A Regional Lens on Community Building

In the second episode of YGG Play’s LOL Lounge, host Leah Callon-Butler and YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon are joined by Igloo APAC’s Aaron Teng and Cheryl Law, the drivers behind Pudgy Penguins’ thriving Asian community.

Pengu Asia, Pudgy Penguins’ official Asia community led by Igloo APAC, has built a strong regional presence by applying the global Web3 IP to meme culture and working with local Pudgy communities to create customized artworks that reflect uniquely local humor, tastes and trends. 

From Kakao stickers in Korea to China’s spin on “brainrot” memes, Cheryl and Aaron explain how locally resonant UGC fuels 500 million of Pudgy Penguins’ daily impressions in the APAC region. 

Pengu Asia’s IP collaboration with YGG Play’s first title, LOL Land, produced the Asia-themed Pengu Wonderland map. Featuring iconic Asian landmarks and community-owned Pudgy Penguins and Lil Pudgys licensed through OverpassIP, the LOL Land expansion reflects Pengu Asia’s intentional approach to regional engagement.

At the heart of it is a belief shared by both YGG and Pengu Asia: that culture, belonging, and togetherness in a Web3 community matter more than financial incentives — and that gaming strengthens those bonds through shared challenges and the joy of winning alongside friends.

Tune in to learn how two of the most successful community builders in Web3 — Pudgy and YGG — have turned their hyperlocal approach into a repeatable playbook for scaling communities worldwide.

LOL Lounge Episode 02 - A Regional Lens on Community Building

02:34 — Why building communities goes deeper than access to alpha

06:33 — Why YGG Play and Pudgy Penguins decided to focus on Asia

14:30 —  How OverpassIP enables projects to build with community-owned Pudgys

17:22 — How “the power of kawaii” helped Pengu Asia onboard noobs to crypto 

21:48 — Cheryl’s litmus test for identifying principled, trustworthy, and values-led community leaders

27:18 — How YGG grew from the Philippines into a truly diverse global community 

29:11 — How LOL Land data on player spend debunks the misconception that gamers in Southeast Asia only extract value

32:03 — How Web3 unlocks economic mobility by enabling players from emerging markets to turn their time and skill into income

33:20 —  What Malaysia offers as a case study to builders in emerging markets looking to scale globally

36:08 — How Pudgy connects holders to local networks and hobby groups when they travel

38:21 — How Pengu Asia uses memes as a universal language to connect with local cultures as well as a broader global audience

48:53 — Why Cheryl believes casual games will be a huge part of Pengu Asia’s growth strategy

51:37 — How Pudgy Penguins became the internet’s answer to Mickey Mouse 

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Play LOL Land’s new Pengu Wonderland map at LOL.Land.

Follow Pengu Asia on X to stay up-to-date with their latest activities.

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