The transition to cloud-dependent gaming ecosystems, driven by anti-piracy measures and subscription models, has fundamentally reshaped how users interact with digital assets. While publishers frame this shift as progress, it comes with a steep cost—the illusion of ownership replaces actual possession, ecosystem lock-in becomes the default, and users lose meaningful control over their data and access.

Local-first architectures offer a compelling alternative. They restore genuine ownership, enable offline functionality without dependence on centralized servers, and crucially, they preserve privacy at the protocol level. This mirrors the principles underlying decentralized finance and self-sovereign models: users should retain control over their assets and digital identities, not surrender them to walled gardens. The choice between convenience and autonomy shouldn't be binary.