Summary: Royalties are no longer a reliable revenue stream for Web3 games; the winners in 2026 are quietly monetizing through chain economics (sequencer fees), policy‑compliant off‑app purchases, gasless UX that boosts conversion, and “progression tolls” enforced in smart accounts. This playbook shows how to implement those models without tripping App Review, MEV, or anti‑bot landmines.

Title: How to Build “Indirect Monetization” Models for Web3 Games

Hook — the technical headache you’re feeling right now

• Your marketplace royalties fell off a cliff after OpenSea and others made creator fees optional; relying on “10% on resale” now blows up your P&L forecasts. (tokeninsight.com)
• App store policy drift keeps blocking builds: Apple’s 3.1.1 now explicitly covers NFTs and US storefront linking rules, while Google Play requires new blockchain declarations and bans “randomized NFT prizes.” Miss one checkbox and you slip a sprint. (developer.apple.com)
• MEV/bots snipe your mints, inflating fees and creating bad first sessions. And your “gasless” flow only works on one L2 in staging. (flashbots.net)
• Stakeholders ask for “ZK anti‑cheat” and “account abstraction” in the same scope—and want a procurement‑ready SOW that hits D30 and ARPDAU targets.

Agitate — what’s at risk if you don’t re-architect

• Missed launch windows: US App Store submissions that surface out‑of‑app purchase flows the wrong way will sit in the queue; Apple’s guidelines updated February 6, 2026, and reviewers are enforcing the NFT clauses. Your go‑live can slip weeks. (developer.apple.com)
• UA payback drifts: each extra on‑chain step (buy ETH, approve, retry) pushes Day‑0 conversion down; without gas sponsorship and smart wallets, your UA model loses the payback window you promised Finance. (docs.cdp.coinbase.com)
• Feature debt: without a chain strategy that captures economic value (sequencer fees, orderflow rebates) your LiveOps is subsidizing infra without a revenue kicker. OP‑Stack chains already share sequencer revenue back to the Collective; you can too—if you design for it. (docs.optimism.io)
• Community trust: unchecked MEV and bots degrade fairness perception. Flashbots’ Protect/MEV‑Share exists to return value to users/orderflow originators, but you must integrate it deliberately. (flashbots.net)

Solve — 7Block Labs’ methodology for indirect monetization (built for Heads of Product, LiveOps Directors, Publishing GMs, and CFOs)

We build revenue capture into the fabric of your game by aligning smart‑contract architecture, platform policy, and GTM. The tone here is technical but pragmatic—because your procurement and LiveOps KPIs matter as much as your Solidity.

1. Policy-first purchase architecture (Apple, Google Play, Epic) that doesn’t tank App Review

• Apple iOS (United States storefront):
  • You may include external purchase links under 3.1.1(a); if NFTs unlock functionality, those unlocks inside the app must still use IAP. We design “view‑only” NFT galleries in‑app plus compliant off‑app purchase flows for US storefronts. (developer.apple.com)
• Apple iOS (non‑US storefronts):
  • No in‑app calls to external purchasing for NFTs; we shift tokenized commerce to web and treat the app as an authenticated game client. (developer.apple.com)
• Google Play:
  • Disclose tokenized digital assets via the Financial Features declaration; ban “loot box” mechanics that sell unknown‑value NFTs; strip “earn money” promise copy. We wire this into your Play Console checklist. (android-developers.googleblog.com)
• Distribution strategy:
  • Epic Games Store openly allows blockchain content; we’ll parallel‑ship on EGS for PC while Steam stays conservative. (gamesradar.com)

1. Chain strategy that prints margin (not just “cheaper gas”)

• Option A — Your own OP‑Stack or Orbit L3: capture sequencer fees as a revenue line. Structure fee policy to maintain UX while taking a small “progression toll” per craft/merge. Understand Superchain revenue share (greater of 2.5% gross fees or 15% net) if you join; or run sovereign and keep fees locally. We blueprint the economics with Finance. (docs.optimism.io)
• Option B — Immutable zkEVM for “gas‑free for gamers” in 2025–2026: Immutable sponsors gas through 2025, then shifts cost to devs in 2026. We leverage Passport for frictionless auth and model 2026 budgets using Immutable’s published per‑MAU gas benchmarks (~$0.008/month at 100k MAU scenarios). (docs.immutable.com)
• Option C — Ronin for distribution: DAU spikes from Pixels proved network effects. If your audience overlaps, we align to Ronin’s stack and ZK roadmap. (cointelegraph.com)
• Cross‑cutting: Dencun/EIP‑4844 reduced rollup data costs; we time launches and heavy crafting events to blob‑friendly periods and pass savings into higher conversion (gasless). (blog.ethereum.org)

1. Wallet UX that converts (ERC‑4337 AA + custodial where appropriate)

• Smart wallets and paymasters:
  • Coinbase CDP Paymaster and Base Account let you sponsor gas, batch actions, and authenticate with passkeys; up to $15k gas credits are available in the Base Gasless Campaign to offset launch costs. We wire this in behind your auth. (docs.cdp.coinbase.com)
  • Evolving standard: EIP‑7702 will enable EOAs to act as smart accounts; plan for broader sponsorship coverage as Pectra lands. (docs.cdp.coinbase.com)
• Custodial SDKs where needed:
  • Stardust (WaaS) and Sequence Unity SDKs remove seed‑phrases; we deploy them with role‑based entitlements and data export for your BI. (docs.stardust.gg)

1. Asset architecture for “progression tolls” (replace royalties with value‑add fees)

• Token‑bound accounts (ERC‑6551):
  • Tie each character/land NFT to its own smart‑account inventory. Charge micro‑fees on “upgrade” calls initiated by the TBA (not on resale). This shifts revenue from marketplace‑dependent royalties to first‑party upgrade flows you control. (eips.ethereum.org)
• Craft/merge contracts:
  • Implement batched “burn N + mint 1” with AA‑batched calls and a small protocol fee. On mobile, we keep all value‑unlock off‑app or IAP‑compliant per storefront.

1. MEV/bot hardening that also yields rebate revenue

• Route sensitive mints/trades via Flashbots Protect RPC and MEV‑Share so players are protected from frontruns and you (as orderflow originator) can capture part of the rebate. Expose “best execution” in your marketplace UI. (flashbots.net)
• Anti‑sybil gating:
  • Gate high‑value drops with Gitcoin Passport score thresholds; we’ve seen credible reductions in bot participation across campaigns using this method. (gitcoin.co)

1. ZK for verifiable gameplay without rebuilding your engine

• ZK co‑processors and zkVMs:
  • Use Axiom to do ZK‑verified lookbacks on chain history for loyalty/reward logic (e.g., “OG minters discount”) fully inside Solidity + TS; plan migration as Axiom shifts to OpenVM. (blog.axiom.xyz)
  • Where you need client‑side verification (anti‑cheat/score proofs), reach for SP1 zkVM (Rust) or RISC Zero Bonsai for managed proving throughput. We’ll constrain circuits to what’s economically provable for your cadence. (blog.succinct.xyz)

1. Go‑to‑market instrumentation your CFO will sign

• We attach LTV:CAC math to each flow:
  • Gasless lift: use Immutable/Base sponsorship to remove “buy ETH” steps; benchmark monthly gas per user from Immutable’s docs and reconcile against ARPDau. (docs.immutable.com)
  • Sequencer fee model (if you operate an L3): forecast monthly fees = (tx_count × fee_per_tx) − (L1 DA costs); reconcile with OP/Orbit revenue share if applicable. (docs.optimism.io)
  • Marketplace “progression tolls”: model unit economics per upgrade rather than per resale.

Patterns that work in 2026 — concrete, implementable models

Model A: “Progression Tolls” via ERC‑6551 + AA

• Use TBAs for each character/land.
• Expose batched craft/merge/upgrade transactions via a smart wallet with a Paymaster.
• Price the toll as a small stable‑coin fee (or your chain’s gas token on your L3).
• Mobile compliance:
  • US iOS: link to web purchase under 3.1.1(a); keep in‑app feature unlocks behind IAP if the unlock is consumed in the app.
  • Non‑US iOS: keep purchase off‑app; in‑app is view‑only. (developer.apple.com)
• Why it works: Revenue tied to engaged actions you control—not secondary sales—and fully measurable.

Model B: Sequencer Fees as a Line Item (your own appchain)

• Launch an L3 on OP‑Stack/Orbit/CDK with a permissioned sequencer initially; pin gas to UX goals and capture fees as revenue.
• If you join the Superchain, budget the standard revenue share; otherwise keep fees locally and fund community grants. (docs.optimism.io)
• Pair with Dencun‑enabled blobs to keep DA costs low. (coindesk.com)
• Why it works: Every on‑chain action (not just trades) accrues revenue; LiveOps can forecast fees like server costs.

Model C: “Gasless Conversion” with Sponsored Transactions

• For PC: implement CDP Paymaster; for mobile: Immutable Passport for in‑app actions while keeping purchases compliant per storefront.
• Use sponsorship credits (e.g., Base’s $15k program) to underwrite soft‑launch cohorts; measure uplift in first‑session conversion and D7. (docs.base.org)
• Benchmarks: Immutable’s docs outline <$0.01/user/month gas at 100k MAU mixes—use this to justify sponsorship as a CAC‑reduction lever. (docs.immutable.com)

Model D: Orderflow Rebates + Fair‑Mint

• Integrate Protect RPC/MEV‑Share for primary mints and in‑game swaps.
• Share a portion of rebates back to players as VIP progression (points/coupons), keep the rest to offset infra. (flashbots.net)

Model E: Brand drops that are policy‑safe

• For mobile, keep branded “virtual creations” web‑based with account‑linking (mirroring how major publishers approached .SWOOSH tie‑ins) and let the game client pull entitlements. Avoid in‑app claims that unlock functionality if not routed via IAP. (swoosh.nike)

Technical specs we implement (scannable)

• Smart contracts:
  • ERC‑6551 registry/TBA implementations; upgrade/craft modules with protocol fee
  • ERC‑4337 Smart Accounts, Paymaster policy contracts (time/window/user cohort based)
• Wallet & SDK:
  • Coinbase CDP Smart Wallet/Paymaster for Base; Immutable Passport; Sequence Unity SDK for PC/mobile clients; Stardust custodial profiles for guest‑to‑owner upgrades. (docs.cdp.coinbase.com)
• MEV/bot control:
  • Protect RPC integration; allowlist mints; Gitcoin Passport gating for premium queues. (flashbots.net)
• Chain infra:
  • OP‑Stack/Orbit/CDK selection; Dencun blob budgeting; Immutable zkEVM deployer allowlists during early access. (blog.ethereum.org)
• Compliance:
  • Apple 3.1.1 NFT clauses; US storefront 3.1.1(a) linking; Play’s blockchain content declaration and “no randomized NFT prizes.” (developer.apple.com)

Prove — GTM metrics you can take to your greenlight (example scenarios)

Scenario 1: Mobile RPG soft‑launch (Canada, Q3 2026), 150k installs MOSL

• Baseline (no gasless, direct NFT unlocks):
  • First‑session conversion to wallet: 19%
  • D7: 8.5%
  • ARPDAU: $0.095
• With Model C + A (gasless + progression tolls):
  • First‑session conversion to on‑chain action rises to 33–38% (sponsored AA removes ETH purchase and approval churn). Benchmarks from Base/Immutable programs indicate cost per user per month in gas on the order of $0.005–$0.01; we budget at $0.012 to be conservative. (docs.base.org)
  • D7 improves to 10.5–12% as “progression toll” replaces out‑of‑app NFT store friction.
  • ARPDAU lifts to $0.125–$0.14 driven by upgrade fees, not royalties.
  • UA payback: improves from 120 days to 88–95 days in our models (sponsorship acts like discounting early‑funnel CAC).

Scenario 2: PC survival‑craft with own L3 (OP‑Stack), 200k MAU

• Activity: 8 on‑chain tx per active user per day → 48 million tx/month.
• Fee policy: target $0.0004/tx blended after blobs; sequencer keeps majority; 2.5%–15% Superchain revenue share if opted in. (coindesk.com)
• Monthly fee revenue: ~$19.2k gross; net after L1 DA costs and revenue share modeled at ~$9.5k–$12.8k (range depends on blob pricing and posting cadence).
• Upside: fee capture scales with engagement; LiveOps treats it as “infra payback,” not the primary line.

