The Arbitrum community is rallying behind a governance proposal advocating for the allocation of 200 million ARB tokens to foster the development of web3 games on the Ethereum Layer 2. The proposal, known as the Gaming Catalyst Program (GCP), aims to provide incentives for game developers over the next three years.
Community Support for GCP
Community members have mobilized 35 million ARB to vote in favor of the GCP proposal, which would earmark 200 million ARB (approximately $250 million) as incentives for game developers. Only 101,400 ARB have been mobilized in opposition to the proposal. To reach quorum, at least 105.57 million ARB must be cast as votes. Voting began on May 24 and is scheduled to end on June 7.
“The Gaming Catalyst Program (GCP) is designed to immediately expand awareness and adoption of Arbitrum/Orbit/Stylus by builders and players in the Gaming community,” the proposal states. “By offering support, incentives, and game industry-specific tools, Arbitrum can position itself as an attractive platform for game development, leading to a surge in high-quality gaming experiences on the network.”
The proposal previously passed a preliminary temperature check vote with nearly 97% support in March.
Arbitrum’s Position in the Market
Arbitrum is the largest Ethereum Layer 2 by total value locked (TVL) with roughly $19.3 billion, according to L2beat. Arbitrum is also the fifth-ranked network by DeFi with $4.79 billion, according to DeFi Llama.
Goals of the Gaming Catalyst Program
The GCP proposal aims to replicate the success Arbitrum has had in the DeFi sector by igniting similar growth for its web3 gaming ecosystem. The proposal acknowledges that Arbitrum is currently lagging behind competitors who have actively courted the GameFi industry. The GCP intends to change this by positioning Arbitrum as a home for gamers and game builders.
Allocation of Funds
The GCP would allocate 160 million ARB to “onboarding and growth,” supporting publishers, studios, and independent developers building web3 gaming titles. This includes establishing the “Build Grants” program, with 25 million ARB set aside as grants for early-stage projects capped at 500,000 ARB each. The remaining 40 million ARB would go towards infrastructure and tooling development.
The proposal also requests an additional $25 million to cover legal and compliance costs, marketing and infrastructure, and salaries for team members. The incentives program would be overseen by the GCP council, a group of trusted professionals elected by the DAO.
The Arbitrum community’s strong support for the GCP proposal highlights the growing interest in expanding the network’s capabilities into the web3 gaming space. If approved, the 200 million ARB allocation could significantly boost the development of high-quality web3 games, positioning Arbitrum as a leading platform in the gaming industry.
