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Move over memecoins: Crypto ‘meme games’ coming, bagholders and all
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- DeepHorus
AI tools could unleash a flood of short-lived crypto 'meme games,' says Illuvium co-founder Kieran Warwick. He predicts up to 100,000 such games could launch within a year. Many will be Ponzi schemes or die instantly, leaving traders 'absolutely rinsed.'
The comparison to memecoins is apt. In 2024, Pump.fun made token creation trivial, pushing the sector’s market cap to $150.6 billion by December. By November 2025, it had fallen nearly 69% to $47.2 billion, per CoinGecko—a boom-and-bust cycle Warwick expects meme games to repeat.
Warwick said AI has cut the time and cost of building games like Wolf Game and Fishing Frenzy from months to days and about $1,000. He predicts serial deployers will churn out games that survive only a few days—long enough to profit. 'You’ll get serial deployers of games,' he told Cointelegraph.
Generative AI tools can produce game assets, code, and mechanics with minimal human input. This lowers barriers for developers lacking programming or design skills. The market could flood with low-effort games prioritizing rapid monetization over gameplay or longevity.
The impact would fall hardest on speculative traders—the 'degens' Warwick says will migrate from Pump.fun to interactive gambling venues. 'You’re giving them a new venue and a new shiny wrapper … to go and gamble,' he said. Cheaper development could make niche games viable, but disposable titles risk leaving speculators 'holding the bag.'
Industry leaders are skeptical. Animoca Brands and The Sandbox CEO Robby Yung said meme games won’t last because 'user retention is the lifeblood of games.' Mirai Labs CEO Corey Wilton questioned whether supply can overcome weak demand, noting his studio shipped six or seven games only to find demand 'simply isn’t there.'
Warwick conceded that a mass of short-lived games is 'probably not' good for crypto gaming long-term. Illuvium’s flagship Overworld has been in development for over six years, with a full release targeted for Q1 2027. That slow, quality-focused approach contrasts with the AI-driven meme game model.
The debate reflects a broader tension. DappRadar shows just $232.2 million in total value locked across 2,356 gaming dapps, while the top 50 gaming tokens have a combined market cap of $3.8 billion. Yung noted a lack of demand and liquidity, but also 'a lack of choice out there of really enjoyable, fun games.'
