Multichain and Cross-Chain Gaming in Web3

Web3 gaming has been around for just under a decade, and what started with a little project called Huntercoin back in 2014, has turned into this ever-evolving market, with AAA games blossoming around us. The web3 gaming landscape has evolved, from the initial Human Mining project, through Play to Earn and GameFi, now to Play to Own, but what does the future hold? Currently, games are, for the most part, single-chain, but there is a huge opportunity for Multichain and Cross-chain gaming!

But what do those terms mean? They can seem quite complicated at the outset, but we’ll break it down for you.

What is Cross-Chain in Web3?

Cross-chain, simply put, is the ability to move digital assets across from one blockchain to another - think of it like transferring in-game assets from XBOX to PS5, but keeping the same account, and no hassle. Generally, this is done via a bridge, and with the use of smart contracts, it is done without the need for human input. Using our example of PS5 and XBOX, lets the lay it out.

Let’s say I’m playing a game on the PS5 network, but I wanted to play on the XBOX network as I had some more assets there that I wanted to use in the game, or my friends play on that network. I’d go to the bridge and “burn” my asset on the PS5 side, then I’d mint the asset again on the XBOX side of the bridge - where the assets are now compatible with the XBOX network, and I can use them as I like on the XBOX network. There are different mechanisms of cross-chain bridges, with the burn-and-mint, and the lock-and-unlock being the most common.

What is Multichain in Web3?

When it comes down to it, the simplest way to describe multichain is when an app or a network utilizes more than one blockchain to run, given that those blockchains use the same smart contract tech. For example, an app that runs on Ethereum, Polygon, and Binance Smart Chain, or a modular blockchain whose layers consist of different EVM chains.

For a more in-depth read, check out my previous piece on Crosschain vs Multichain vs Omnichain :)

What is Cross-Chain gaming?

Cross-chain gaming is essentially games where the digital assets can operate on other chains, thanks to a bridge enabling that interoperability. The game's assets - and the game - must be available on both sides of the bridge for this to work correctly. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for mass interoperability in the Web3 gaming scene.

What are the benefits of Cross-Chain gaming?

Cross-chain gaming enables players to be a lot more flexible with where they play their games, as an example, if someone wanted to play a game on the Polygon network, but their friends played on the Immutable X network, it would be very easy for them to transfer for their character to the next network and enjoy time with their friends, whilst keeping their assets and progress intact. Neat right?

But then this begs the question, what is multichain gaming?

What is Multichain Gaming?

The concept of Multichain can get a bit complicated, so we will break it down here. When you hear the word multichain, it refers to an application that is built on multiple networks, that share the same underlying smart contract technology. Imagine it is similar to being able to play the same game on PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, AND PS5 online servers, without having to swap discs or change consoles, as they share the same underlying “Play Station” technology. This is the next step on the road to complete interoperability and the evolution of Cross-Chain.

What's the difference between Cross-Chain and Multichain Gaming?

The difference between Cross-Chain and Multichain gaming really comes down to a few things:

• Convenience
• Scalability
• Security

Convenience

In cross-chain gaming, the action of bridging assets over to other networks can pose a bit of a roadblock to the onboarding of the next million gamers onto web3 games. Why? Well it's daunting for first-time users, the anxiety of not knowing if you’d done it right until it's done, having to keep tabs on different wallet addresses, having to mess around with different bridges, it can be a bit much for the casual gamer and non-web3 native.

With Multichain, the assets are already compatible, so, with the help of a Multichain wallet, it's much easier, and less stress-inducing to transfer your in-game assets and play games on different platforms

Scalability

Similarly, Cross-Chain gaming is also not very scalable, as bridging is a one-to-one interaction, moving NFTs from one chain to another. Multichain is a many-to-many interaction, which is a lot more scalable for games, as they can hit multiple chains or networks and access different player bases (and more importantly, we save money on transaction fees!!!)

For gamers to enjoy their experience on-chain, an effort has to be made to make the onboarding, playing, and user experience all as simple, effective, and enjoyable as possible!

Moving to a more interoperable experience with Multichain gaming can help achieve that

Security

Multichain games would be more secure than Cross-Chain games (and traditional online games for that matter), as they would benefit from multi-network security. Whilst the networks share the underlying smart contract technology, the security of the individual chains may differ. It’s hard enough to take down 1 blockchain network, imagine 4! Thousands of nodes worldwide need to be attacked, compare that to the centralized servers of traditional online gaming, and it really shows where the future of gaming will lie.

The Future of Multi-Chain and Cross-Chain Gaming

Multichain gaming seems to be the future, but at the moment it is quite difficult to implement. The ease of access it can provide for games is second to none and will be how Web3 gaming competes with the web2 giants, by creating a seamless experience for gamers. Bring on the future!