Sustainable play-to-earn model helps players navigate the rise and fall of GameFi

In 2021, the world experienced both the rise and fall of GameFi, with popular games including Decentraland, Sandbox and Axie Infinity enabling players to earn in a new standard for gameplay.

Within the confines of these games, players were allowed to experience true asset ownership, as verified by the blockchain, earning profits divided among players, regardless of where they were physically located. While these games have shaped the profitability of gaming, many are still left questioning if play-to-earn (P2E) can be more than a marketing gimmick.

With sustainability plaguing the community, GameFi relies heavily on a continuous stream of outside investments and a dedicated fan base to propel momentum. Unfortunately, both have proven to be short-term-oriented and, in some cases, damaging to the token ecosystem. The result was a market downturn, complete with red charts, a shortage of cash flow and, ultimately, a temporary collapse of the P2E concept. To avoid tough love situations, market pioneers have suggested major changes may be needed to the once-thriving play-to-earn model and the GameFi sector as a whole.

DeRace, a play-to-earn NFT horse racing metaverse game, aims to address the P2E damage made to ecosystems by providing players a sustainable model for earning and a layer-2 solution that uses native tokens and is scalable to all chains. 

By leveraging an already reputable brand, the team has made notable advancements in the crypto world, enabling players to breed horses with original characteristics and participate in horse races, all while earning a profit. The model, which is focused on sustainable growth, focuses on shaping the future of GameFi. Their insight in market positioning is proving successful, as evidenced by the number of copycat horse racing games that have followed.

The project has since gained support from notable cryptocurrency giants, including DAO Maker, Animoca Brands, Mintable, LD Capital, Binance NFT, Polygon (MATIC), Chainlink (LINK), Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Crypto.com (CRO). 

Creation, engagement and governance

In contrast to other play-to-earn games, the DeRace earning model leverages a three-step mechanism to ensure continuous expansion of the ecosystem. Their model, known as DeRace2Earn, leverages in-game utility NFTs and creation, engagement and governance as earning opportunities. Creation, which takes shape in Create2Earn, allows players to mint their own NFTs. In comparison, Engage2Earn enables players to earn NFTs for their participation in the ecosystem. The last pillar, Govern2Earn, will inspire the community to run the game themselves and earn rewards for their efforts.

Together, this model will be released in a step-by-step format to ensure the continuous expansion of the ecosystem. As each version is rolled out, players will gain access to new in-game rewards until the full launch, set for October 2022. At present, DeRace is in the Beta 1.2 stage, marked by the DeRace core revamp, development of Engage2Earn mechanics, as well as gameplay expansion..

DeRace V2: opening new horizons for GameFi

As the visionary of the crypto sphere, DeRace is going well above and beyond the game. The platform’s layer-2 cross-chain solution aims at innovating not only the GameFi market but also the traditional gaming industry.

DeRace V2 lays the foundation to create a layer-2 solution that expands DeRace’s ecosystem to new heights. It allows players to use the native token as a gas fee and offers other businesses an opportunity to create projects on it. Besides that, the ecosystem enables the integration of other chains that offers massive scalability and exposure to the ecosystem itself. 

Although still in development, players can experience two key aspects of the DeRace metaverse –– NFT horse racing and horse breeding. Since the launch, over 60 000 races have been run, each accompanied by different racing events and prize pools. 

Alongside racing, one of the newest features is breeding a component of Create2Earn. With this feature, the community can create their own NFTs to breed first-generation horses. Players retain complete control of the resulting NFT horses with blockchain backing and may choose to trade, breed, rent or race them.

Not only is the DeRace team focusing on improving the game infrastructure by upgrading their player earning mechanics and creating a layer-2 solution, but they also focus on enhancing the gameplay itself to make it more enjoyable for the players. 

A breath of fresh air

Over the next couple of months, players can expect several new features introduced to the game, each of which will further the DeRace metaverse in alignment with its sustainable growth objectives. Together, with their star lineup of advisors, including Alex Becker and Manu Terrones Godoy, Michael Owen, the DeRace2Earn model and GameFi-tailored layer-2 solution will provide a new take to the P2E gaming industry.