AI won’t make you rich but crypto games might, Axie founder steps down: Web3 Gamer 

Pixels founder says stick with crypto, AI won’t make you rich

Luke Barwikowski, founder of the popular Web3 farming game Pixels, reckons artificial intelligence probably isn’t your golden ticket to millionaire status.

More and more Web3 gaming companies have been banging the AI drum louder than usual.

“Everyone is focused on AI — but there’s very little chance for the public to have significant wealth creation there,” Barwikowski said in an X post.

“You weren’t allowed into the private rounds of OpenAI or Anthropic, VCs were,” he said, emphasizing to his followers not to throw in the towel on crypto, as it is still an area where the everyday battler can get a swing at upside opportunities.

Web3 gaming giant Animoca Brands recently furthered its interest in AI with its Feb. 3 launch of Animoca Minds, a service that allows users to deploy and operate persistent AI agents. ‍

“Animoca Minds provides anyone curious about AI with a streamlined, white‑label experience that simplifies the process of deploying and maintaining AI agents,” Animoca said in a recent statement.

Content creators are also looking to move to the shiny new narrative. 

Blockchain gaming YouTuber Web3 Wasley said in a recent video he was pivoting to AI content over Web3 gaming because, in his words, “since the Axie crash, there has been no single game that has captured enough players to make me feel like I want to dive in deep with content.”

“None of them warrant enough of a community in my opinion,” he said. Not everyone is as bearish, however. Gaming content creator “Iceyy” said that crypto gaming is far from dead and that a “handful” of games are seeing success with the risk-to-earn model.

Axie co-founder steps away from Web3 Gaming industry for ‘defense’

NFT blockchain game Axie Infinity founder Aleksander Larsen is stepping back from the Web3 gaming day-to-day grind and has dropped a slightly cryptic hint about what’s next on his agenda.

“Where I’m putting my energy: Defence,” Larsen said in an X post, after explaining that he will be stepping down from his operational role at Sky Mavis, Axie Infinity and Ronin Network.

“I’m staying on as a shareholder, board member, and long-term advocate,” he added.

It comes not long after fellow co-founder Jeffrey Zirlin (JiHo) declared that Axie Infinity, the poster child for play-to-earn games, is set to take “much larger risks” in 2026.

Larsen linked his decision back to the 2022 Ronin Network hack, a $620 million exploit that shook the Axie Infinity ecosystem and became one of the largest crypto breaches ever. 

The attack, which was later blamed on North Korean hackers, sent the Axie Infinity (AXS) token sliding and pushed the company into crisis mode. 

“Leading the crisis management of that situation changed me,” he said, adding that he no longer “takes security for granted.”

“It was a stark reminder that some adversaries are more sophisticated, persistent, and well-funded than others. Not all competition is friendly,” he added.

Larsen founded Sky Mavis alongside Jeffrey Zirlin (JiHo), Trung Nguyen, Tu Doan and Andy Ho. Zirlin recently admitted that few expected Axie to “strike back” to its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it reached around 2.8 million daily active users.

Illivium will release Overworld ahead of schedule: Kieran Warwick

The countdown to Illuvium’s open-world adventure Overworld may be shorter than expected, with founder Kieran Warwick saying it’s coming “much sooner than planned.”

“We are targeting December 2026,” Warwick said in an X post. “We can do this by cutting out the things that are massively resource-intensive while keeping the things people love and will love,” he said.

“No more ambiguity on the release dates of 3 years from now.”

“What comes next after launch will be driven by player demand,” Warwick said.

In Overworld, you’re basically a ranger let loose on a planet after a spaceship crash, scrapping for resources, upgrading your gear, and hunting down over 100 Illuvials — each with their own…