Public conversations about Web3 gaming often focus on token volatility, speculation and market cycles. Player behaviour, however, points in a different direction.
According to survey data collected and analyzed by the 51 Games studio team from more than 12 000 Web3 gamers, nearly 30% identify Pay-to-Win mechanics as their primary concern, while only about 19% to 20% cite token inflation or economic instability as their biggest fear.
It suggests that players worry less about external market swings and more about fairness inside the game itself.
More than half of respondents, 51% to 52%, believe that effort should directly lead to reward. That principle shapes how they evaluate games, economies, and long-term participation.
Players accept competition and performance gaps, but they reject systems where spending money overrides skill or time investment.
In other words, players do not resist inequality. They resist unearned advantage.
When asked how they react to others earning more, 40% said they feel motivated to catch up. Another 27% said they want to understand the strategy behind that success. Only a small minority described feelings of frustration or unfairness.
These responses reflect a competitive mindset. Players want clear rules, visible progression, and systems that reward mastery.
This mindset also explains why Pay-to-Win mechanics trigger stronger reactions than token volatility. Market conditions sit outside the player’s control. Game design decisions do not. When developers introduce wallet-based advantages, players see that as a structural choice that undermines the merit-based system they expect.
Inflation and unstable economies still matter. Roughly one in five respondents cite those risks as major concerns. Fairness ranks higher. Players appear willing to navigate market risk as long as the internal logic of the game remains consistent and transparent.
These findings carry implications for the broader Web3 gaming industry.
“Web3 gamers are not chasing quick profits. They evaluate systems,” says Matvii Diadkov, founder of 51 Games.
“When players say they fear Pay-to-Win more than market volatility, they signal something important. They want rules that reward effort, not spending power. For developers, this shifts the focus from token price management to economic design and long-term trust.”
First, fairness functions as a retention driver. Games that design skill-based progression systems and maintain clear economic rules create stronger long-term engagement. Players who view the system as balanced continue investing time and effort.
Second, aggressive monetization strategies may attract short-term users but weaken long-term trust. When players perceive that money replaces skill, they disengage. Survey responses show that Web3 gamers evaluate projects with economic awareness. They analyze reward structures and compare value propositions before committing.
Third, the data challenges the assumption that Web3 gamers primarily chase speculative gains. While earning remains a key motivation, players consistently frame value in terms of effort, progression, and control. They expect systems where time spent translates into measurable outcomes.