Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Yield Guild Games Shuts YGG Play, Cuts 35 Jobs and Pivots to AI Training Data

Weak crypto and gaming markets made the publishing arm commercially unsustainable, prompting a shift to selling gameplay-derived datasets and community play-to-earn projects.

Overview

  • YGG announced Monday that it will fully retire YGG Play on August 1 and take down the YGG Play website, launchpad and titles including LOL Land and Waifu Sweeper.
  • The move eliminates 35 roles; the company said affected staff will receive eight weeks of pay and placement assistance during the transition.
  • YGG said it will repurpose resources toward two priorities: selling gameplay and behavioral datasets for AI training and supporting community-focused play-to-earn projects.
  • The firm reported a Q1 treasury of $20.6 million and said the restructuring should extend its operating runway to about four years.
  • The decision reflects a broader pullback in web3 gaming after the 2021 play-to-earn boom and Axie Infinity’s collapse, and some third-party games such as Gigachatbat and Ragnarok Breaker will continue under their original developers.