When Crypto Lists first interviewed Ian Bentley, CEO of Wagmi Games, WAGMI Defense was still moving from Web3 gaming promise toward a mobile beta. That makes this interview more interesting in hindsight: it captures a period when many NFT games were still talking about future utility, while WAGMI was trying to build an actual playable game.
Editor’s note for 2026: This interview was originally conducted during the early WAGMI Defense rollout period. Some timelines, token expectations, NFT utility details and app-launch comments below were made at the time and should be read as historical context. The game has since moved beyond the original beta narrative, with WAGMI Defense listed as a mobile real-time strategy and trading-card-style game on the WAGMI and Immutable ecosystems.
The key question today is not whether every 2022 plan happened exactly as described. Web3 gaming changed dramatically after the NFT hype cycle cooled. The more useful question is whether WAGMI Games managed to keep building when many crypto gaming projects disappeared. On that point, this interview still has value.
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- 1 Why this WAGMI Games interview is still worth reading
- 1.1 What is Wagmi Defense?
- 1.2 What do you do in your role as CEO in the WAGMI project?
- 1.3 How come you wanted to release Wagmi Games?
- 1.4 What is the utility for a Genesis NFT?
- 1.5 How would you describe a normal working day at Wagmi?
- 1.6 How did you guys find Immutable X?
- 1.7 Do you have any favorite game outside Wagmi?
- 1.8 What are the next steps for Wagmi?
- 1.9 Who came up with the idea behind the game Wagmi Defense?
- 1.10 What kind of future can be expected for Wagmi Games?
- 1.11 How did you come into crypto?
- 1.12 What is your own favorite cryptocurrency outside Wagmi?
- 1.13 What do you think about the ETH merge?
- 1.14 Is there anything that our readers should look forward to with WAGMI?
- 1.15 Do you see WAGMI as a fun project to get to do something creative or would you say you do it for the money?
- 1.16 Do you have any Alpha to share with our readers?
- 2 FAQ: WAGMI Games and WAGMI Defense
Why this WAGMI Games interview is still worth reading
Many Web3 games from 2021 and 2022 never got far beyond a token, a Discord server and a trailer. WAGMI Defense at least had a clear idea: a fast mobile game with short battles, collectible cards, sci-fi lore and optional digital ownership.
That matters because the strongest Web3 games are usually not the ones that scream “NFT” the loudest. They are the ones that can work as games first, with blockchain features sitting underneath the experience rather than being forced into every sentence.
Crypto Lists view: The most interesting part of this interview is that Ian Bentley repeatedly framed WAGMI as a mobile gaming project rather than only a token project. That was the right instinct. Whether a player cares about NFTs or not, a game still needs to be fun, understandable and easy to access.
For readers who want the current game details, the official WAGMI Defense page describes the title as a real-time strategy mobile game set in the WAGMIVerse, with free-to-play access, collectible cards and short 1v1 battles.
What is Wagmi Defense?
WAGMI Defense is a mobile strategy game built around short, competitive battles. Players use cards, characters and tactical decisions to destroy the opponent’s towers before their own base is taken down.
The game has a sci-fi setting. The story takes place in the year 3022, where humans and alien forces fight over NiFe, a core element tied to survival and power inside the WAGMI universe. Players can battle from the human or alien side, while cards and in-game assets connect to the broader collectible-game structure.
When Ian explained the game to Crypto Lists, the idea was already clear: WAGMI wanted to build a fast mobile game with Web3 ownership elements, rather than a slow desktop-only crypto game aimed only at NFT collectors.
What do you do in your role as CEO in the WAGMI project?
Ian Bentley: Golf and cigars all day… just kidding! There are so many moving parts to this project. My job is to help steer the ship in the right direction based on my decades of business experience. The team that works on the game is dedicated, incredibly talented and stays in their lane, making my job easier.
Crypto Lists note: This answer has aged better than many Web3 founder quotes because it does not pretend game development is easy. Mobile gaming, app-store rules, token communities, NFT expectations and player onboarding are difficult to combine. A CEO in this niche has to manage both game production and community expectations, which is rarely simple.
Supply: 2,000,000,000,000 / 2,200,000,000,000
Release date: June 4, 2022
Description: Web3 Mobile Tower Defense Game. Have You Tried It Yet?
Risk warning: Trading, buying or selling crypto currencies is extremely risky and not for everyone. Do not risk money that you could not afford to loose.
How come you wanted to release Wagmi Games?
Ian Bentley: Crypto gaming is the future of NFTs. The NFT industry is infantile and mostly misunderstood from the hype collections of 2021. We see digital asset ownership as part of the evolution of the internet, from Web2 to Web3, and gaming is the most natural progression. Creating a fun-to-play mobile game with the digital ownership aspect is the objective we are leading in this emerging sector.
Crypto Lists view in 2026: This is still the right framing, but the market has become far less forgiving. Players do not want clumsy crypto features placed in front of gameplay. The best Web3 gaming projects now have to be simple enough for normal mobile users, while still giving ownership-minded players something extra.
What is the utility for a Genesis NFT?
Crypto Lists asked: Can we expect more NFT series next year?
Ian Bentley: Genesis NFT holders will get an equal split of a 10% tax from in-game marketplace mints. WAGMI Games will be creating a series of comic book NFT drops, in which the first one will happen in Q4 2022. Genesis NFT holders will get whitelist opportunities and potentially free comic drops depending on the number of Genesis NFTs held as part of the utility.
Important 2026 caution: NFT utility can change over time. Anyone buying an old Genesis NFT, comic NFT or game asset should verify the current utility, marketplace support, contract details and official project announcements before assuming that older benefits still apply exactly as described in this interview.
How would you describe a normal working day at Wagmi?
Ian Bentley: We are all virtual from around the world, so it is very exciting. There is nothing normal working in the wild west of Web3 development. Every day is an adventure!
Crypto Lists says: Partnerships can be crucial in crypto gaming. They can make or break a brand, especially when the product depends on low-fee blockchain infrastructure, wallet integration, NFT trading and app-store compatibility.
Supply: 235,284,001 / 2,000,000,000
Release date: September 16, 2021
Description: What do you know about the L2 Ethereum solution with zero gas fees? Discover Immutable X today!
Risk warning: Trading, buying or selling crypto currencies is extremely risky and not for everyone. Do not risk money that you could not afford to loose.
How did you guys find Immutable X?
Ian Bentley: I followed IMX’s launch and their solution resonated with me, meaning they were solving a serious problem: eliminating gas on Ethereum transactions. When we got into the development of the game and our developers could not come up with a solution that virtually eliminated gas fees, we pushed to leverage the IMX technology.
Ian continued: We reached out to one of IMX’s business-development directors and kept the conversation going for months until we were ready to show IMX what we had cooking. Once we had a sit-down, our philosophies in terms of mass adoption clicked, and we became an official partner.
Crypto Lists context: Immutable remains one of the more recognizable Web3 gaming ecosystems. For WAGMI, the important part was not only the NFT angle, but the attempt to make blockchain ownership less painful for normal players. You can also read more about IMX here.
Do you have any favorite game outside Wagmi?
Ian Bentley: I am a WAGMI Defense die-hard, lol. Our team plays more games than me. I’m old.
Markus from Crypto Lists says: That answer is short, but it fits the tone of the interview. A founder who is obsessed with his own game is not a bad sign, provided the product itself keeps improving.
What are the next steps for Wagmi?
Crypto Lists asked: Please mention both plans for the short term and longer term if possible.
Ian Bentley: Immediate steps are to launch the game in-app and have the app version in beta. Once we get the game and the user experience ready, we will launch publicly on the app stores. Long term is obviously growing the user base and because we are mobile, our development time is shorter to get another game to market, which we plan on releasing in 2024.
Crypto Lists 2026 update: This is one of the places where the article benefits from being preserved instead of rewritten as if it were new. The original answer shows what WAGMI was aiming for at the time: mobile distribution first, wider user growth later, and additional games as a longer-term ambition.
Who came up with the idea behind the game Wagmi Defense?
Ian Bentley: Our Chief Gaming Officer Luis Trujillo. He is the genius behind the lore and the game.
The lore has remained one of WAGMI Defense’s more distinctive elements. Many crypto games feel generic because they start with tokenomics first and story later. WAGMI at least tried to build a recognizable world around humans, aliens, NiFe, cards and short competitive battles.
What kind of future can be expected for Wagmi Games?
Crypto Lists asked at the time: Is the game launch still set up for October?
Ian Bentley: We hope to be the poster child for Web3 games on how mass adoption can be achieved without shoving NFTs and crypto down players’ throats. We are currently in beta already, and plan on releasing the app beta version targeting the end of October.
