State of User Acquisition in Web3 Gaming

Founder of Tempest Gaming Guild, Storming (@StormingWeb3), has released a detailed account of its user acquisition efforts following the completion of Milestone 1 under the Arbitrum grant. The team delivered 100 percent of the outlined milestones but reached only about 55 percent of the expected user conversions. This gap has prompted the group to publicly examine the performance of each campaign channel and openly discuss the challenges of driving real user growth in the web3 gaming space.

State of User Acquisition in Web3 Gaming

Performance of Key Campaign Channels

According to Storming, the team focused on strategies they were most familiar with, including live streams, YouTube videos, daily game nights, and consistent Twitter (X) activity. These channels were chosen based on previous engagement success with their gamer-native audience, which generally transitions into web3 (blockchain) more easily than other segments.

YouTube

On YouTube, the team observed that conversion can be strong when the content is well-timed. Data showed that a reliable web3 creator can expect to convert around 100 users per 1,000 views, with some of Storming’s content reaching 200 conversions per 2,000 views. However, Storming pointed out a major flaw: the ease with which view counts can be artificially inflated. While others may use automated scripts to boost these numbers, Storming chose to avoid these tactics. Instead, their average performance included around 300 real clicks per video, resulting in about 100 genuine signups or Steam wishlist entries.

State of User Acquisition in Web3 Gaming

Live Streaming

Live streams were assessed based on unique viewer counts rather than concurrent viewership. Storming noted that although a streamer may maintain an average of 60 concurrent viewers, the total number of unique viewers during a stream can be significantly higher, especially when timed correctly with strategic calls to action. However, the report stressed that most of the industry still focuses on metrics like concurrent viewers, which are often inflated by bots or non-organic traffic. This makes it difficult for agencies and partners to distinguish authentic engagement from artificial activity.

State of User Acquisition in Web3 Gaming

Community Game Nights

Game nights consistently drew between 300 and 400 real participants each day. These events were effective in testing new games and building community loyalty. While the retention value of these users was high, they did not contribute significantly to new user acquisition. Instead, Storming views these players as long-term assets who strengthen the foundation of any game community, rather than drivers of immediate growth.

Twitter (X)

Twitter (X) was identified as the weakest platform for conversion. Despite the platform’s ability to create awareness and shape public mindshare, Storming stated that it does not function as a scalable acquisition tool for web3 gaming. The team made it clear that relying solely on social media posts to attract players is ineffective without an active campaign or incentive like an airdrop.

Understanding the Conversion Gap

Storming acknowledged that missing the user conversion target was due largely to the difficulty of building awareness purely through entertainment-focused strategies in web3. Without the help of short-term incentives or aggressive advertising tactics, it remains a challenge to translate engagement into measurable growth. Rather than manipulating performance data or resorting to vanity metrics, the team chose to maintain transparency and remain focused on learning from the campaign’s results.

State of User Acquisition in Web3 Gaming

Moving Forward with a Measured Approach

Looking ahead, Storming is taking concrete steps to improve top-of-funnel performance. The team plans to hire two full-time digital marketing specialists to focus exclusively on the early stages of the user journey. These specialists will be tasked with optimizing short-form content, creating high-performing calls to action, and improving how users enter the Tempest Labs onboarding pipeline. The group has historically been strong in mid- and bottom-funnel activities such as user qualification, retention, and lifetime value optimization, and is now working to strengthen its ability to attract new users effectively.

State of User Acquisition in Web3 Gaming

Reinforcing Honest Growth in Web3 Gaming

Storming concluded the report by emphasizing the importance of honesty and transparency in web3 development. Instead of showing inflated dashboards or fabricated user counts, the team is committed to building reliable systems that reflect real usage and value. The team hopes that by openly sharing what worked and what did not, other builders in the web3 gaming space can adjust their strategies accordingly.