In a major shift reflecting broader changes in the gaming and blockchain landscapes, the team behind Moonfrost has announced its departure from the web3 ecosystem, including the Open Loot platform, to relaunch the game as a premium title on Steam. At the same time, the studio is unveiling a new project—Frost Arcade—designed to carry forward its blockchain-based ambitions in a separate, web3-focused environment.
A Strategic Split Between Web2 and Web3
In a statement addressing its community, the Moonfrost team cited the evolving crypto market and the practical challenges of developing a high-quality game within the constraints of web3.
“The crypto market has changed a lot since we started development of Moonfrost back in 2022,” the developers said. “Our original mission was to bring the masses to web3 by building a game that’s best-in-genre regardless of being web2 or web3. What we learned is that the two audiences want different things: web3 players want to make money, web2 players just want a good game.”
According to the team, Moonfrost’s scope and slow production cycle made it “unsustainable” as a web3 project. As a result, the decision was made to decouple its development path from blockchain integration entirely and focus on delivering a traditional premium PC experience on Steam—free of crypto elements, NFTs, or tokens.
Moonfrost on Steam
The reimagined Moonfrost will now be a premium PC game distributed via Steam. The developers argue that this move will allow the project to reach a broader gaming audience and focus purely on gameplay quality and longevity, rather than on the economic mechanics associated with blockchain ecosystems.
“We believe this is the best path forward for Moonfrost,” the statement reads. “It gives the game a home where thousands of players can discover it, play it, and fall in love with it.”
The Steam version will be handled by a dedicated team led by Gina, who will oversee the transition and future updates for the standalone release.
Introducing “Frost Arcade”
Alongside Moonfrost’s shift to Steam, the developers have introduced Frost Arcade, described as “a pure web3 gaming experience” that will host a collection of smaller, browser-based titles. The new platform aims to be more agile, offering multiplayer modes, leaderboards, events, and both cooperative and competitive gameplay.
The studio says this new initiative will allow it to build faster and deliver more consistent value to its existing community, especially to players who initially supported Moonfrost’s web3 vision.
Ric, one of the project leads, will head development of Frost Arcade, ensuring that blockchain features and interoperability remain part of the studio’s broader ecosystem.
Support for Existing Web3 Players
Players who previously engaged with Moonfrost on Open Loot will not be left behind according to the announcement, as web3 items and currencies such as Moonfrost Collectibles, Liquid Luck, Cryo, Gacha Tokens, and Event Vouchers will carry over into the upcoming Frost Arcade ecosystem.
These digital assets are expected to retain functionality across multiple games and events within Frost Arcade, extending their lifespan beyond the original Moonfrost framework. Frost Hunter License NFTs, another core element of the earlier ecosystem, will also find renewed utility through new perks across the Arcade’s future titles, according to the announcement.
Web3 Community Reaction
Despite the studio’s reassurances regarding asset transfers and continued web3 support through Frost Arcade, community response from long-time blockchain supporters has been largely negative.
Many players expressed disappointment on social media and community forums, interpreting the shift as a retreat from Moonfrost’s initial web3 ambitions. Criticism focused on the project’s lengthy development cycle, shifting priorities, and prior monetization efforts on the Open Loot platform.
One widely circulated comment on Twitter summarized the frustration in stark terms:
“be Moonfrost
– raised 6.5M from VCs
– delay the game launch for years
– run over 1 year of infinite P2A campaigns
– move to openloot
– sell 1,833 boxes at $150 each for the gamers
– launch the token only inside the game
– mess with the economy, make all NFTs drop a lot
– move away from web3 to be a web2 only game, innovation means going backwards
– keep a small version of the game in web3 to not be sued by the investors
GG”
Such reactions highlight the tension between investor-backed web3 development and shifting market realities, as studios increasingly reevaluate the sustainability of blockchain-heavy game models. While Moonfrost’s developers have pledged to preserve value for their web3 community through Frost Arcade, skepticism remains about whether the new initiative can restore confidence among early supporters.
A Divided but Complementary Future ?
The studio’s restructuring effectively creates two parallel paths: a web2-focused, premium simulation-RPG in Moonfrost, and a web3-native, multi-game platform in Frost Arcade. This dual approach aims to serve both communities independently, acknowledging their distinct expectations and motivations.
“We’ve realised that Moonfrost can’t cater to both a web2 and web3 audience simultaneously,” the team explained. “This separation will allow us to adapt faster—creating games that keep your existing items meaningful, while giving us room to expand Moonfrost on Steam without compromise.”
Further details regarding timelines, eligibility, and how players’ assets will transfer into Frost Arcade are expected in the coming months.
Official Links
Twitter Announcement: https://x.com/MoonfrostGame/status/1986117719905776052