While crypto gaming has long been seen as a key use for blockchain, letting gamers really own and freely trade their unique items and perhaps profit from a game’s success, developers are struggling to sustain their games and digital economies.<\/span><\/p>\nSome games, like Gunzilla Games\u2019 <\/span>Off the Grid<\/span>, have punched through to a broader audience, gaining adoption from top streamers and gamers alike\u2014albeit ahead of full blockchain integration. But many other games and studios building with tokens are struggling to find players and maintain funding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIn 2025, a number of once-promising crypto games closed up shop, with the list growing steadily throughout the year. Here\u2019s a look at some of the biggest games to go offline or shut down entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Deadrop<\/span><\/h2>\nDeadrop game developer Midnight Society <\/span>announced that it was closing shop<\/span> in January. The studio, which had previously <\/span>removed co-founder Dr. Disrespect<\/span> in 2024 after alleged misconduct, gave employees just two days notice, according to an employee post on X.<\/span><\/p>\nThe extraction shooter game spent around two years in early access, selling players NFT access passes on <\/span>Ethereum<\/span> scaling network <\/span>Polygon<\/span>, as well as other non-NFT items that ultimately became useless. In March, players started rallying around the abandoned community Discord, helping each other secure <\/span>refunds via credit card chargebacks<\/span> and bank reversals by claiming the product was never fully delivered.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Ember Sword<\/span><\/h2>\nEthereum game Ember Sword at one point received more than $200 million in pledges for an NFT land sale, conveying the level of hype around metaverse gaming land NFTs in 2021. But the final sale brought in much less than that, and in May, the game was ultimately shut down.<\/span><\/p>\nDeveloper Bright Star Studios cited a lack of funding in its closing announcement\u2014a common theme among crypto games ceasing development of late. The MMORPG <\/span>entered closed beta<\/span> last July and early access later in the year, but drew criticism from players. After moving chains multiple times in search of a permanent home, it’s since gone offline.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe explored every possible way forward. But in today\u2019s market\u2014where even some of the most promising projects are shutting down\u2014we couldn\u2019t find a path to keep building,\u201d <\/span>the project said<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Nyan Heroes<\/span><\/h2>\nThe <\/span>Solana<\/span> cat-mech shooter game <\/span>Nyan Heroes<\/span> ended its run in May<\/span>, as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe game, which had racked up more than 250,000 wishlist additions across PC gaming platforms, was unable to secure the necessary funding to complete development and push ahead with its planned full launch next winter.<\/span><\/p>\nIts closure rendered its NYAN Solana token useless, plummeting its value to more than 99% off its all-time high established in 2024.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n„It’s been a difficult last few months,\u201d 9 Lives CEO and Creative Director Max Fu told <\/span>Decrypt<\/span><\/i> following the announcement. \u201cCurrently, we are exploring acquisition of the studio and\/or the IP. Some discussions are underway, but I suspect it may take some time to finalize a decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Realms of Alurya<\/span><\/h2>\nA funding issue also <\/span>signaled the end of the line<\/span> for Realms of Alurya. The game, which was initially expected to launch on Treasure\u2019s blockchain, was forced to migrate to the Ethereum gaming-focused sidechain <\/span>Ronin<\/span> as Treasure pivoted to focus on AI initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\nThe developers claimed in a message to its community that Treasure unexpectedly cut grant funding that was expected along developmental milestones. Without that funding, the studio said it was no longer able to complete its roadmap, and has yet to secure additional backing. In late June, the studio confirmed that the game was done for good.<\/span><\/p>\n