Off The Grid Launch Meta-Analysis:
How Gunzilla Drove Blockchain Gaming to Mainstream Adoption
Dec 8, 2024
Sam Town
If you’re active in Web3 and blockchain gaming, you’re probably wondering how Gunzilla Games and their AAA title Off The Grid managed to redefine blockchain gaming and capture the attention of mainstream audiences.
Here we have an NFT-powered game with silent blockchain integration competing with mainstream AAA titles for pole position on the Epic Games Store free games chart, playable on Playstation 5, Xbox, and PC — how did they do it?
If you’ve been paying attention, Off The Grid and Gunzilla Games have raised over $100M, partnered with some of the biggest names in online gaming, and dominated online gaming discourse with one of the most aggressive and finely-timed KOL marketing campaigns in Web3 to date.
There are quite a few major events to cover, along with a slew of campaigns and collabs that include record-breaking funding, validator NFT sales, and comarketing with Neill Blomkamp, viral TikTok campaigns and Twitch streams featuring gaming legends like Ninja and Dr Disrespect, and more. I’ve collected every data point to uncover the formula behind OTG's success and map it out on this nice interactive chart — just for you.
Click major events in the timeline above the chart to see popout information on milestones like funding rounds, KOL campaigns, wNFT sales, product launches, and content updates. Swap charts with the nav buttons at the bottom left of the chart — right now, we've got press coverage, TikTok analytics, Twitch stream data, and on-chain data for the GUNZ subnet.
I would have loved to include X analytics, but Elon's API calls are out of budget for this small project — too costly for what I'd need to collect 😢 so until we can all figure out how to get SNScrape working effectively again, we'll leave X data out for now.
Check it out.
Sam Town
If you’re active in Web3 and blockchain gaming, you’re probably wondering how Gunzilla Games and their AAA title Off The Grid managed to redefine blockchain gaming and capture the attention of mainstream audiences.
Here we have an NFT-powered game with silent blockchain integration competing with mainstream AAA titles for pole position on the Epic Games Store free games chart, playable on Playstation 5, Xbox, and PC — how did they do it?
If you’ve been paying attention, Off The Grid and Gunzilla Games have raised over $100M, partnered with some of the biggest names in online gaming, and dominated online gaming discourse with one of the most aggressive and finely-timed KOL marketing campaigns in Web3 to date.
There are quite a few major events to cover, along with a slew of campaigns and collabs that include record-breaking funding, validator NFT sales, and comarketing with Neill Blomkamp, viral TikTok campaigns and Twitch streams featuring gaming legends like Ninja and Dr Disrespect, and more. I’ve collected every data point to uncover the formula behind OTG's success and map it out on this nice interactive chart — just for you.
Click major events in the timeline above the chart to see popout information on milestones like funding rounds, KOL campaigns, wNFT sales, product launches, and content updates. Swap charts with the nav buttons at the bottom left of the chart — right now, we've got press coverage, TikTok analytics, Twitch stream data, and on-chain data for the GUNZ subnet.
I would have loved to include X analytics, but Elon's API calls are out of budget for this small project — too costly for what I'd need to collect😢 so until we can all figure out how to get SNScrape working effectively again, we'll leave X data out for now.
If you're reading this, it means you're viewing this article on your phone. That's cool, but you'll need to 🔄🔒 lock your rotation — I don't have the time to make a super-optimized responsive version of this already-complicated chart 😂
if you want to view the full timeline complete with major event analysis, check this page out on desktop/laptop.
-S
OFF THE GRID PRESS COVERAGE
High-traffic news articles
Google Trend: Off The Grid (Game) interest over time
MAJOR EVENTS TIMELINE
Click events to learn more
PREVIOUS
On-Chain Data
NEXT
TikTok Analytics
OFF THE GRID PRESS COVERAGE
High-traffic news articles
Google Trend: Off The Grid (Game) interest over time
MAJOR EVENTS TIMELINE
Click events to learn more
PREVIOUS
On-Chain Data
NEXT
TikTok Analytics
Sam Town
The numbers look great, but what exactly did Gunzilla Games do to hit the mainstream with Off The Grid? While some answers are obvious — a $25 million seed round in 2020 and out-the-gate collaboration with Neill Blomkamp certainly helped — there are a few key differences between Off The Grid’s two-year launch campaign and other Web3 games that make it stand out from the crowd.
