'Wemix Delisting' Decision...Wemade's New Breakthrough

Wemix Play Now Encompasses Even Web2 Games

"Aiming to Increase Web3 Accessibility Through Economies of Scale"

Wemade, in response to the delisting decision of the virtual asset (cryptocurrency) 'Wemix', has sought a breakthrough by expanding its game platform. The company's blockchain game platform, Wemix Play, will now include not only Web3 games—which refer to blockchain games—but also traditional Web2 games.

According to industry sources on the 8th, Kim Seok-han, CEO of Wemix PTE LTD, announced a tentative project called 'Play On Project' as the future plan for their blockchain gaming business. The core idea is to expand and restructure Wemix Play into a platform that also integrates Web2 games, in order to bring more games onboard and secure a larger user base for the platform.

This is essentially an 'economies of scale' strategy. By offering more games, the platform hopes to increase user numbers as well as attract more developers interested in blockchain games as the Web3 gaming market proves its potential, leading to a virtuous cycle where high-quality content is onboarded and platform usage grows further.

Bringing Web2 games into the fold allows Wemade to onboard the company's broader game IPs (intellectual properties) onto Wemix Play. Currently, only the blockchain games 'MIR4 Global' and 'Night Crows Global' are showing results on Wemix Play. Platform expansion would enable Wemade to also service MIR IP, in which it excels in China, and Legend of Ymir that targets the North American market.

During an emergency meeting for Wemix holders on the 2nd, CEO Kim commented, "We have a production pipeline and portfolio that spans nearly all genres including MMORPGs, first-person shooters (FPS), and casual games. We believe that diverse game genres onboarding our platform will help us secure a larger user base, achieve economies of scale, and strengthen both the sustainability and growth potential of our platform."

A blockchain game platform where Web2 and Web3 games coexist is a world first. Wemade is taking this challenge in an attempt to break down the barriers to Web3 gaming. By drawing in users with popular Web2 games and offering opportunities like cross-promotion, the company aims to help users naturally shift toward Web3 games.

CEO Kim explained, "In reality, I believe Web3 games currently form a disconnected and isolated ecosystem or industry. By bringing in Web2 games, we aim to break down those boundaries and develop the platform into one where Web3 gaming traffic and scale can grow."

Wemade's stance is to focus on quality over quantity—even as the platform expands. Previously, in the April meeting with Wemix holders, Kim expressed that results based only on volume have limitations, and announced a strategy to onboard games with high chances of success. The company also plans to abandon BM (business models) that rely heavily on excessive gacha systems or probability-based items, often seen in Lineage-like titles.

An industry insider noted, "U.S. users tend to spend more on character skins and customization than on gacha systems, so building a BM—even after moving away from Lineage-like models—should still be viable."

The first game set to prove Wemade's strategies will onboard Wemix Play in Q3 of this year. RedLab Games' MMORPG 'ROM: Remember of Majesty' will be combined with blockchain technology for a global launch as 'ROM Golden Age.' CEO Kim also announced plans to onboard three more games: the social simulator 'Avatar Life', the collection-type RPG 'Idle Fantasy', and an open-world game developed by a Singaporean studio.

However, there are still doubts about the actual effectiveness of Wemade's blockchain game platform expansion strategy.

Kim Jung-tae, a professor from the Department of Game Studies at Dongyang University, commented, "Rather than just pursuing expansion, it’s necessary to focus on improving the quality of already proven titles like MIR, which have achieved results in the Greater China region, and to rebuild user trust by offering high-quality service."

Soo-bin Park, Hankyung.com Reporter waterbean@hankyung.com