Gaming Grid - Mega Web3 Gaming 2023 Recap

Welcome to the 2023 Gaming Grid Special Edition!

Explore the year's top Web3 gaming news, highlighting breakthroughs, innovations, and stories that shaped decentralized gaming. Join us on a journey through the pixels and protocols that redefined how we play, compete, and connect in the evolving world of Web3 gaming.

JANUARY

Avalanche Teams Up with AWS 🌐

Avalanche, the visionary blockchain platform, enhanced the realms of NFTs and Web3 gaming by joining forces with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The collaboration, unveiled on January 11, 2023, expanded Avalanche's global influence and seamlessly integrated its Web3 infrastructure into AWS Activate and the AWS Partner Network (APN), representing a momentous achievement in the blockchain's adoption history. 

Illuvium Zero Alpha Accessible for Users 🔥

Illuvium Zero Alpha became available for download to all Landholders, enabling immersive gameplay on various devices. Players seized the opportunity to extract and sell fuel on the IlluviDex, transcending mere ownership to active earning as landowning tycoons. The release marked a significant step in Illuvium's evolution, combining strategic resource management with decentralized ownership.

Champions Ascension Soars with a16z and Plai Labs Collab 🌟 

Champions Ascension, in collaboration with Plai Labs, positioned itself for accelerated growth after a seed round led by a16z. This strategic venture marked a significant achievement in Champions Ascension's journey, setting the stage for notable developments in 2023. The collaboration with Plai Labs opened avenues for innovation and expansion, reflecting the dynamic nature of the web3 gaming industry.

FEBRUARY

Mino Games Raises $15M for DimensionalsRPG 🎮

Mino Games, the creator of popular titles like Cat Game and Dog Game, raised an impressive $15 million in funding for its ambitious Dimensionals franchise. The investment, led by Standard Crypto and featuring Boost VC, Collab Currency, Earl Grey Capital, and Konvoy Ventures, will fuel the evolution of Mino Games into the Web3 gaming sphere. With gaming veterans Bing Gordon and Don Mattrick on board as advisers, Mino Games plans to revolutionize distribution, leveraging Web3 to establish a direct relationship between developers and the community. The funding will accelerate the launch of Dimensionals, introducing a new era of gaming experiences.

Neopets Metaverse Secures $4M Funding for Exciting Expansion 💸

Neopets Metaverse secured a significant $4 million in funding from leading names in the Blockchain space, including Polygon Ventures, Avalanche Blizzard Ecosystem Fund, HashKey Capital, IDG Capital, and NetDragon Websoft. The funding will enhance user experiences, with plans for new species, maps, and festival-themed surprises.

Axie Infinity's Homeland Alpha Season 1🚀 

Axie Infinity launched Homeland Alpha Season 1, introducing new AXS rewards, an upgraded Passive Adventure system, and a Plot Design Contest. Players actively immersed themselves in the evolving Axie Infinity universe, contributing creativity and exploring enhanced features. The launch of Homeland Alpha Season 1 marked another milestone in Axie Infinity's journey, captivating players with fresh content and opportunities for engagement. 

MARCH

Immutable and Polygon Unveil Game-Changing Partnership 🤝 

Immutable and Polygon announced a collaboration to propel the web3 gaming landscape forward. The partnership introduced Immutable zkEVM, powered by Polygon, offering unlimited creativity and unrivaled gaming experiences, significantly impacting the gaming industry. The strategic alliance between Immutable and Polygon signaled a major shift in how blockchain technology is integrated into web3 gaming platforms, promising enhanced scalability and user experiences.

Magic Eden Unleashed MINT MADNESS 🤯

Magic Eden, a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, launched Mint Madness, a series of free mints for 13 Web3 games on ETH, SOL, and Polygon blockchains in March. These games, which utilized NFTs for in-game capabilities, included titles like Shrapnel and Planet Mojo. Magic Eden aimed to boost engagement by featuring a leaderboard for top NFT traders, with a prize pool of 20,000 MATIC (about $25,500) for the leading Polygon traders.

