games. These virtual platforms provide opportunities for players to accumulate in-game assets such as characters, equipment, and virtual currency, which can be traded or sold for real-world money. The more powerful and rare these assets, the greater the potential monetary value, bringing a tangible sense of achievement to the gaming experience.

Axie Infinity: The Premier Play-to-Earn Battler

Axie Infinity stands as a shining example of the P2E model in action. This game from Sky Mavis is more than just a Pokémon-inspired platform; it’s a thriving digital economy where players earn real money by collecting, breeding, battling, and trading adorable creatures called Axies.

Each Axie is an NFT, giving players true ownership of their digital assets. Through skilled gameplay and strategic decision-making, players can earn Smooth Love Potion (SLP) tokens, which are then traded on exchanges for other crypto or fiat currencies.

The game’s innovative scholarship system further extends the earning potential, allowing experienced players to lend out their Axies to newcomers and share in the profits, creating a dynamic and inclusive P2E ecosystem.

Decentraland: Where Virtual Land Translates to Real Revenue

Decentraland is a unique entry in the P2E space, presenting itself as a user-owned virtual world where players can buy, develop, and monetize land parcels represented as NFTs.

In essence, it’s a platform that puts the power of value creation squarely in the hands of its users. Create games, host events, sell virtual goods, or lease out your land to other creators – the possibilities for generating revenue are virtually limitless.

Decentraland is an evolving metaverse experience where your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit can translate into real-world earnings, making it a prime example of the P2E philosophy at its finest.

Splinterlands: Building a Play-to-Earn Empire with Trading Cards

Splinterlands takes the familiar mechanics of collectible card games and infuses them with a P2E twist. Players collect, trade, and battle with NFT-based cards, earning Dark Energy Crystals (DEC) for victories and completing quests.

The true P2E potential lies in strategically building your card collection, mastering the game’s combat mechanics, and participating in tournaments to climb the leaderboards and claim lucrative prizes.

Splinterlands is a testament to how established game genres can be reimagined with blockchain technology to empower players and reward their skill and dedication.

Stepn: The original move to earn game

STEPN is a mobile Web3 lifestyle app that gamifies physical activity by rewarding users with cryptocurrency for walking, jogging, or running outdoors. Built on the Solana blockchain, STEPN utilizes NFTs in the form of virtual sneakers. Users purchase these sneakers and then earn Green Satoshi Tokens (GST) by moving, which can then be used to level up their sneakers, mint new ones, or cash out for other cryptocurrencies.

The game integrates elements of social-fi and Game-Fi, encouraging players to not only earn but also to connect with others and participate in the STEPN community. With features like sneaker customization, marketplace trading, and rental systems, STEPN aims to create a sustainable ecosystem that incentivizes healthy habits and provides financial opportunities.

STEPN’s popularity surged in 2022 as the “move-to-earn” concept gained traction. However, like many P2E games, the game’s earning potential has fluctuated significantly with market conditions, raising questions about long-term sustainability. The value of GST and the floor price of sneakers are sensitive to changes in user demand and tokenomics adjustments made by the developers.

Despite the inherent risks, STEPN represents an innovative approach to blending fitness, gaming, and cryptocurrency, showcasing the potential for blockchain technology to incentivize positive real-world behavior.

The integration of social and financial elements within a mobile app has made STEPN an approachable entry point for many into the world of Web3, even if the sustainability of its earnings model remains a topic of ongoing discussion.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a decentralized, community-driven platform built on the Ethereum blockchain, envisioning a virtual metaverse where users can create, own, and monetize their gaming experiences and digital assets. It deviates from traditional game narratives, enabling players to design and build their own games, assets, and interactive experiences using voxel-based tools. These creations can then be owned as NFTs and traded on the Sandbox marketplace, fostering a user-generated content economy.

