Aavegotchi, a leading NFT protocol for Web3 gaming, is officially leaving Polygon in favor of Base, a newer Ethereum layer-2 solution developed by Coinbase. The community-driven decision was made through an onchain vote held on April 8, where an overwhelming 93.5% supported the proposal to “Make Aavegotchi Based Again.”
This marks a major shift for Aavegotchi, which originally launched on Polygon. According to founder Dan, the move is strategic, citing stronger retail adoption and better performance on Base. He emphasized the project’s close ties with the Base team and said the decision offers the best outcome for Aavegotchi’s future growth.
The transition comes as the crypto market struggles in 2025. Aavegotchi’s developer, Pixelcraft Studios, recently downsized its team to reduce operational costs and stay afloat amid a tough economic climate worsened by former President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on imports.
Polygon’s fading influence in the gaming space also played a role. Once peaking at nearly $10 billion in total value locked (TVL), Polygon’s TVL has plummeted to around $725 million. In contrast, Base and competitor Arbitrum each hold over $2 billion, according to DefiLlama.
Dan criticized Polygon’s lack of innovation, particularly its failure to deliver meaningful upgrades for gaming projects. On the other hand, Base has shown strong potential, especially with its seamless onboarding for retail users and future-proof architecture.
Launched in 2023 by Coinbase, Base is positioning itself as a key player in Ethereum scaling. Aavegotchi, originally a collaboration between Aave and Pixelcraft Studios, is known for its customizable NFT “ghosts” that double as interactive digital collectibles.
This move signals a new chapter for Aavegotchi—and potentially for Web3 gaming as a whole.