Nexon's MapleStory Goes Web3 🕹️

Gaming giant Nexon announced the construction of a dedicated Polygon Supernet to propel the blockchain evolution of its MapleStory Universe from Web2 to Web3. With annual revenues exceeding $2.6 billion and 180 million registered users for MapleStory, this leap into Web3 signifies a significant shift for Nexon. The upcoming Web3 version of MapleStory will empower players to earn Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and unlock a myriad of utilities and benefits, marking a pivotal moment in the gaming industry's embrace of blockchain technology.

APRIL

RON Staking Launches on Ronin Network 💰  

Ronin Network officially launched RON staking, marking a pivotal moment in the Ronin journey. The introduction of staking brought additional rewards for securing the network and expanded the ecosystem beyond the Axie IP. This move aimed to strengthen the Ronin Network while providing opportunities for users to actively participate in network security and governance. 

Merit Circle Launches Beam for Enhanced Web3 Gaming on Avalanche 🔺 

Merit Circle introduced Beam, a dedicated Avalanche Subnet tailored for Web3 gaming. The independent and sovereign network offered new gaming-focused tools, an NFT marketplace, and exciting games like Trial Xtreme and Walker World. The addition of Beam to the Avalanche network showcased Merit Circle's commitment to providing a robust infrastructure for web3 gaming, offering unique tools and experiences to the gaming community.

Shrapnel Unleashes Ultimate Gaming Experience 💼 

Shrapnel introduced the ultimate gaming experience, encouraging gaming enthusiasts to link wallets holding Operators NFTs. The announcement included updates on wallet snapshots and airdrop dates, building anticipation for the upcoming token airdrop. Shrapnel's emphasis on wallet-linked experiences and airdrop initiatives aimed to create a vibrant and engaged community of players. 

MAY

Illuvium Unleashes Overworld Private Beta 2 🎮 

Illuvium launched Overworld Private Beta 2, providing a downloadable experience with an expanded world and new Illuvial lines. The beta showcased the new Overload mechanic, emphasizing strategic energy management. Players eagerly participated in the beta, contributing valuable feedback to enhance the overall gaming experience in preparation for the official Overworld launch. 

Axie Infinity: Origins Available On The App Store 📲 

Axie Infinity marked a significant milestone in May as Origins became available on the App Store. This move aimed to make the popular web3 game more accessible and shareable, contributing to the growth of the Axie community. The App Store launch expanded Axie Infinity's user base, bringing the play-to-earn model to a broader audience and solidifying its presence in the mobile gaming market.

Neowiz Launched $10M Web3 Game Accelerator on Polygon 💡

South Korean game publisher Neowiz collaborated with Polygon Labs to introduce a $10 million accelerator program. The grant initiative aimed to fund the development of innovative Web3 games on the Layer 2 Ethereum scaling protocol. This announcement followed Neowiz's $12 million fundraising for its blockchain gaming ecosystem, Intella X, just three months ago, showcasing the company's commitment to shaping the future of Web3 gaming.

JUNE

Fortnite x Nike Air Max: Airphoria 👟 

Airphoria, a unique Fortnite experience, collaborated with Nike in June to celebrate the iconic Air Max sneakers. The collaboration allowed players to unlock special achievements and gain early access to the SWOOSH Air Max Virtual Collection. The partnership with Nike elevated the in-game experience, offering players exclusive rewards and highlighting the potential for collaborations between the gaming and fashion industries in the metaverse. 

Gods Unchained Debut On Epic Games Store 🔥 

Immutable’s highly anticipated blockchain game, Gods Unchained, successfully launched on the Epic Games Store. Access to Epic Games’ massive player base marked a significant step in reaching traditional PC gamers and TCG enthusiasts. The Epic Games Store debut positioned Gods Unchained as a major player in the broader gaming market, bridging the gap between blockchain and traditional gaming audiences. 

Avalanche introduces Arcad3 🎮

Ava Labs has introduced Avalanche Arcad3, an innovative initiative to help Web2 gaming leaders smoothly transition into Web3. In collaboration with Japanese media giants GREE and Gumi, the program provides essential tools for integrating blockchain, mastering marketing, and understanding tokenomics. With exclusive access to a curated selection of Web3 brands, Arcad3 fosters collaboration, learning, and strategic investments alongside top Web3 game developers. The program focuses on game monetization, marketing, user acquisition, and risk management, offering comprehensive support for a successful transition into the dynamic world of Web3.