A core component of the Sandbox ecosystem is the LAND, representing digital real estate within the metaverse. Players can purchase LAND, develop it with games and experiences, and then monetize their creations through various means, such as charging entry fees, hosting virtual events, or selling in-game assets. This puts the game firmly into the bracket of virtual world gaming.

The Sandbox’s native token, SAND, facilitates transactions within the platform and is used for governance, allowing LAND owners to vote on key decisions related to the metaverse’s future.

The Sandbox operates under a Play-to-Earn model, rewarding players and creators for their contributions to the ecosystem. Players can earn SAND by participating in games, completing quests, or creating and selling assets. This creates an incentivized cycle where both content creators and players are rewarded for their engagement and creativity, thus contributing to a thriving and dynamic virtual world.

Ultimately, The Sandbox aims to be more than just a game; it aspires to be a decentralized platform for creative expression, digital ownership, and economic opportunity, empowering users to build their own virtual worlds and monetize their creations within a vibrant metaverse environment.

Free-To-Play vs Pay-To-Start Models

Free-to-play and pay-to-start models define different P2E game approaches. Some, like CryptoKitties, allow users to play without upfront costs, while others, like Axie Infinity, initially required NFT purchases but later introduced scholarship programs to improve accessibility.

Rare in-game assets still hold significant value, influencing player participation and economic dynamics.

How To Get Started

To start with, selecting the right platform is crucial. Once you’ve chosen the right game, familiarize yourself with its mechanics, rules, and especially, its economic system.

Most play-to-earn games work based on the game’s native token which players earn through their achievements, and these tokens carry real-world value. Understanding the game’s economic structure will guide you in your strategy setting, further maximizing opportunities for earnings.

Remember, expertise in a game is more than just mastering the mechanics; it’s also understanding how to navigate its economic ecosystem to get the best chances to earn some money.

Potential Earnings: How Much Can You Really Make?

The increasing appeal of online gaming as a source of income begs the question, just how much can you really earn?

Revenue streams can vary drastically depending on various factors such as the platform, player’s skill level, time invested, and game genre. Since these games utilizing decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain tech, players the opportunity to earn crypto-tokens through gameplay, which can subsequently be converted into real-world currency. Due to the  volatility of exchange rates, sometimes the profits can be inflated if rates have changed favorably.

Earning modest amounts is most likely early on but growing skills in titles like Axie Infinity, Alien Worlds, and The Sandbox, could ultimately lead to bigger sums:

• A casual player might earn a few dollars per day.
• Skilled and dedicated players with a strong team and active participation in the economy might earn dozens or hundreds of dollars per month.
• The top managers and players can get more than just those earnings as they also make money with new players and a percentage of their earnings.

It’s fair to say that player earnings are not at the level they once were, as we can see from these examples of Axie Infinity:

• Peak (2021): At the height of Axie Infinity’s popularity, some players in developing countries were reportedly earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month, exceeding the average local income.
• Decline (2022): The value of SLP and Axies plummeted, significantly reducing earning potential. Players now earn a fraction of the income as before.
• Current (2025): Earning potential is now less lucrative, but players still earn by playing a few hours a day.

Making Extra Income – Staking Assets

Staking, a popular mechanism in the decentralized finance (DeFi) world, has become a prevalent feature in many NFT P2E games. Staking is the process of locking up your digital assets (usually a game’s native cryptocurrency tokens or specific NFTs) within the game’s ecosystem to earn rewards. Think of it as a digital savings account for your in-game wealth, where your locked assets generate passive income.

How Staking Works in P2E Games

Locking Up Assets: You commit a certain amount of your cryptocurrency tokens or NFTs to a designated staking pool within the game.

Validating Transactions or Securing the Network: The game uses your staked assets to validate transactions on the blockchain, help maintain the network’s security, or secure the network.

Earning Rewards: In return for locking up your assets, you receive rewards, typically in the form of additional cryptocurrency tokens, exclusive in-game items, or increased earning potential within the game.

