Visa and Ubisoft have launched a three-year collaboration to integrate digital commerce and gaming, offering exclusive in-game content and gamified payments for EU and UK players. This partnership emerges alongside a notable rise of AI-powered dApps challenging traditional gaming and DeFi platforms, signalling a shift in the blockchain ecosystem.
Visa has embarked on a transformative partnership with Ubisoft, aiming to fuse digital payments with gaming experiences for consumers. This collaboration is expected to enrich the gaming landscape, allowing players to access various enhanced features, including mainstream gamified payments. Over a three-year period, Visa and Ubisoft plan to launch a variety of initiatives that encompass both digital commerce and entertainment.
The timing of this partnership coincides with the release of Ubisoft’s new title, Just Dance, which has sparked a wave of marketing activities. The companies introduced a promotional dance featuring Visa’s ambassador, Portuguese footballer Kika Nazareth, aimed at drawing attention to their combined offerings. Moreover, the collaboration promises exclusive in-game content for cardholders, including additional perks such as game codes and Ubisoft+ subscriptions. Chris Early, Ubisoft’s senior vice president of Strategic Partnerships, remarked, “Today marks the first step in our partnership with Visa to bring exclusive in-game content to cardholders, and we look forward to sharing more soon.”
Despite the excitement surrounding this partnership, the benefits appear limited to customers within the European Union and the United Kingdom, leaving many outside these regions wondering about the potential for future expansions. Visa’s Europe CMO, Kimberly Kadlec, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting it as a significant leap for Visa into the gaming world.
Analysts suggest that this partnership could herald a new wave of Visa-based loyalty programmes tailored for Ubisoft titles. Additionally, given Ubisoft’s exploration of blockchain technology in gaming, the potential integration of Visa’s Web3 capabilities may facilitate digital asset transactions within games. The rise of blockchain gaming is noteworthy; in 2024 alone, the sector saw the creation of 7.4 million new wallets. Nevertheless, a report indicates that 80% of gamers have yet to try a blockchain-based game, suggesting ample room for growth and adoption.
Simultaneously, an intriguing shift is unfolding in the broader dApp ecosystem. The rise of AI-powered decentralized applications (dApps) is making a considerable impact, challenging the traditional dominance of DeFi and gaming platforms. In a recent analysis by DappRadar, it was highlighted that AI dApps had surged to 16% market share, with gaming and DeFi each maintaining 21%. This marks a pivotal moment, as AI is quickly cementing its position as a formidable player in the dApp landscape.
Sara Gherhelas, an analyst at DappRadar, noted that this increase in AI’s market share reflects a recalibration of the dApp ecosystem. The acceleration of AI adoption is attributed to an enhanced user experience that appeals to a growing audience. Furthermore, while DeFi and gaming dApps experienced declines of 16% and 10% respectively in user metrics, AI dApps have thrived, implying a significant shifting of user interest.
In the broader context, as AI technologies continue to evolve, the integration with blockchain is unlocking new capabilities across various sectors. Enterprises are increasingly combining these technologies to enhance services such as cybersecurity and user verification processes. The dual adoption of AI and blockchain not only presents new operational efficiencies but also addresses challenges related to data ownership and security.
This evolving landscape offers both opportunities and challenges. While the partnership between Visa and Ubisoft aims to enhance gaming experiences through innovative payments, it occurs against a backdrop of rapid change in the dApp ecosystem. Analysts point to the potential for significant disruption as AI further establishes itself in the gaming sector. The interplay of these technologies could redefine what consumers expect from their digital interactions in the coming years.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://coingeek.com/visa-teams-up-with-ubisoft-ai-dapps-outperform-defi-gaming/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://cointelegraph.com/news/web3-growth-ai-dapps-capture-28-market-share – In August 2024, Cointelegraph reported that AI-based decentralized applications (DApps) have overtaken gaming, capturing 28% of daily activity in the Web3 ecosystem. This shift marks a significant change, as blockchain-based games have lost their leading position in the DApp industry for the first time in over a year. The dominance of the gaming sector dropped to 26%, while the ‘Other’ category, which now holds a 28% share, predominantly comprises AI-based DApps, including platforms like DIN and Alaya AI.
