YGG Play Summit Returns to Manila, Highlights Web3 Resilience and Ecosystem Launches During Conference

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YGG Play Summit, the only major event for the web3 gaming sector, returned to Manila beginning November 19, gathering industry leaders, developers, and community members to discuss the future of blockchain gaming and unveil key product launches.

Opening Keynotes

Mench Dizon

While the conference summit on November 20 opened with a reminder of the current market climate surrounding not just web3 games but crypto in general, the energy, atleast at Samsung Hall in SM Aura in BGC, Taguig, was telling otherwise.

YGG Pilipinas Country Lead Mench Dizon delivered the keynote welcome remarks detailing the above and further added:

“The YGG Play Summit represents the resilience of the community. YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon and I are still here because we believe in the community that we have been building in the past five years.”

Emmy Lou Delfin

Director Emmy Lou Delfin of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-MIMAROPA also delivered a keynote address, highlighting Palawan’s role as the home of the country’s first “Metaverse Filipino Worker (MFW) City.”

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Delfin reiterated the department’s goal to “create eight million digitally enabled jobs at the end of 2028” as part of building a “digitally inclusive Philippines.”

AI, Gaming Innovation, and New Ecosystems

The summit featured major product reveals alongside fireside chats exploring the technical evolution of gaming.

Shi Khai Wei

Discussions on the future of gameplay took center stage during a session titled “AI Agents and the New Architecture of Play.”

Shi Khai Wei of LongHash Ventures, speaking with Joe Josue of Ahensya, highlighted the evolving role of artificial intelligence in creating deeper player experiences. “AI agents can bring companionship. I love to see agents that can tell you ‘NO’—to have their own mind,” Wei stated.

Spekter Games

Spekter Games officially unveiled Spekter Hub, a new web3 incentive ecosystem designed to connect all its games on a single platform. Players can earn “Spark,” the ecosystem’s loyalty currency, by completing missions. Top performers can earn “Spek Vaults”—digital collectibles stored on TON and Soneium that provide multipliers and premium bonuses.

Speaking with BitPinas Editor-in-Chief Michael Mislos on “Gaming in the Super Apps,” TK of Spekter Games emphasized that the hub aligns with their goal “not to try to change web2 gaming, but add an incentive platform through web3.” He noted that Spekter Hub offers onchain rewards with “no paywalls or onboarding barriers.”

Moku’s Grand Arena

In another major launch, Moku announced that its Grand Arena preseason is now live. The platform, described as a 24/7 fantasy sports and AI battler, introduced “Moki Manager,” a management-sim mode for asset holders. Players can compete in “Moki Mayhem,” a team-based battler, to climb leaderboards. Moku confirmed that all preseason statistics will carry over to Season 1, which features a US$1 million prize pool.

Market Trends and Platforms

Industry leaders also addressed the current state of the crypto market and platform development.

Joony Koo

Joony Koo of Spacebar, speaking with Decrypt’s Vince Dioquino, remarked on the timing of the industry’s growth. “There will be a platform that’s gonna be transformative and I don’t think that time for crypto gaming has come yet,” Koo said, adding that gamers should look forward to developers testing new concepts.

Oliver Maroney

OpenSea’s Head of Business Development and Partnerships, Oliver Maroney, discussed the platform’s evolution into a “cultural hub.” Maroney announced that OpenSea will be launching a mobile app to allow users to trade NFTs and tokens seamlessly. “We believe going mobile is the next step to bring more people in,” Maroney stated.

Consoles and Infrastructure

Theodore Agranat

The role of mainstream gaming infrastructure was highlighted by Theodore Agranat of Gunzilla Games, the developer behind “Off The Grid.” Agranat noted a “massive switch” in public perception regarding NFTs and blockchain games. “It’s not about the technology. It’s about the game,” he said, emphasizing the importance of giving control back to gamers.

Jeff Zirlin

In a session titled “Is Ronin Ethereum’s Nintendo?”, Sky Mavis Co-Founder Jeffrey “Jihoz” Zirlin discussed the strategy for the Ronin Network. Zirlin explained that Ronin can leverage Ethereum’s security to focus incentives on adoption. “Gaming is a hit-on-the-chain business. Having killer games lift up the whole ecosystem,” Zirlin said.

Zirlin also teased that the Ronin Wallet would soon have more real-world utility for Filipinos, with full details to be revealed on the summit’s second day.

Other sessions included discussions on token management with Daryl Lim of TRIVE Digital and Alessia Baumgartner of DWF Labs, and a fireside chat on “Defining the Next Meta” with Luke Barwikowski of Pixels, who credited the Filipino community as the reason his team continues to build.

Check out the Twitter thread of BitPinas to check out all speakers and topics: