Top 5 NFT Play-to-Earn Marketplaces to Follow in 2022

The gaming world is growing at an absurdly fast rate, having now eclipsed both the music & film industries combined. So, you can imagine that more and more people are considering gaming as a viable career option. One of the industry’s newest trends, in particular, is quickly catching gamers’ interest.

Play-to-earn (P2E) gaming, as a business model, lets gamers earn rewards (often in the form of crypto) for playing games. NFT P2E games offer the same opportunity for gamers to earn rewards while leveraging the benefits of NFTs. 

Today, there are a growing number of crypto ecosystems hoping to bring NFT P2E gaming to gamers. But, which horse should you back in this race? This guide explores 5 of the top NFT P2E ecosystems to watch in 2022.   

1. HeliconNFT 

With its tagline “Play. Mine. Earn”, HeliconNFT defines itself as Steam for NFT games… only better. HeliconNFT not only enables the publishing of games through its powerful NFT ecosystem but merges NFTs, DeFi and gaming in one highly-liquid, community-driven marketplace, called Agora. 

Through its 9 liquidity pools, smart yield aggregator, decentralised voting and Master NFTs, Agora defers the ecosystem’s control and revenue generation to those who invest their time and creativity in it. 

Master NFTs differ from traditional NFTs (in-game assets) in that they reward its holder for all mining & trading that takes place in its respective liquidity pool. To ensure a truly decentralised system, Master NFTs can only be held for 24 hours and must be purchased using LP tokens, rewarded for staking Helicon Drachma Token (HDT) + USDT.

At the end of the day, HeliconNFT is for gamers, developers and creators. Using NFTs’ ability to retain authorship of any NFT, creators earn royalties for every transaction that NFT participates in. NFTs can include maps, mods, saved games, cosmetics, collectible cards; anything really. Just imagine the possibilities.

2. Enjin Marketplace

Enjin is a P2E project where users can develop websites and create digital stores. While their primary focus was on NFTs of all types, Enjin has been taking steps towards achieving a blockchain gaming ecosystem. 

Their latest project, Efinity Metaverse, recently received $100 million in funding. The Efinity Metaverse Fund supports the network’s adopters, especially those focusing on Gaming and NFT development. Enjin intends to be a space for gaming projects, mixed reality experiences and virtual event networks. 

Enjin is also working on metaverse and NFT projects for the purpose of integrating multiple chains. While the network is still primarily focused on NFTs, their intention with this fund is to branch into other worlds across the metaverse.

Using Enjin, you can create your own NFTs and host them on the network. The network installs a unique UX for developers. However, not much can be said about the prowess of the Enjin token, which has been struggling to pass $4 since its launch.

3. Ulti Arena

Ulti Arena is an NFT marketplace designed for developers, gamers, freelancers, and professionals. Artists can interact with each other and expose their works to friends and fellow gaming enthusiasts. 

Ulti Arenas' primary mission is to provide game artists and developers a platform to show their work. The platform allows them to create art, NFTs, 2D and 3D assets for display in the gaming space. This platform makes it possible to communicate, discuss, learn and get certificates connected to NFT gaming. 

While providing the platform, Ulti Arena has also introduced the Ulti Tokens, which investors can mine using the proof of gaming consensus. As gamers play, they earn more ULTI tokens. Ulti Arena intends to take advantage of the currently fast-growing P2E system.

4. AirNFTs

Another platform that investors and gamers should watch out for in 2022 is the AirNFTs Marketplace. This network allows developers in the blockchain and NFT space to mint NFT assets for less than $1. 

AirNFTs network provides tools to enable developers to create NFTs and make money. Moreover, it streamlines the workflow process, making NFT production easier. In this network, you can also create games as NFTs and reap returns connected to it. 

This network integrates its own native token AIRT, which will underpin rewards and transactions. You can exchange NFTs using either the AIRT token or BNB. To increase your chances of earning rewards, you can stake, farm, or even play using your NFTs. AirNFT accepts some payment methods, such as crypto. However, it is unknown whether the marketplace accepts Paypal or credit and debit cards.

5. Altura NFT

Altura defines itself as the next-gen gaming platform leveraging NFT and blockchain technology. The platform claims to be building the future of gaming.

Altura has a developers dashboard that will help the creators mint gaming NFTs and simplify the overall experience with its API. Altura also uses a gaming forum to market upcoming projects and the latest developments, to aid users in the discovery process. 

Altura introduces a marketplace for trading NFTs. Anyone will have the freedom of listing in this marketplace. Once game collectibles and items get verified, they are separated from the rest to another noise-free marketplace. 

Altura has a native token that powers the gaming network, but its performance is yet to produce tangible profits.

Final Word

As the concept of NFT P2E increasingly gains adoption, developers need to know the best platforms to launch their projects. The five mentioned above seem to have the best prospects for the future of gaming. The policies instilled by those projects should streamline gaming revenue models and simplify the integration process. Each one could be an exciting opportunity for Defi and gaming enthusiasts to keep an eye on in 2022.