Crypto gaming continues to face significant headwinds as many studios have either scaled back operations or shut down entirely. These challenges are often structural and industry-wide. Studios continue to grapple with demonstrating that blockchain technology adds value for players, the game itself, or the overall business.

The demand within the crypto-native audience remains limited, and traction beyond this audience has proven difficult to achieve. Furthermore, both retail and institutional investors have shown reduced interest, largely due to underwhelming outcomes from past projects. Within this context, Uncharted has sought to take a different path.

Fishing Frenzy Reports Over 1M Game Installs

More About Uncharted

Uncharted has built its development approach around integrating economic principles into the core of the gaming experience. The studio aims to make financial engagement part of the gameplay rather than an afterthought. In previous titles, such as Gangster Arena, the team focused on seasonal, strategic, and competitive formats.

While this created long-term engagement, it struggled to attract a wide audience. In contrast, Blast the Balloon offered a casual and accessible format, which did attract users more easily, but could not sustain interest without constant development and external incentives. These learnings have informed the development of Fishing Frenzy, Uncharted’s third title.

Fishing Frenzy Reports Over 1M Game Installs

The Fishing Frenzy Approach

Fishing Frenzy was designed with the intention of combining simple, low-friction gameplay with economic layers introduced progressively. The game began with a focus on the crypto-native audience but was structured to allow for potential expansion to broader user groups. Incentives were integrated directly into the player experience, with the aim of rewarding meaningful contributions that support the growth of the game. The strategy emphasizes building the game and economy one layer at a time, using regular catalysts and content updates.

Fishing Frenzy Reports Over 1M Game Installs

Season 1 Overview and Key Developments

Season 1 of Fishing Frenzy ran for eight weeks and marked the launch of several key features and initiatives. Version 0 of the game was released on the Ronin Network, introducing NFT rods, various types of fish, and a cooking mechanic. A special event called Ronin Reef was launched, which included new fish types and collaborative in-game pets developed in partnership with projects such as Kanstar World, Cyber Kongz, Jinmeme RON, and Ronke On Ron. Rod durability mechanics were updated, and additional game elements were introduced, including shiny NFT fish and advanced cooking recipes.

During the season, pet utility was added, enhancing gameplay depth. Uncharted also announced a publishing partnership with Sky Mavis, which includes support in the form of grants, investment, and advisory services. Additional partnerships, such as one with the creator platform Kind_HQ, contributed to community engagement efforts. A creators program was launched, which distributed 20,000 $RON to top content creators. Over the course of the season, various contests and events were run, distributing more than $30,000 worth of $RON to players.

Fishing Frenzy Reports Over 1M Game Installs

Performance Metrics and User Engagement

Fishing Frenzy showed strong engagement metrics during its first season. The game reached 1.8 million installs, with an average of 50,000 daily active users, although this figure includes a notable number of bots. Players spent approximately 660,000 $RON, equivalent to an annualized value of $3 million USD. The game attracted 9,800 unique wallets with an average revenue per paying user of $68 in $RON. Over 900,000 transactions were conducted across 35,000 wallets, with an average of 5,000 daily active wallets generating 15,000 transactions per day. In-game trading activity reached around $200,000 across 300,000 NFTs, including fish and rods.

Fishing Frenzy Reports Over 1M Game Installs

Remaining Challenges and Strategic Outlook

Despite the positive engagement and financial results, several challenges remain unresolved. One major issue is how to scale the game to reach new users beyond the existing crypto-native audience. Another is how to maintain revenue generation when players are often driven by the expectation of profit. These questions are relevant across the broader blockchain gaming sector, and there are no guaranteed solutions.

Uncharted is currently exploring a variety of experimental approaches. These include the development of player-driven speculative markets with fees on trading, ensuring that earning is possible but not guaranteed, and identifying external sources of value such as loyalty-based airdrops. Other ideas involve incentivized user acquisition through referral programs and creator partnerships, as well as the implementation of novel tokenomic structures designed to drive both retention and growth.

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Focus on Season 2 and Continued Development

As the team moves into the development of Season 2, the immediate focus is on refining core gameplay systems, running new live operations experiments, and continuing to test broader strategic initiatives in the background. Uncharted has emphasized that crypto games are inherently risky and that players should not expect quick profits. The project remains committed to building a scalable and sustainable model. If successful, Fishing Frenzy could provide a replicable framework for other titles within the Uncharted ecosystem.