Quick Take
- Gala community expresses frustration over rising costs to run founder nodes
- Public comments from the CEO spark backlash across social media and Discord
- Former blockchain head Jason Brink joins criticism of how the situation was handled
A public conversation around Gala Games reignited this week as longtime community members raised concerns over increasing node costs and what they see as a lack of developer and community support.
The situation escalated when a user identifying as a major Gala supporter claimed they had spent over $300,000 on NFTs in the Gala store over several years, only selling about $10,000 worth of $GALA. They stated that keeping their founder’s nodes online would now cost them an additional $45,000 in $GALA, a sum they could no longer afford due to unemployment.
The comment circulated across Discord, with the user asking Gala leadership to directly acknowledge whether the platform still supported lower-income users. In response, Eric Schiermeyer, known online as “Benefactor” and CEO of Gala Games, replied publicly: “It sucks that you can’t be counted on to help take us to the promised land.”
Screenshots of the exchange quickly spread across social platforms. The tone of the response drew widespread criticism, including from Jesus Martinez, a longtime creator in the Web3 gaming space and former Gala-sponsored content partner. Martinez said the platform’s core problem was not failed products or pivots, but an ongoing disregard for community and developer sentiment.
Jason Brink, Gala’s former head of blockchain known as BitBender, also commented on the situation in a since-deleted post on X. In a follow-up, Brink said, “I can think of a lot of CEOs that are worse… but if this is what your community is saying about you, you have absolutely room for improvement in community management and communications.”
The posts follow several challenging months for Gala. The company confirmed in April that The Walking Dead: Empires, a licensed MMO built under the Gala Games ecosystem, will shut down on July 31. Players were offered “mystery boxes” as compensation for NFTs previously purchased for the game, some of which had cost thousands of dollars.
More recently, the GALA token is down approximately 75% from its 2024 highs, with market confidence impacted by the game’s closure, ongoing leadership disputes, and a prior lawsuit involving a Gala development partner. A ruling in 2024 determined that Gala had failed to uphold financial and promotional obligations related to the Spider Tanks project.
As the platform continues to pursue development on other titles like Mirandus and Champions Arena, the conversation around community trust, asset utility, and token dynamics remains active.
What is Gala Games?
Gala Games is a blockchain gaming platform that allows players to own and trade in-game assets using NFTs and the GALA token. It launched in 2020 with a focus on decentralized ownership and early access development. Its ecosystem includes a network of founder nodes, NFT-powered games, and community-driven governance tools. The platform has backed several projects across different genres, with mixed results. Gala Games operates on Ethereum and supports some titles through its proprietary Layer 1 blockchain.