Crypto Lists view: The phrase “without shoving NFTs and crypto down players’ throats” is still one of the most important parts of the interview. If Web3 gaming works long term, it will probably be because blockchain features become optional, useful and mostly invisible to players who just want a good game.
How did you come into crypto?
Ian Bentley: Dipped my feet in the water with miners. Didn’t go so well. Once I witnessed commerce being created with NFTs, it got me excited about the future of blockchain.
Markus at Crypto Lists replies: I had the same experience with mining. Spent a lot, and the mining machine broke. I still think few people outside this sector really understand the possible utility and usage of NFTs, but bad NFT projects have also made normal users more sceptical.
What is your own favorite cryptocurrency outside Wagmi?
Ian Bentley: The one that makes the most returns.
Crypto Lists comment: A very crypto answer. It is also a useful reminder that this was an interview from a more speculative phase of the market, when gaming tokens and NFT assets were still being priced partly on expectation rather than proven user retention.
What do you think about the ETH merge?
Crypto Lists asked at the time: Will it go as planned with a complete merge this month?
Ian Bentley: I think it is good for the environment and speed of transactions. We are building on L2 in terms of the gas fees, so it has no bearing on our objectives. No reason why it shouldn’t go smooth, but anything is possible in technology.
Crypto Lists update: The Ethereum Merge is now history, but the answer is still useful because it shows why WAGMI focused on a Layer 2 gaming solution rather than trying to make every player interact directly with expensive base-layer transactions. Read up about the Ethereum Merge here.
Is there anything that our readers should look forward to with WAGMI?
Ian Bentley: We are one of the only gaming franchises focused on mobile, which claims more than 50% of the revenue in gaming. We look to be the OGs in Web3 mobile gaming.
Crypto Lists view: Mobile was the right target. Most players are not sitting around waiting to connect wallets on desktop games. If Web3 gaming reaches normal users, mobile distribution will probably matter more than crypto-native Discord hype.
Do you see WAGMI as a fun project to get to do something creative or would you say you do it for the money?
Ian Bentley: I don’t get into projects just for the money. If I can’t be creative, I usually get bored. That is not the case with this project.
This is one reason we prefer preserving interviews rather than turning them into over-polished summaries. Small answers like this give readers a better feel for the person behind the project.
Ian Bentley: Alpha is for hype token projects. We prefer to do things a bit more professional. We are constantly working behind the scenes to forge new partnerships. We are treating this like a real business. But we are very transparent with our roadmap, and tuning into our Twitter spaces and AMAs is very valuable to our supporters.
Crypto Lists final note: This remains the best way to judge WAGMI Games: not by one old roadmap claim or one token chart, but by whether the team keeps shipping, communicating and improving the actual game. Web3 gaming has lost much of the blind hype it had in 2021 and 2022. That is healthy. Projects that still exist now have to compete more like normal games.
Thanks to Ian Bentley for taking the time to speak with Crypto Lists. Readers who want to follow the project should verify the latest game, token, NFT and roadmap information through WAGMI’s official channels before making any purchase or investment decision. You can also read our comprehensive review and news section for Wagmi Games.
Supply: 415,113,168 / 1,500,000,000
Release date: January 3, 2020
Description: You can trade Wagmi Games from 1Inch App or from UniSwap. Learn more about 1Inch now!
Risk warning: Trading, buying or selling crypto currencies is extremely risky and not for everyone. Do not risk money that you could not afford to loose.
FAQ: WAGMI Games and WAGMI Defense
What is WAGMI Defense?
WAGMI Defense is a mobile real-time strategy game with collectible-card elements, short battles and sci-fi lore set in the WAGMIVerse.
Is this interview still current?
The interview is preserved as historical context from the early WAGMI Defense rollout period. Some timelines, NFT utility details and roadmap comments may have changed since the original publication.
Is WAGMI Defense only for crypto users?
No. The project’s stated goal has been to make WAGMI Defense accessible as a mobile game first, with Web3 ownership features available without forcing every player to focus on crypto.
What role did Immutable X play?
Immutable X was important because WAGMI wanted low-friction blockchain infrastructure for gaming assets, including lower-fee NFT transactions compared with using Ethereum directly.
Should users buy WAGMI tokens or NFTs based on this interview?
No. This interview should not be treated as investment advice. Users should verify current token data, NFT utility, game activity, roadmap updates and risks before buying anything connected to WAGMI Games.
