The web3 gaming industry has witnessed exponential growth in the past year, with advancements in game development, an increase in player engagement, and a notable enhancement in game quality. Acknowledging  these achievements, we are thrilled to announce the return of the biggest web3 gaming event of the year, the GAM3 Awards, for its second consecutive year in 2023.

Recognized and revered by industry leaders, developers, and gamers alike, the awards celebrate the pinnacle of innovation, creativity, and excellence in the web3 gaming space. This year’s iteration promises to deliver a bigger and better awards show on every scale, fitting of the immense progress made throughout the past year in web3 gaming.

The maturation of the web3 gaming space will be reflected in the GAM3 Awards 2023, which will encompass the past 12 months of innovation, a period marked by unparalleled creativity. The 2023 awards will once again be presented by yours truly, the home of web3 gaming, and Magic Eden, the community-centric NFT marketplace.

A Year of Remarkable Growth

In 2022, the web3 gaming industry was still in its nascent stages, with many projects just starting to gain traction. The web3 gaming world has rapidly evolved, marking 2023 as a year of unprecedented growth and innovation. Industry giants like Ubisoft and Zynga have ventured into the web3 domain, further solidifying its potential and signaling a new era in gaming. Reflecting on the journey of our GAM3 Awards 2022 winners provides a testament to this growth. Big Time, last year's Game of the Year recipient, has been on an impressive trajectory. They successfully launched their preseason, activating the core components of their in-game economy, leveraging the $BIGTIME token to foster a vibrant player-driven economy.

Meanwhile, Shrapnel, which clinched the title of Most Anticipated Game, is buzzing with anticipation as they gear up for their first hands-on public playtest.

Other titles within web3 have performed tremendously during 2023, with the likes of Cross the Ages and NFL Rivals topping the Appstore charts. As 2023 unfolds, a plethora of new games have emerged, challenging the reign of previous winners. These newcomers, with their innovative gameplay and immersive experiences, are poised to be strong contenders for the top spots at the GAM3 Awards, making this year's competition fiercer than ever.

Celebrating the Best in Web3 Gaming

Last year's inaugural event, hosted by formerly Polkastarter Gaming, celebrated over 100 web3 games nominated across 16 diverse categories. These categories were designed to honor the best in web3 gaming, as chosen by both an expert panel and the gaming community. The GAM3 Awards 2023 introduces 3 new categories - namely Fighting, Racing / Sports, and On-Chain games - to crown more winners in genres that saw several newcomers enter the world of web3 gaming and deserve recognition.

Games will be evaluated on various criteria including core loop, accessibility, replayability factor, fun elements, graphics, and overall gameplay experience. Only games with a live, playable version that meet the mentioned criteria will be eligible for nomination, with the exception of the Most Anticipated Game category and People’s Choice Award.

The Jury

Familiar faces from the gaming world including thought leaders and industry veterans will serve on the jury to support a diverse and transparent voting system., This year’s jury sees both returning 2022 jurors in addition to new representatives from web3 gaming VCs, chains and ecosystems, infrastructure partners and content creators - in addition to traditional gaming leaders as well as tech giants such as Amazon and Google.

The jury's decision will have a 90% weightage, while community votes will contribute 10% to the final outcome. However, categories like People’s Choice Award and Best Content Creator will see a 100% dependence on community voting, while Games’ Choice Award sees game studios voting for their favorite game of the year.

Mark the Date

In the run-up to the GAM3 Awards ceremony, exclusive content, including interviews with the finalists and jury members, which will build anticipation ahead of the winners being crowned in the live event on December 14. Moreover, the ceremony itself serves as a key industry landmark event, with games expected to release major announcements and exclusive content during the show. Last year the awards saw over 250,000 votes, and the ceremony was live streamed to over 30,000 viewers across streaming platforms as the finalists competed for a $1M prize pool in grants & services.

Nominations will begin starting today, October 26th, directly on our platform on the GAM3 Awards page, and will run until the shortlist is announced ahead of the final voting.

The GAM3 Awards ceremony is scheduled for December 14th, 2023. Stay tuned for more content, exclusive interviews with the finalists and jury members, and non-stop action leading up to the ceremony.