Solana’s first gaming SVM surpasses 1M monthly active users

Despite the significant milestone, Web3 gaming still needs more “soft” infrastructure for mass adoption, according to Sonic’s CEO

Sonic’s testnet has surpassed one million monthly active users in a testament to the growing adoption of Web3 games.

Sonic, the first gaming-focused Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) layer 2, generated over 600 million transactions from over one million users during its testnet.

The user surge was largely due to the Odyssey testnet campaign, which offered users rewards for playing and transacting on the testnet, according to Chris Zhu, CEO of Sonic SVM.

Zhu told Cointelegraph:

“Users are rewarded ‘rings’ for transacting on the testnet and completing certain tasks. The tasks also include things like completing actions within our ecosystem games.”

The testnet offered users eight games to play, including the more popular Rage Effect, LowLifeForms and JogoJogo, with the latter’s prediction-based game receiving over 250,000 registrations.

Sonic is part of a new paradigm called play-to-earn or Web3 gaming that aims to reward users for their time and create player-owned economies with real-world value. However, Web3 gaming is struggling to attract mainstream users due to a lack of quality games.

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Web3 game builders need more “soft” infrastructure — Sonic SVM CEO

Looking at Web3 game development, the lack of “soft” infrastructure is currently the biggest challenge for builders.

Essential “soft” infrastructure includes go-to-market strategy support, project bootstrapping services, and post-launch marketing tactics, according to Sonic’s Zhu:

“We recognize that what makes a game successful is not only determined by its technicalities — the ‘soft’ infrastructure we provide is designed to enhance and raise awareness for not just our individual games, but Web3 gaming on Solana as a whole.”

Sonic SVM closed a $12 million Series A funding round led by Bitkraft Ventures at the end of June, bringing its total capital raised to $16 million.

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Web3 gaming adoption: Education is the biggest issue for mainstream gamers

The current Web3 games are often criticized for ignoring the development of quality gameplay for quick financial incentives.

However, Sonic’s Zhu believes education is a bigger challenge for mainstream Web3 gaming adoption. He said:

“The biggest issue for mainstream adoption is an inherent difference in the economies created in Web2 games vs. Web3 games. A lot more education needs to be done regarding Web3 games, as well as building interesting and engaging platforms that gamers will enjoy.”

Solana’s is shaping up as a top blockchain for Web3 gaming communities, added Zhu.

Other popular blockchain networks for gaming include Ronin Network, which is Axie Infinity’s blockchain, Immutable X, MultiverX, Oasys and Polygon.