Star Atlas, a space strategy game built on the Solana blockchain, has seen a significant increase in economic activity. Recent data from Flipside Crypto shows that players of the game generated over $700,000 in revenue during March 2025 through a combination of in-game activities, staking mechanisms, and marketplace trades. This revenue comes from a variety of sources within the game’s evolving on-chain economy, demonstrating continued growth despite the relatively small user base and ongoing development.

Star Atlas Player Revenue Hits $700k

Key Sources of Revenue

The revenue generated by Star Atlas players can be traced back to several key sources. One of the largest contributors was Infrastructure Contracts (FICs), which brought in over $263,000. These contracts are a feature of the game's SAGE Labs module, allowing players to craft contracts using in-game resources and exchange them for guaranteed payouts in ATLAS, the game’s primary token. Another significant source of revenue was the Faction Fleet rewards, part of the SCORE program, which generated around $192,000.

This program allows players to stake their ships with factions, earning ongoing ATLAS emissions in return. The SCORE system is designed to moderate inflation, with emissions capped at approximately 3% of the total ATLAS supply each quarter. In addition to the Infrastructure Contracts and SCORE rewards, players also generated revenue through the Galactic Marketplace and local market sales. The Galactic Marketplace alone accounted for $64,621 in revenue, while sales in local markets added another $37,966.

These earnings come from the trade of resources and materials such as fuel, food, and ammunition, which players produce through NFTs or claim stakes. These resources are then sold to other players for crafting, missions, or ship upkeep. A 6% transaction fee is applied to all marketplace trades, with the collected fees routed to the Star Atlas DAO treasury, contributing to the broader game ecosystem.

Star Atlas Player Revenue Hits $700k

POLIS Staking Rewards and Governance 

The participation of players in governance also played a role in the generation of revenue. Players who staked the POLIS token, which is used for decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) voting and treasury control, earned a total of $97,016. POLIS staking rewards are issued from a dedicated pool to incentivize long-term participation in the game’s governance system. However, while these rewards are a meaningful source of income for players, the level of governance participation remains low.

This raises concerns about the potential for centralized decision-making by a small group of large holders. Other, smaller revenue streams also contributed to player earnings. These include revenue from rentals, referrals, and locker rewards, which totalled several thousand dollars combined. These elements reflect ongoing experimentation within the game’s economy, such as performance-based emissions and player-to-player lending systems, which may become more prominent as the game continues to develop.

The broader economic impact of these player activities is significant for the Star Atlas DAO, which has accumulated $1.37 million over the past year from fees and in-game sinks. These funds are managed by POLIS token holders, who can vote on how to use the funds for future development, token burns, or staking rewards. According to prior reports, a large portion of ATLAS emissions—approximately 66%—is typically re-spent or re-staked by players in the game, which helps reduce sell pressure and contributes to long-term economic sustainability.

Star Atlas Cover Banner on X

Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite the promising growth of Star Atlas's economy, there are still challenges to consider. The volatility of the ATLAS token, for instance, remains a significant risk. The token’s value can fluctuate dramatically, as evidenced by a 25% decline in May 2024, which impacted the USD-equivalent value of in-game rewards. Additionally, all current gameplay exists within a test environment, with the full release of the game still under development. As a result, the eventual mainnet experience may differ significantly from the current version.

In comparison to other web3 games, Star Atlas is showing signs of a more mature and balanced economic system. The game's focus on controlled emissions and gameplay-driven economic inputs contrasts with earlier play-to-earn models that often flooded the market with tokens without adequate economic sinks. As development continues, the Star Atlas team aims to further refine its systems to ensure a more sustainable and engaging player experience.

Details on Star Atlas' $100K Creator Campaign

Final Thoughts

The growing on-chain economy in Star Atlas illustrates the potential of blockchain-based gaming to generate real-world value for players, even during the early stages of development. As the game continues to mature, its economic model, which integrates staking, marketplace trading, and player-driven decision-making, may offer valuable lessons for other projects in the web3 space. However, as with any cryptocurrency-based system, players must remain mindful of the volatility and risks inherent in such ecosystems. With ongoing development and refinement, Star Atlas aims to provide a more sustainable and engaging economic environment for its players in the future.

Source: Flipside Crypto