- https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/ai-powered-dapps-surpass-blockchain-gaming-in-web3-activity – In January 2025, KuCoin reported that AI-powered decentralized applications (DApps) are rapidly gaining popularity, now accounting for 28% of Web3 activity. This marks a significant shift as AI surpasses blockchain gaming, which holds 25% of the activity share. Chris Zhu from SonicSVM highlights the transformative potential of AI in gaming, emphasizing its ability to offer dynamic non-player characters (NPCs) and highly personalized experiences. This integration of AI in Web3 could unlock unprecedented possibilities for the industry.
- https://dapp.expert/news/en_artificial-intelligence-becomes-the-leader-among-dapp-applications-surpassing-gaming – In April 2025, Dapp.expert reported that artificial intelligence (AI) has become the leading category among decentralized application (DApp) applications, surpassing gaming. In the third quarter of 2024, AI-powered DApps accounted for 28% of the industry’s activity, overtaking gaming, which held a 25% share. This remarkable growth reflects a broader societal shift towards automation and data-driven decision-making, with AI DApps providing enhanced personalization and solutions that simplify complex digital interactions.
- https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-decentralized-apps-coming-for-web3-throne-dappradar – In April 2025, Cointelegraph reported that AI decentralized apps (DApps) have seen a spike in user activity and could soon challenge gaming and DeFi for the top spot in the DApp ecosystem, according to blockchain analytics platform DappRadar. Gaming and DeFi are both sitting on 21% dominance in April, judged by percentage of unique active wallets, while AI has climbed to 16%, up from the 11% recorded in the February report. DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas noted that if this trend continues, AI could soon challenge the traditional dominance of DeFi and Gaming, signaling a new era in the DApp landscape.
- https://www.vtrader.io/news/ai-powered-dapps-set-to-revolutionize-web3-by-may-2025-dappradar-analysis/ – In April 2025, VTrader reported that AI-driven decentralized applications (DApps) are shaking up the Web3 landscape, potentially dethroning gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi) from their long-held dominance. According to DappRadar’s latest industry report, AI DApps have surged to 16% market dominance in April 2025, a significant leap from the 11% recorded just two months prior. This rise comes as gaming and DeFi, each holding 21% of the market, grapple with stagnation. DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas highlighted an increasing interest in AI tools across various industries, noting that AI-powered DApps are steadily carving out their place in the decentralized ecosystem.
- https://dappradar.com/blog/ai-dapps-dominate-web3-industry-leading-with-28-activity-share – In April 2025, DappRadar reported that the DApp industry continues its bullish trajectory in Unique Active Wallets (UAW), reaching an impressive 15.9 million daily UAW, marking a substantial 78% increase from last month. For the first time in over a year, gaming has lost its position as the leader in the DApp industry. This month, its dominance has dropped to 26%, while the ‘Other’ category has taken the lead with a 28% share. This category includes AI-based DApps like DIN and Alaya AI. The social sector has continued its upward trend, gaining tremendous popularity in recent months. It now commands a 20% dominance in the DApp industry, with 3.1 million dUAW.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears to be original, with no prior publications found. The earliest known publication date is May 22, 2025. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The report mentions a three-year partnership, suggesting the information is current. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified. The narrative does not appear to be republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes from Chris Early and Kimberly Kadlec are unique to this report, with no identical matches found in earlier material. This suggests the content is potentially original or exclusive.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from CoinGeek, a single-outlet platform. While it provides detailed information, the lack of corroboration from other reputable sources introduces some uncertainty. The report mentions a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about the partnership between Visa and Ubisoft align with their known business strategies and recent activities. The mention of AI dApps outperforming DeFi and gaming is supported by data from DappRadar’s April 2025 report. The language and tone are consistent with industry reporting. No excessive or off-topic details were noted.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
While the narrative presents plausible and timely information, the reliance on a single source and the lack of corroboration from other reputable outlets introduce some uncertainty. The content appears original, but the source’s reliability is moderate. Further verification from additional reputable sources is recommended to confirm the details of the partnership and the claims about AI dApps.
