South Korean game developer Delabs is pivoting its portfolio to focus on midcore games through the messaging platform Telegram and the TON blockchain. The studio, which emerged from 4:33 Creative Labs, announced this strategic shift on X, signaling a departure from its previous blockchain gaming efforts.
CEO Joonmo Kwon pointed to the company's past success on South Korea's Kakaotalk messaging app as the blueprint for this move. When Kakaotalk evolved into a major game distribution platform, Delabs' predecessor capitalized on the opportunity by focusing on deeper gameplay experiences while competitors chased casual audiences.
Delabs Cover Banner on X (Twitter)
About Delabs?
4:33 Creative Labs launched three titles that topped Kakao Games' revenue charts. The studio's bet on mid-to-hardcore games instead of casual games paid off, and Delabs now plans to replicate that approach on Telegram. The messaging platform's massive user base and growing web3 adoption make it an attractive target for the studio's next phase.
Kwon believes Telegram's current landscape of hypercasual and casual games is ripe for disruption. Delabs will introduce midcore titles on the platform, powered by the TON blockchain. The company's first release will be Boxing Star, a mobile sports game that performed well under the 4:33 Creative Labs banner. Kwon argues that established IP like Boxing Star gives the studio an edge as it enters the Telegram ecosystem.
TON Blockchain
Migration from Polygon to Arbitrum
The shift to Telegram and TON follows broader operational changes at Delabs. Earlier this year, the studio migrated its game portfolio from the Polygon blockchain to Arbitrum, pausing projects like Space Frontier and Metabolts to align with the new strategy. Space Frontier was reportedly close to launch, which raised questions from the community about why it was shelved.
Delabs says it has sufficient financial backing to support the transition, thanks to recent investments from the TON Foundation and private investor Noah Kim. The studio confirmed that its Adventure Pass NFTs will retain utility in the new Telegram games. Metabolts NFTs are getting a revamp with added functionality, and the planned token allocation remains unchanged.
Delabs Web3 Racing Game
Final Thoughts
Delabs' move to Telegram reflects a broader trend of messaging platforms becoming game distribution channels, especially for web3-based games. The studio is betting that Telegram's gaming ecosystem will mature beyond lightweight experiences, and it wants to be at the front of that shift.
Whether midcore games can find an audience on Telegram remains to be seen. Delabs is positioning itself as a first mover in this space, leveraging established IPs and the TON blockchain to deliver more engaging experiences than the platform's current offerings. With backing from the TON Foundation and private investors, the studio has the runway to test whether its Kakaotalk playbook translates to Telegram.
