Yield Guild Games (YGG) Pilipinas concluded its annual Roadtrip campaign at Ayala Malls TriNoma in Quezon City on July 14, 2024, culminating a months-long initiative to bring web3 directly to communities across the country. The event introduced the latest in web3 gaming to over 2,900 guests, bringing the total number of attendees across the national tour to nearly 7,000. YGG’s core community was well-represented, alongside a diverse audience with varying familiarity with web3 technology, including families, cosplayers, students, and passing shoppers. Among the students was a cohort from the Sisters of Mary School’s Cavite campus, who had front-row seats to the program.
The Manila leg was packed with activities for guests to enhance their web3 knowledge. This included numerous game demos and show matches for Guild of Guardians, Mojo Melee, Sipher Odyssey, Arena of Faith, and more. Notably, the program featured a game demo for Parallel with YGG Esports team captain Ian “Disi” Dela Cruz and YGG Pilipinas community leader Munchies, building excitement for YGG’s participation in the global Parallel Planetfall Invitational tournament later that evening. Following the Roadtrip, YGG Esports star player Samuel Sequinox won the tournament’s grand prize of US$20,000, reaffirming YGG’s position among web3 gaming’s leading forces.
YGG Pilipinas’ Roadtrip sponsors were also present in full force, leading sessions and giveaways. Jambo Technology handed out web3 gaming-ready JamboPhone units to lucky attendees. Coins.ph, one of the Philippines’ oldest and largest crypto exchanges, also gave away branded merchandise. Delabs hosted a show match for Rumble Racing Star, where local web3 gaming communities raced against each other. BreederDAO highlighted their upcoming projects, showcasing their web3 gaming platform Playcore and the upcoming web3 roguelike Creatorverse.
Prominent members of the YGG community engaged with guests through meet-and-greets and speaking engagements. YGG Pilipinas community leaders Munchies and Stephy promoted Season 6 of the Guild Advancement Program (GAP), one of YGG’s questing platforms encouraging new players to explore web3 gaming. Axie Infinity legends and YGG mentors spamandrice and Kookoo interacted with community members. YellowPanther and KaizerGaming88, co-founders of GamingGrid, one of Asia’s largest web3 gaming communities, teased a future collaboration with YGG.
“Participate in real-life events, especially here at the YGG Pilipinas Roadtrip,” said NFT X-Street guild founder and prominent YGG community member Joniel “JB” Bon, during a panel on building successful communities in web3. “There are many opportunities in web3. If you start, you can onboard your friends and build your own community. Just have fun and enjoy your journey in web3.”
Adding to the festive atmosphere, many attendees arrived in cosplay, with nearly 100 cosplayers competing for a share of the Cosplay Fiesta’s PHP 100,000 prize pool. YGG community members also participated in cosplay, including YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon and YGG Pilipinas Country Head Mench Dizon as Nintendo’s Mario Brothers. However, Guy Singzon won first place with his cosplay of Zhang Fei of the Three Kingdoms.
Through YGG Pilipinas’ partnership with Edison, remote attendees could also participate. Hundreds explored Edison’s virtual event grounds, gathering around a stream of the Roadtrip on the main stage. Guests tuning in virtually were invited to socialize and participate in the festive segments. Players could also collect items, join minigames, and compete for the top spot on Edison’s leaderboard.
Local rock band Lola Amour closed the event with their music. The band’s performance attracted many fans, giving them a glimpse into the world of web3 gaming. The band ended their set with their hit “Raining in Manila.”
“It’s been a privilege to help onboard thousands of Filipinos into web3 during the Roadtrip,” said YGG Pilipinas Country Head Mench Dizon. “Engaging with our community has given us invaluable feedback to help us build a much larger program. We’re looking forward to providing more economic opportunities to as many Filipinos as we can and hope to see you all again this November for the third annual YGG Play Summit.”
Over four months, the YGG Pilipinas Roadtrip made stops in Batangas, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, and Bacolod before Manila, inviting attendees to celebrate their web3 communities or explore the space for the first time. The tour received support from local government units, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and partners and speakers from the Philippines and abroad.
YGG Pilipinas has more activities planned for the rest of the year, including the YGG Play Summit from November 18-23, 2024, where YGG aims to onboard even more Filipinos into web3.