Staking Periods and APY: Staking periods can vary, ranging from short-term (days or weeks) to long-term (months or years). The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) represents the estimated annual return on your staked assets.

Unstaking and Liquidity: At the end of the staking period (or sometimes earlier, with penalties), you can unstake your assets and withdraw them. However, unstaking may involve a waiting period, and early withdrawal may incur fees.

Benefits of Staking in P2E Games

Passive Income: Staking provides a way to earn rewards without actively playing the game, generating a stream of passive income from your digital assets.

Increased Earning Potential: Some games offer enhanced earning opportunities for staked assets, such as higher rewards for completing quests or increased trading volume.

Governance Rights: Staking tokens may grant you voting rights within the game’s DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), allowing you to participate in key decisions related to the game’s development and future.

Supporting the Ecosystem: By staking your assets, you contribute to the security and stability of the game’s ecosystem, helping to ensure its long-term sustainability.

Tips and Strategies for Maximizing Earnings

Dexterity, concentration, a solid understanding of the game, and the ability to react quickly under pressure are all critical attributes of a successful gamer. Sharpening these skills by adopting a disciplined practice routine, engaging in continual learning, and understanding the art of patience and resilience will all place a player in good stead.

Regular participation in tournaments can help with handling varying levels of competition, while learning from past gameplay and developing successful strategies will both bring benefits.

Staying updated with gaming trends and market dynamics is highly advisable. For this, many online platforms provide a selection of resources, such as gaming discussion forums and eSports news aggregators. Such platforms foster active communities that share valuable insights, game-changing tactics, and insider tips.

Investing time in understanding the economics of the games, such as in-game purchases, their impact on gameplay, and how to effectively manage virtual in-game currency, can help maximize potential earnings further.

For realising the best levels of additional income from any staking activity, consider these staking strategies: 

Research Thoroughly: Understand the game’s tokenomics, staking mechanisms, and associated risks before committing your assets.

Diversify Your Portfolio: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your staking portfolio across multiple games and assets.

Assess Risk Tolerance: Choose staking opportunities that align with your risk tolerance and investment goals.

Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date on the latest developments in the P2E gaming space and monitor the performance of your staked assets

Risks and Challenges in Play to Earn Real Money Gaming

Despite the potential for substantial earnings, P2E gaming is fraught with a host of risks and challenges. There are pitfalls that all players should be careful to avoid.

The fluctuating nature of the industry’s trends can often take a toll on a player’s financial stability and mental health. The overall volatility is often paired with the need to constantly upgrade skills and techniques, especially in competitive games, where a gamer needs to stay ahead of other players.

Relying on chance rather than strategy can lead to inconsistent incomes, thus injecting concern for financial stability. Yes, these games really do fall under the classification of skill games, but luck does play a part at times.

Of course, to even get to the point of playing for cash relies heavily on legality questions. Indeed, the gaming industry’s most glaring challenge across nearly all types of real money games lies in that world of legality and regulations.

Laws regarding real money gaming differ vastly across the world, with many regions offering little to no legislation on the matter. This ambiguity can often cause confusion among players and potential legal consequences.

Instances of fraud and monetary scams are common, potentially directly impacting earnings.

To exacerbate this, the lack of a standard pathway or career progression in profitable gaming, unlike traditional industries, can demotivate and constrain the ambitions of many aspiring gamers.

These are just a few of the complex barriers that players might face within the P2E framework. That said, they’re fairly obvious to most players that play games for real money. A couple of aspects that may not be so obvious are the topics of Ponzinomics and sustainability, both of which are highly relevant to Play To Earn gamers specifically:

Ponzinomics: The Illusion of Sustainable P2E

Ponzinomics, a term derived from “Ponzi scheme,” describes an unsustainable economic model often found in some P2E games. It relies heavily on attracting new players and investments to pay out existing players, rather than generating value through genuine game mechanics and a robust economy. The sustainability of P2E’s can always be doubted or be questionable.