1. Targeted KOL Collaboration + Content
• Audience-Aware KOL Campaigns:
Collaborations with high-profile Twitch streamers like Ninja, TimTheTatman, and Dr Disrespect amplified exposure to millions of fans, bridging the gap between traditional and blockchain gaming audiences.
• Targeted Skins and Content:
Marketing moves like launching Trump and Harris skins ahead of the U.S. election drove media coverage and social buzz.
2. Data-Driven Timing of Key Events
• Highly Coordinated Marketing Events:
Timing events like the PS5 playtest, early access launch, and $600K Invitational Tournament within months ensured sustained interest from audience. Simultaneous major, minor, and niche content creator promotion across TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch scheduled in alignment with milestone announcements and sponsored KOL streams yielded a significant share of voice dominance.
3. Hybrid Fundraising Model
• Significant Fundraising Rounds:
Seed and series B funding rounds were paired with timed marketing campaigns, PR releases, comarketing, and content updates, attracting significant investor attention.
• Validator NFT Sales:
Early access through validator NFT sales incentivized early adopters and provided blockchain-based offerings uniquely aligned with tradfin/VC due diligence.Simple and straightforward deck
4.Stealth Blockchain Technology
• Focus on Utility, Not Complexity:
Gunzilla emphasized user-friendly blockchain integration by leveraging the Avalanche subnet, GUNZ, which allowed for fast, low-cost transactions. Players didn’t need prior blockchain knowledge to engage.
• Seamless In-Game Economy:
The GUNZ blockchain enabled trading of in-game assets, creating tangible value without overwhelming users with blockchain jargon.
Sam Town
The numbers look great, but what exactly did Gunzilla Games do to hit the mainstream with Off The Grid? While some answers are obvious — a $25 million seed round in 2020 and out-the-gate collaboration with Neill Blomkamp certainly helped — there are a few key differences between Off The Grid’s two-year launch campaign and other Web3 games that make it stand out from the crowd.
1. Targeted KOL Collaboration + Content
• Audience-Aware KOL Campaigns:
Collaborations with high-profile Twitch streamers like Ninja, TimTheTatman, and Dr Disrespect amplified exposure to millions of fans, bridging the gap between traditional and blockchain gaming audiences.
• Targeted Skins and Content:
Marketing moves like launching Trump and Harris skins ahead of the U.S. election drove media coverage and social buzz.
2. Data-Driven Timing of Key Events
• Highly Coordinated Marketing Events:
Timing events like the PS5 playtest, early access launch, and $600K Invitational Tournament within months ensured sustained interest from audience. Simultaneous major, minor, and niche content creator promotion across TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch scheduled in alignment with milestone announcements and sponsored KOL streams yielded a significant share of voice dominance.
3. Hybrid Fundraising Model
• Significant Fundraising Rounds:
Seed and series B funding rounds were paired with timed marketing campaigns, PR releases, comarketing, and content updates, attracting significant investor attention.
• Validator NFT Sales:
Early access through validator NFT sales incentivized early adopters and provided blockchain-based offerings uniquely aligned with tradfin/VC due diligence.Simple and straightforward deck
4.Stealth Blockchain Technology
• Focus on Utility, Not Complexity:
Gunzilla emphasized user-friendly blockchain integration by leveraging the Avalanche subnet, GUNZ, which allowed for fast, low-cost transactions. Players didn’t need prior blockchain knowledge to engage.
• Seamless In-Game Economy:
The GUNZ blockchain enabled trading of in-game assets, creating tangible value without overwhelming users with blockchain jargon.