Matthew Nagy, a veteran of the gaming industry, has transitioned through various phases of game development, from his early days with titles like the Die Hard Trilogy and Alien Trilogy on the original PlayStation to co-founding Triumph Games in 2019. In a recent insightful session with Cointelegraph, he discussed his journey from traditional console gaming to the emerging world of Web3.
Nagy’s belief in the potential of blockchain technology stems from its ability to address significant issues within the gaming landscape. He shared his perspective on the play-to-earn model, noting, “Traditional players thought play-to-earn was just another money grab, but for me, it was the opposite. It’s about giving back to players and creating ways for them to earn by themselves.” This vision guided his career shift towards Web3, where he perceived both opportunities and challenges. He recalled a personal anecdote about his child playing CS:GO, where unfortunate experiences with trading led him to recognize the safety benefits blockchain could offer—asset trading with built-in security and authenticity checks.
Triumph Games made its debut with BattleRise, a tactical RPG he described as “D&D for your mobile,” which originally started as a single project but has now expanded into a multi-title ecosystem. BattleRise has achieved considerable success, attracting an average of over 18,000 monthly active users. Elumia, an MMORPG boasting user-generated content (UGC) features, saw its daily active users surge from 100 in April 2024 to over 4,000 by August. Meanwhile, ArmorX, an action RPG with a tokenized economy, has garnered 350,000 registered wallets for its closed beta.
Nagy emphasized the importance of intellectual property in Triumph’s strategy. Rather than chasing licensed properties, the studio focuses on building original IP, believing that players crave a deeper connection with the content they consume. “If you make something cool enough, people want to be a part of it,” he noted, highlighting that community feedback significantly influences their roadmap, with 85% of BattleRise’s upcoming plans stemming from player suggestions.
User-generated content remains a cornerstone of Triumph’s offerings. Upcoming features for BattleRise will allow players to create and monetize their own dungeons using accessible drag-and-drop tools. Elumia plans to introduce player-crafted items, while ArmorX will enable extensive customization of armor and weapons. Nagy pointed to successful models like Minecraft and Fortnite to illustrate the viral potential of UGC, affirming the studio’s commitment to empowering players. Moreover, Triumph has secured a €1.2 million grant to explore the development of AI-driven NPCs with emotional intelligence.
Looking towards the future, Triumph Games is set to launch its ecosystem token on Arbitrum, with a portion earmarked for Immutable zkEVM. Interestingly, this launch will occur after the games have already been made playable, contrasting sharply with many projects that announce tokens prematurely. “The token launch is penciled in for October 9,” Nagy stated, adding that players would receive rewards through skill-based airdrops and leaderboard systems, thereby reducing the risks often associated with single-game tokens.
As Triumph Games maps out its future, the aim is clear: sustainability. With ongoing discussions for exchange listings and the vision for a dynamic and appealing game ecosystem, Nagy is focused on the long game. “I’m in this for the long haul,” he declared, underscoring the importance of developing games that not only thrive on current trends but are also built to endure over time.
The roadmap extends well into 2026, with ambitious plans for features like UGC dungeons in BattleRise and crafting mechanics in Elumia. A land sale for Elumia is envisioned for late 2026, which would further evolve the MMORPG into a rich, expansive open world. Through careful design and effective integration of Web3 principles, Nagy believes Triumph Games can build a legacy of games that grow, evolve, and continually engage players for years to come.
