Blockchain
NEON Closes Successful Seed Funding Round, Raising $10.5 Million Led by Griffin Gaming Partners
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Griffin Gaming Partners, Polychain Capital, and Forte.io have invested in the development of a AAA blockchain-enabled game by the talent behind Halo, Call of Duty, and Star Wars
NEON, an independent game studio, has closed a successful seed funding round, raising $10.5 million USD to build the world’s first blockchain-enabled AAA first-person shooter game. Demonstrating significant interest in the project across the gaming, blockchain, and technology sectors, the oversubscribed round was led by Griffin Gaming Partners, alongside Polychain Capital and Forte. Forte will also provide technical support to the project.
Designed to reward and empower players and creators, Shrapnel will be the world’s first blockchain-enabled AAA first-person shooter game. Full details of the game are set to be announced next year.
Commenting on the raise, Mark Long, CEO at NEON, said, “When we saw the market research that players want to truly own their digital items, we knew there was a unique opportunity in blockchain. Thanks to Griffin’s investment and expertise, along with Polychain and Forte, we can bring to life a game and mod platform that I’ve dreamed of making for years. This team is inspiring to work with. We know we have the right game with the right tech at the right time.”
Spun-out from HBO Interactive, the NEON team has unmatched professional experience in transmedia, virtual production, and gaming-as-a-service. Comprised of BAFTA and Emmy award-winning game industry veterans hailing from some of the world’s leading game companies including Xbox, Electronic Arts, HBO, LucasFilm, Irrational, and Zombie Ent amongst others, NEON’s vision is to create the most immersive gaming experience ever seen in the crypto space. To support this vision, a range of blockchain and deep tech experts will support the architectural and design needs of the game.
Pierre Planche, Partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, said, “Griffin is thrilled to be working closely with Mark and the NEON team as well as an awesome group of strategic partners. It is exciting to see a AAA games team of this caliber contribute to moving the blockchain gaming ecosystem forward with a focus on quality gameplay and long-term value. NEON is authentically leveraging some of the most exciting pillars of utility that blockchain has to offer gaming – its core game design innovates on competitive game modes, and its digital economy will directly reward and empower the community. As a long-time FPS player and prior esports competitor in the genre, I know Shrapnel is exactly the experience my peers and I can’t wait to get our hands on. “
Ben Perszyk, Partner at Polychain, said, “Polychain has long held that crypto will enable novel, unforeseen behaviors, businesses, and use cases, and we are seeing another example of that now with Shrapnel. We believe crypto assets and incentive structures will fundamentally change the way users play games, and we’re extremely excited to see the experienced team at NEON push the envelope forward on what’s possible in the crypto gaming industry by integrating crypto into a deep, immersive, AAA-style FPS experience.”
Josh Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Forte, said, “Experienced game developers like the NEON team know that core gameplay and engagement mechanics are crucial for staying power. They are committed to creating sustainable blockchain ecosystems by putting game design and user experience first and we are honored they’ve chosen Forte to help them bring their vision to life.”
Blockchain
Sovrun’s Vision Meets Hyperliquid’s Infrastructure and Virtuals’ AI: A New Era for Gaming
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Sovrun’s vision takes a bold step forward with its groundbreaking milestone: one of the first gaming projects to secure a listing on Hyperliquid, a high-performance decentralized exchange redefining liquidity for digital assets.
Liquidity is the backbone of successful gaming economies. Hyperliquid is designed to not only deliver liquidity but also visibility for growing ecosystems, transforming game economies into robust financial systems.
Sovrun, formerly BreederDAO, helped define the rise of blockchain games by developing modular smart contracts that augmented, optimized, and automated in-game functionalities opening up unprecedented opportunities in gaming. Sovrun is well known for its Axie Infinity proprietary breeding bots that allowed them to supply over 120,000 in-game assets to 40,000 players, boosting player liquidity and driving growth.
