MLP Bets Big on Climate Change: Favours Play-To-Impact, Over Play-To-Earn

Amidst increasing criticism of the popular play-to-earn model due to its unsustainability, a new chapter may be on the horizon. My Lovely Planet is championing play-to-impact (P2I), where in-game actions drive tangible benefits in the real world.

My Lovely Planet Partners with Influencers to Promote Climate Change Through Gaming

This week, My Lovely Planet (MLP), a mobile game that channels in-game activities into global reforestation efforts, announced an applaudable influencer partnership. The GameFi project will be working with Turkish football star Hakan Çalhanoğlu and his wife, Sinem, to launch the Çalhanoğlu Forest in Turkey.

The launch project—set in Kuşadası, Aydın Province—is an area devastated by forest fires in 2024. To this effect, Çalhanoğlu will finance the planting of 10,000 saplings in an area about the size of 50 football fields. Through the Web3 community-focused #PlayForTurkey campaign slated for phase II, every download and action in the game will contribute to reforestation.

“Football has given me so much, and now I want to give something back, not just to my country, but to the world—with My Lovely Planet, fans can have fun and directly join me in bringing impact while enjoying the game,” said Çalhanoğlu.

Changing the Narrative From P2E to P2I

While P2E was built on unsustainable financial incentives, P2I game players create measurable environmental and social good through gameplay. Every level completed, achievement unlocked, and moment of gameplay translates into real-world tree planting in My Lovely Planet.

Nevertheless, the pivot from P2E to P2I raises bigger questions for the Web3 industry. Can impact-driven models scale in the same way speculative ones did? And can blockchain gaming retain players without financial incentives at its core? 

Projects like MLP suggest an affirmative answer. It connects entertainment to global causes, such as climate change, sidesteps the volatility of crypto markets, and taps into the cultural power of gaming and sports.

Made by the Developers of Some of the World’s Favorite Fun Games

Unlike many P2E projects that struggled to find utility beyond crypto rewards, MLP was built for everyday gamers. The project team includes veterans from Candy Crush, Royal Match, and Fortnite. Recognized by Google Play under the #WeArePlay program this year, the game is designed to be as easy to pick up as mainstream mobile hits, but with the added dimension of climate action.

“We’re building more than a game. We’re building a movement where entertainment fuels real-world action,” said Clément Le Bras, CEO of My Lovely Planet. “Partnering with Hakan allows us to inspire millions of fans to make a difference, one download at a time.”

Remarkable Support From the Gaming Industry’s Biggest

My Lovely Planet has the support of big names in traditional gaming, like UBISOFT and Unity. In its fun mobile game, players group object pairs in a smooth Candy Crush-level experience. If P2E was about extracting value, P2I is about creating it. My Lovely Planet and the Çalhanoğlu Forest highlight that Web3 might have found a model that bridges fun, purpose, and global good.