How Ponzinomics Works in P2E Games

• Inflated Early Rewards: The game offers high initial rewards to attract new players quickly. This is a classic pyramid structure.
• Reliance on New Entrants: Existing players profit primarily from the influx of new players who purchase NFTs or tokens to join the game.
• Unsustainable Reward System: The game lacks a balanced economy where in-game activities and resource generation create intrinsic value. Rewards are primarily funded by new player investments, creating a system where rewards are not sustainable over time.
• Token Inflation: The game produces a large volume of tokens without sufficient sinks (mechanisms for removing tokens from circulation), leading to hyperinflation and a devaluation of rewards.
• Lack of Real Utility: In-game assets (NFTs, tokens) have little to no utility beyond the game itself, limiting their demand and value outside the ecosystem.

Signs of Ponzinomics in P2E Games

Signs for prospective players to watch for include:

• High entry barriers: Expensive NFTs or tokens required to start playing.
• Focus on recruitment: Emphasis on referring new players to earn rewards.
• Unrealistic APY (Annual Percentage Yield): Promises of incredibly high returns on staking or other activities.
• Limited gameplay diversity: Lack of engaging content beyond the initial earning loop.
• Lack of transparency: Unclear tokenomics and limited information about the game’s economy.
• Token price dependent on new players: Game revenue relies greatly on new investors to enter, rather than skill.

Why Ponzinomics is a problem

Any players getting involved with a scam game leave themselves open to several aspects that could result in lost funds or excessive waste of time. The game might be:

• Unsustainable: The model collapses when new player growth slows down, leaving existing players with worthless assets.
• Exploitative: Early adopters often profit at the expense of later entrants, who are left holding the bag.
• Damaging for the reputation of legit games: It undermines the legitimacy of the P2E model and discourages long-term investment in the space.

How to avoid questionable games

• Research thoroughly: Understand the game’s tokenomics, team, and community.
• Be skeptical: Question unrealistic promises and high returns.
• Look for sustainable economies: Prioritize games that generate value through diverse gameplay and resource management.
• Assess NFT utility: Ensure that NFTs have practical uses beyond mere speculation.
• Consider the long-term vision: Invest in games with a clear roadmap for future development and community engagement.

For players getting involved in staking, there are a handful of associated risk:

• Impermanent Loss: When staking in liquidity pools, you may be exposed to impermanent loss if the value of the tokens you’ve staked changes significantly.
• Smart Contract Risks: Staking involves entrusting your assets to smart contracts, which are vulnerable to bugs and exploits.
• Lock-Up Periods: You may not be able to access your staked assets immediately, limiting your flexibility.
• Token Volatility: The value of the tokens you’re earning can fluctuate significantly, affecting the overall profitability of staking.
• Game’s Longterm Stability: P2E gaming ecosystems can collapse over time, leaving few earning opportunities if a game fades in popularity or it just gets outdated and replaced by newer, higher, potential games.

Risks: The Highs and Lows of P2E Gaming

We’ve seen the risks in falling prey to games that aren’t sustainable, but that’s not all you should watch out for. You’re chasing profits, but volatility and regulation lurk. Let’s map the minefield:

When Crypto Crashes, So Do Your Earnings

Bitcoin’s 2021 bull run inflated P2E token values. The 2022 crash erased $2T, along with the resale value of NFT’s. Terra Luna’s collapse exposed fragility, leaving e stable in-game currencies with weakened immunity.

As we navigate the early months of 2025, crypto has hit new heights although still displays its underlying volatility in the exchange rate markets.

Regulatory Challenges

The legal and regulatory environment for P2E games is a complex and rapidly evolving patchwork. Because most traditional games are different from P2E they require special and specific understanding of their environment. Global regulatory boards are not 100% certain of its effects. This complexity depends on global regulation which is constantly different, which necessitates an appreciation of global regulation particularly with respect to Europe and the US:

Europe’s MiCA and KYC Requirements

The EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework is a sweeping set of regulations governing crypto assets, including those used in P2E games.

