Crypto Game Shutdowns Sweep 2025 Amid Funding Shortages and Market Pressures
The year 2025 witnessed a significant wave of crypto game shutdowns driven by funding shortages and market pressures across multiple blockchain networks.
In January, Deadrop shut down, while Midnight Society gave employees only two days’ notice. NFT access passes on Polygon became obsolete, prompting players to seek refunds via chargebacks.
Ember Sword ceased operations in May after failing to meet funding expectations despite hype-driven pledges linked to an NFT land sale. The game, which moved across chains, ultimately went offline.
Nyan Heroes ended its run in May due to insufficient funding to complete development. The NYAN token collapsed by over 99% from its 2024 peak, and there were discussions about acquiring the studio and intellectual property.
Realms of Alurya stopped development in late June after Treasure cut development grants amidst a strategic pivot to AI initiatives, making it impossible to complete the game without funding.
Square Enix’s Ethereum-based project Symbiogenesis officially ended on July 31, 2025, with a roadmap designed for conclusion rather than ongoing funding.
The Mystery Society suspended operations in February after failing to secure additional funding despite having received $3 million earlier. The project had migrated from Polygon to Immutable.
Raini: The Lords of Light halted online services in July. NFT assets for the game existed on Ethereum and Avalanche blockchains, alongside an RST token. The studio paid out 2 million RST rewards and plans to pivot to new titles featuring deflationary tokenomics.
On July 1, Mojo Melee and its WWA AI-focused platform shut down as Planet Mojo shifted its focus to AI ventures, signaling a broader industry move away from crypto-enabled titles in the studio’s portfolio.
