Yield Guild Games Axes Publishing Arm Amid Market Turbulence

Yield Guild Games (YGG) has officially shut down its publishing arm, YGG Play, after six months of operation. The decision comes on the heels of a prolonged crypto downturn and a challenging video game publishing market. 'Sunsetting YGG Play is a heavy decision, but it is a market decision, not a product decision,' said Yield Guild co-founder Gabby Dizon.

The company's revenue had been declining steadily since its peak in October 2025, reaching nearly $3 million in a single month. By the first quarter of 2026, YGG Play had passed around $9 million in lifetime revenue. The shutdown will affect 35 employees who will receive eight weeks of severance pay and assistance with finding new roles.

Waifu Sweeper, one of the games published by YGG Play, has gone dark, leaving players unable to unstake their YGG or redeem in-game points. Players were given a deadline of July 31 to complete these tasks before support ended. The company's treasury holds over $20 million, which will be used for about four years' worth of runway.

YGG is shifting its focus towards selling gaming-derived datasets for training AI models, built on the premise that players produce valuable data as they make fast decisions under pressure. The company has also renamed its Philippines community program to AI Alerts.