MiCA requires crypto firms to conduct Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, verifying the identity of their users – games like STEPN operating in Europe must comply with MiCA. Players may be required to provide ID verification to access certain features or withdraw earnings, making regulatory action unavoidable.

U.S. State Regulations and Skill vs. Chance

Gambling laws are primarily regulated at the state level in the U.S., leading to a fragmented legal landscape for real money games.

States like Arizona ban cash prizes in certain skill-based games (e.g., Bingo Cash), while others have more lenient regulations. Regulators often struggle to determine whether a game is predominantly skill-based (legal in many jurisdictions) or chance-based (subject to stricter gambling laws).

The “Is It Gambling?” Question

There’s no global consensus on whether P2E games constitute gambling. Some regulators view them as investment opportunities.

Regulators must consider factors such as:

• Whether real money or crypto is wagered.
• The role of chance vs. skill.
• Whether in-game assets have real-world value.
• Whether the game is primarily designed for entertainment or financial gain.

We can see that regulators lack legal framing to decide if P2Es are gaming, investment, or something else. This uncertainty leads to potentially increasing compliance costs, restricted access for players, and questionable anonymity for some players that wish to remain anonymous in some regions

The Dark Side of Grind Culture

While P2E games promise financial empowerment, the reality on the ground can be far more complex, particularly in developing countries where economic opportunities are limited. The dream turns into nightmare when players can do nothing but earn a minimum and barely provide for themselves.

The Grind Culture in the Philippines (and Beyond)

In P2E games like Axie Infinity, scholarship programs have emerged as a means for experienced players to lend out their NFTs to newcomers in exchange for a share of the earnings. While this can provide a pathway to income for those who can’t afford to buy their own assets, it can also lead to exploitation. In places such as the Phillipines, the potential income is not worth the amount of time that they must put into gaming.

Reports have surfaced of scholars in the Philippines (and other developing nations) working grueling 12-hour shifts or more per day to earn meager sums, often as little as $10 per day.

The Ethical Dilemma: Empowerment or Exploitation?

P2E games can provide an alternative source of income for individuals in developing countries, particularly those with limited access to traditional employment opportunities. But this leads to the potential of exploitation – low wages, long hours, and power imbalances inherent in scholarship programs raise serious ethical concerns about this aspect.

P2E and the Risk of Burnout

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes “gaming disorder” as a legitimate mental health condition, characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences.

The combination of long hours, low wages, and the pressure to perform in P2E games can lead to burnout, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and a decreased sense of accomplishment. Participants have experienced mental and even physical damage such as social isolation, stress, and body tension caused by long playing times.

Case Studies: Success Stories in the Play to Earn Gaming Sphere

One of the more recent stellar examples in gaming earnings history involves the case of Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who has arguably become the most recognized gamer in the world. Preliminary experiences in competitive gaming gave him a robust foundation upon which he was able to build a lucrative gaming career.

His demonstration of a specialized skill set in the fast-paced shooter game, “Fortnite,” attracted mass viewership on various social platforms, earning him a profitable mix of ad revenue, sponsorships, and donations. His success story portrays gaming not just as an ephemeral pastime, but potentially vibrant avenue of substantial monetary rewards.

With the burgeoning popularity of the Esports industry, a realm previously understood to be an exclusive hobby has evolved into a commercial phenomenon. A classic case study is Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, hailed as the “Michael Jordan” of the game “League of Legends”.

This South-Korean gamer’s adeptness and strategic proficiency in the game contributed toward increasing his personal net worth, simultaneously bolstering the commercial standing of Esports and the gaming industry as a whole.

Gaming earnings aren’t solely confined to individual gamers that may have honed their skills initially in one against one video game tournaments before moving on to more lucrative team events and advertising opportunities . This consistent revenue stream from gaming, as evidenced by these case studies, serves as an essential stimulus to the gaming economy as a whole.