Mission Statement

Our Goals for Market Wars

Market Wars Foundation is the team behind Market Wars, a new game Powered by Game7 that is based on a Web3 native World of Warcraft (WoW) mod. We’re building a player-owned, open economy experience to educate gamers on the potential of Web3 technology, based upon a title loved by millions around the world.

As lifelong WoW enthusiasts, we will pay homage to the integrity and spirit of the original game while introducing new layers of interactivity and value to strengthen communities, incentivize meaningful player-to-player interactions, and inspire compelling user stories.

Worth noting is the fact that the Market Wars Foundation is not interested in generating profits from Market Wars, nor will it receive any profits from this venture. Our motivation is the conviction that the market needs to see an actual successful use case of Web3 elements in a game that people want to play. Any profits that may be generated by Market Wars will go into a community treasury that will be governed by Market Wars players.

The open source nature of Web3 makes this experiment truly unique. Market Wars aims to be community-owned, community-developed, and uncensorable. Market Wars is “for the community, by the community” using Web3 technology to coordinate and empower players leaving its future squarely in their hands.

With Market Wars, we put the fun first. No gimmicks, no predatory mechanics, just elegant design that will change how we think about a gaming community. Our motivation is the conviction that the market needs to see an actual successful use case of Web3 elements in a game that people want to play.

Current Challenges Facing Web3 Games

- There is a shortage of fun Web3 games that actually survive until launch, and most that do feel less like games and more like tech demos. If it’s not fun, why would anyone play it?

- Current monetization strategies, such as microtransactions and battlepasses, often feel disingenuous and exploitative. Novel monetization strategies only possible with Web3 have yet to be proven in a scalable, sustainable way.

- Bad reputation with close to zero compelling practical applications leads to hostile reception of Web3 technology. Many Web3-native gamers think of games as a speculative experience that they don’t plan to actually play. 

We believe the way to answer all these challenges is by making a fun game that shows Web3 can enhance the play experience. That’s our goal with Market Wars.

Our Stake in Making an Impact

Why a WoW Mod?

Fun and Community-Led: WoW has been one of the most successful games of all time in terms of player retention, fanbase loyalty, and longevity. The quality and variety of WoW private servers and mods shows player dedication and willingness to shape the game’s world and narratives. 

Genre Compatibility and Historical Significance: MMORPGs have always been the frontier of the concept of digital ownership, player rights, and collaboration. Web3 affirms player effort has measurable value, and that players should be able to enjoy the secure transfer and interactivity of such in-game assets. The Warcraft community has demonstrated community-led innovation with projects like DOTA, WoW Classic, and more, all of which started as Warcraft mods. We have transformed the original Wrath of the Lich King experience in ways that make it more vibrant and interactive.

Open Source Contributions: Collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential in accelerating the adoption of a new technology. Market Wars is built using an open-source stack, widely available to the gaming community using AzerothCore and publicly available smart contracts. All modifications and enhancements we develop will be open-sourced, contributing back to the broader gaming and AzerothCore ecosystem. The goal is to innovate openly, allowing others to learn from and build upon our work. The MW team will share any valuable learnings developed to bring this experience to life specifically to encourage the development and adoption of Web3.

How does Market Wars address the industry’s most notable challenges?

Innovative Economic Models: We take advantage of WoW’s strongest mechanics (questing, looting, crafting) and encourage player cooperation with an open economy model. For example, Market Wars tweaks WoW’s itemization in two ways: every equipable item in the game now comes from a player who discovered and learned its crafting recipe; recipes and resources range in rarity from uncommon to legendary. Because players can only choose one crafting profession, keeping a character outfitted in quality gear requires a great deal of trade. Over time, these upgrades will become meaningful and coveted.

No Predatory Mechanics: We’re not asking players to make significant contributions toward an unknown project by promising vast returns. You don’t need to buy anything to start playing. We chose a well-known and beloved game to mod and showcase an economic model that wouldn’t be possible without a Web3 technology stack. We’re hoping to popularize new levels of interaction between the player and the game. You play, you raid, you gather loot, and–if you choose to do so– exchange and trade your spoils in the Market Wars marketplace.

Widen Adoption of Web3: Market Wars was conceived as an educational experiment–not a commercial venture–to showcase Web3’s potential to enhance the potential of gaming. Just as the MW team learns lessons from the game, it is our hope that the entire ecosystem of players and developers will come away with valuable learnings that contribute to a new future of game development.

An Open Invitation

We are committed to an open dialogue and are eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. We can pave the way for a future where games are just games regardless of technology, where there is no limit to creativity and innovation.

Join our Discord here to become a part of our community and be the first to receive Market Wars game updates.