In their next phase, Sovrun is empowering not only asset creation, but the co-creation of entire virtual worlds using blockchain, AI and modular infrastructure. Backed by prominent investors like a16z, Delphi Digital, Longhash and more, Sovrun is building an ecosystem where gaming communities can collaboratively create, govern, and evolve their digital experiences, broadening the possibilities of creator-driven economies.
Securing a listing on HyperLiquid is just the first step as they plan to strategically build fully on-chain gaming within the cutting-edge infrastructure of HyperEVM, an upcoming component of the HyperLiquid ecosystem. Sovrun’s L2 testnet is now fully live, and is one of the first Layer2s on Hyperliquid. By integrating HyperLiquid’s institutional-grade infrastructure with Sovrun’s growing platform, the project is setting the stage for a seamless convergence of gaming, blockchain, and financial liquidity.
Sovrun and Virtuals Joint Venture
While the HyperLiquid partnership is turning heads, the joint venture between Virtuals Protocol and Sovrun, known as Ready Gamer, is set to power up gaming by integrating AI-powered experiences into web3 ecosystems. Imagine an RPG where NPCs remember your choices across in-game years, their attitudes shifting dynamically, or a strategy game where AI opponents learn and adapt to your tactics with every session. Virtuals’ GAME framework, a decision-making engine enabling AI agents with dynamic interaction, forms the foundation of this collaboration.
Together, Virtuals and Sovrun are delivering unscripted, personalized, and deeply immersive gaming experiences.
Autonomous Worlds (AW), or self-sustaining, player driven ecosystems, are the focus as Sovrun unlocks new dimensions of interaction and scalability, still sorely lacking in the gaming ecosystem. Through Sovrun’s AW architecture, players and creators can shape, grow, and evolve their virtual worlds making them genuine architects of their gaming experiences.
Traditional games struggle with a heavy demand for fresh content, but AW offers a community led model where game elements can be continuously expanded and reshaped by the players themselves. But what exactly does that mean?
The Sovrun Participation Layer allows communities to engage and influence game economies, and Sovrun is acquiring assets of top projects like My Pet Hooligan, Pixels, and Azra Games to name a few. In the crowd-built virtual world EVE Frontier for example, Sovrun developed a system that allowed for the development of eSports ecosystems into the game itself.
Now, by integrating with HyperEVM, tapping into the HyperLiquid ecosystem, and partnering with Virtuals, Sovrun is amplifying its mission to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where creators don’t just participate in autonomous worlds—they build them. This collaboration ensures that Sovrun is not only positioned as a leader in Web3 gaming, but also as a catalyst for the global adoption of decentralized gaming economies. HyperEVM’s ability to support high-scale, on-chain transactions ensures Sovrun’s platform can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy while the joint venture with Virtuals adds an immersive layer of dynamic interactions set to reshape web3 gaming.
Blockchain
Traderland.io Launches a Fusion of Gaming and Investment Training
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Traderland.io, an innovative interactive trading simulator gaming universe, has officially launched. The dynamic trading platform offers users the chance to immerse themselves in a socially-driven game landscape while honing their investment and asset-trading skills. Since its initial release, Traderland.io has rapidly gained popularity, attracting over 15,000 users.
Traderland.io stands out by utilizing real-time market data, allowing users to experience an immersive and realistic trading environment. Players can engage in trading activities that reflect live market conditions, providing a true-to-life simulation that enhances their learning experience.
In the Traderland.io universe, players are represented by customizable animated avatars. These avatars enable users to explore various cities within the platform, each offering unique challenges and opportunities. A significant feature is the ability to invest in virtual real estate across eight distinct regions, each with varying price points.
A core element of the Traderland.io experience is its tutorials, which are grounded in real-life trading scenarios. Users can choose to navigate these lessons with the guidance of a coach who is available to answer questions and provide step-by-step assistance.
Traderland.io offers a broad selection of virtual assets for users to trade, including forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and futures. By trading these assets, players can gain practical experience and understand the intricacies of different investment vehicles.