Scenario 3: Fair‑mint + rebates on PC

• Mints and in‑game swaps routed via Protect/MEV‑Share.
• KPI: % of transactions receiving rebates; target 15–25% in early cohorts; we share 80% back to players as VIP credits, 20% offsets infra. (flashbots.net)

Target audience and required keywords (we’ll use them in artifacts and RFP responses)

• VP Product Monetization, LiveOps Director, Publishing GM, CFO
• Keywords we deliberately include in specs, decks, and SOWs:
  • “ARPDAU uplift,” “UA payback window,” “D30 retention,” “LTV:CAC”
  • “3.1.1 (NFT), 3.1.1(a) external link (US), Play Financial Features declaration”
  • “ERC‑4337 Paymaster policy,” “EIP‑7702 readiness,” “ERC‑6551 TBAs”
  • “OP‑Stack revenue share (2.5%/15%), Orbit appchain,” “EIP‑4844 blob budget”
  • “Immutable Passport gas‑free,” “EGS acceptance of blockchain games”
  • “MEV‑Share rebates,” “Protect RPC,” “Gitcoin Passport gating” (developer.apple.com)

What we do next for you (implementation plan)

• 2‑week Monetization Architecture Sprint (fixed‑fee)
  • Day 1–2: Policy mapping by storefront/region; compliance redlines for App Review (US vs non‑US variations included). (developer.apple.com)
  • Day 3–5: Chain selection matrix (OP‑Stack/Orbit/CDK vs Immutable zkEVM vs Ronin) with fee and DA models; Dencun blob sensitivity. (coindesk.com)
  • Day 6–8: Contract blueprints (ERC‑6551 progression tolls, AA Paymaster policies), SDK wiring for Passport/CDP/Sequence/Stardust. (docs.cdp.coinbase.com)
  • Day 9–10: MEV‑safe mint and orderflow rebate integration; Gitcoin Passport gating for premium queues. (flashbots.net)
• 4–6 week Pilot Build
  • Deploy to a staging L2/L3 with feature flags; set up metrics for ARPDAU uplift, D1/D7/D30, and fee capture.

Where 7Block Labs plugs in (use these links in your internal routing)

• Architecture, prototyping, and mainnet delivery: our custom blockchain development services and web3 development services
• Compliance‑safe smart contracts (ERC‑6551/4337), progression tolls, and audits: smart contract development and security audit services
• Appchain/L3 setup and interoperability: cross‑chain solutions development and blockchain integration
• Marketplace and in‑game economy: dApp development and DeFi development services
• If you are planning chain‑level economics or a runway extension that depends on metrics, we also handle fundraising advisory

Practical examples and emerging best practices (brief deep dives)

• Immutable zkEVM Early Access + Passport gas‑free for soft‑launch cohorts in 2025; plan cost transfer to 2026 per roadmap. This keeps your ARPDAU upside while avoiding App Review snags. (immutable.com)
• Ronin as a distribution rail: Pixels’ migration demonstrated that user distribution can dwarf token‑market cycles. If your art style and loop match Ronin’s community, this is a viable channel—while you still implement your own monetization on top. (cointelegraph.com)
• Apple/Google checkout choreography: For US iOS, link to a responsive web flow per 3.1.1(a); on Google Play, expose NFTs plainly, file the Financial Features declaration, and remove any “earn money” inducements. We’ll deliver the compliance checklist you hand to producers. (developer.apple.com)
• ERC‑4337 adoption maturity: AA has moved from “R&D” to production with paymasters, passkeys, and SDKs; we pin versions and test matrices so Design doesn’t ship against a moving target. (alchemy.com)

The bottom line

• Stop hoping for secondary royalties to fund your LiveOps. In 2026, indirect monetization done right looks like:
  • “Progression tolls” you control,
  • Sequencer fees you capture,
  • Gasless UX that improves conversion,
  • Fair execution that returns value to players,
  • And policy‑compliant purchase flows that don’t stall App Review. (tokeninsight.com)

CTA — if this is you, reply and we’ll make it real If you’re a Head of Product planning a Canada soft‑launch in Q3 2026 with a Unity client, US iOS distribution, and a craft/merge loop, email us your target metrics (D7≥11%, ARPDAU≥$0.12) and current app‑store risk notes. In one week, 7Block Labs will hand you a procurement‑ready blueprint with: a storefront‑compliant purchase map, ERC‑6551/4337 contract skeletons, Paymaster config, MEV‑safe mint flow, and a fee‑capture model that your CFO can validate—then we’ll ship it with our web3 development services and security audit services.