The asset prices within the platform mirror actual market fluctuations, allowing traders to observe the impact of their decisions and adapt their strategies accordingly. Players can monitor their gains and losses through a comprehensive dashboard, providing a snapshot of their portfolio’s performance.
One of the platform’s most exciting features is the opportunity for players to engage in trading battles and tournaments against traders from around the world. These competitions not only elevate the excitement but also offer the chance to win real money, adding a tangible reward to the virtual trading experience.
The investment landscape is expanding rapidly, with the cryptocurrency market alone projected to grow to $13.18 billion by 2031. As more investors enter the market, Traderland.io aims to bridge the knowledge gap by educating users about various assets through an engaging, gamified approach. By participating in real-time trading and completing the tutorials, players can enter the investment space with confidence and competence.
Traderland.io is available exclusively through its website, offering a unique and comprehensive trading simulator that combines education, competition, and community engagement.
Blockchain
Rivalry Expands Crypto Native Experience With Token Launch in H2 2024, Web3 Product Enhancements
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Blockchain-Based Product to Position Rivalry Within Fast-Growing Crypto Gambling Segment, Drive Product-Market Fit Among Digitally Native Bettors with Increased Functionality and User Experiences
Rivalry, the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for Gen Z, revealed Rivalry Token, a native crypto token on the blockchain to add increased functionality, economics, and user experiences across the company’s product suite, continuing Rivalry’s track record of innovation in online betting. The launch of Rivalry Token, anticipated to arrive in H2 2024, represents one of several forthcoming initiatives to position Rivalry in the crypto gambling market and better serve its core audience of 30-and-under bettors.
“Online gambling is the latest web-based consumer category being increasingly disrupted by blockchain technologies with greater speed, access, and functionality than their legacy counterparts,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO, Rivalry. “Tech-savvy bettors are leading a behavioral shift towards more experiential and crypto-enabled gambling experiences that are taking wallet share from incumbents at an accelerated rate.”
“Rivalry is well-positioned to access the growth opportunity in crypto with a proven product set, a brand entrenched in internet culture, and a captive audience of digitally native users that are driving this economic renaissance,” Salz added. “The launch of Rivalry Token, alongside a broader expansion into cryptocurrencies, strengthens our product-market fit among an under-30 audience and positions us competitively to capture a meaningful share of this fast-growing segment of the market.”
Rivalry Token will be integrated within Rivalry’s product suite – from sportsbook to casino and more – with built-in properties to enhance the customer experience from end-to-end. Users can earn tokens through site activity such as betting and referring friends, which can be used on Rivalry to boost odds, participate in jackpots, and more to be detailed in the future. Rivalry Token will also be available on several to-be-announced crypto exchange platforms, trading under $RVLRY.
Rivalry Token creates a new dynamic relationship between player and house where every sports wager and casino spin, win or lose, is rewarded with a decentralized asset that can accrue value alongside player activity on Rivalry. The company expects its token will drive a meaningful increase in player engagement, loyalty, and advocacy by establishing more positive economic alignment and enabling customers to actively participate in product success.
Rivalry has today launched a pre-farming campaign where users can begin accumulating an interim currency through site activity and eventually social media which will be converted into Rivalry Token during the token generation event in H2 2024. Additionally, tokens will be distributed to all Rivalry accounts based on historical activity, rewarding loyal customers and creating a substantial reactivation opportunity for churned users.
Rivalry will also soon be adding greater support for other cryptocurrencies on its platform, allowing users to more easily bet with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and other major cryptocurrencies. This will enable Rivalry to access a fast-growing audience gambling with crypto that is estimated to account for up to one quarter of global betting handle.
Following the official launch, Rivalry Token will be available for players to use on Rivalry in all of the company’s active markets excluding Ontario and Australia.
The company will release more information about Rivalry Token throughout the coming months, including commercial partners, token economics, and more.
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