JULY

CyberKongz Genkai NFT Mint Makes Ronin Debut 🦍

The CyberKongz Genkai mint on Ronin's Mavis Market, which marked the first-ever NFT mint on Ronin, has concluded. On July 27th, 3,000 Genkai were made available for sale at 0.25 ETH or an equivalent amount of RON. These Genkai NFTs featured exclusive Ronin traits inspired by samurai aesthetics and Axie traits, making them truly unique. The celebration included the Ronin x Genkai Gacha Quest, offering chances to win prizes and fostering a long-term union between CyberKongz and Ronin. Plans for migration and a Genkai-powered game were also unveiled during the event.

DEADROP released #SnapshotVI 🧟‍♂️

Dr Disrespect's game studio, Midnight Society, released the latest piece of early access content for DEADROP, titled "Snapshot VI." This update introduced a new feature allowing players to buy back items using in-game currency at a vendor. The game, a vertical extraction shooter, was unveiled a year ago and was a free-to-play player-vs-player-vs-environment title on Unreal Engine 5.

Ubisoft Introduces Champion Tactics ⛓  

Ubisoft unveiled its first blockchain game, Champion Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, in June. The player-versus-player (PVP) tactical RPG was designed for PC and deployed on the Japanese blockchain ecosystem known as Oasys. Ubisoft's entry into blockchain gaming signaled the growing interest of traditional gaming giants in adopting decentralized technologies, adding credibility and mainstream visibility to the blockchain gaming space. 

AUGUST

Zynga Enters Web3 with Sugartown 🎮

Zynga, under Take-Two Interactive Software, made Web3 history with Sugartown. Built on Ethereum, Sugartown lets players use ERC-721 Ora tokens, stake Oras for in-game activities, and mint their own Oras for access to free-to-play minigames. The unique narrative and mechanics marked Zynga's successful entry into the blockchain gaming space. 

Off the Grid Unveils Epic Gameplay at Gamescom 2023 🎮

Neill Blomkamp's cyberpunk-style battle royale game, Off the Grid, showcased extensive gameplay trailer during Gamescom 2023. A battle royale third-person shooter with a 60-hour narrative campaign. The announcement generated excitement among gaming enthusiasts, anticipating an immersive and cinematic gaming experience. 

ZTX Rockets to Success with $13M 🌐

ZTX, the web3 metaverse successfully raised $13 million in a seed funding round led by Jump Crypto. Founded in 2022, the platform swiftly progressed, launching a private beta of its 3D metaverse and securing strategic partnerships, showcasing strong investor confidence in its future impact on the web3 industry.

SEPTEMBER

Esports Tournament Controversy 👀 

The Creator League, an esports tournament with top influencers, faced controversy as it emerged that $20 Community Passes were NFTs, causing concern among participating creators unaware of this. The lack of transparency regarding the NFT nature raised ethical questions, emphasizing the need for clear communication in involving influencers and their audiences in projects with blockchain technology.

Yuga Labs Announces Open Beta for Otherside 🌟

Yuga Labs prepared for the open beta release of Otherside: Legends of the Mara in September 2023. The strategic partnership with US developer Faraway Games promised exciting expansions, allowing Otherdeed land NFT holders exclusive access to new Vessel NFTs, enhancing gameplay in this 2D strategy game. 

Fableborne Raised $7.8M 💼

With a significant capital boost this year, Fableborne secured $7.8 million, supercharging its journey and setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements. The funding propelled Fableborne, with the recent introduction of Pxion League turbocharging LiveOps and laying the foundation for a high-stakes competitive platform. The $7.8M wasn't just financial support; it served as the fuel to scale Fableborne after 8 groundbreaking updates this year, positioning the company at the forefront of a paradigm shift in gaming.

OCTOBER

Immutable + AWS Forge a Web3 Gaming Powerhouse 💎

Immutable's partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) promises to revolutionize Web3 gaming. This collaboration, part of AWS's ISV Accelerate Program, focuses on making game development safer, simpler, and more accessible. Immutable's zkEVM compatibility ensures developers can create Web3 games seamlessly.

Steam Embraces Web3 with Parallel Debut 🚀

Parallel, has officially debuted on the Steam gaming platform, marking a significant stride in Web3 gaming integration for the platform with over 130 million monthly active users. Despite allowing Web3 games like Parallel, Steam maintains a prohibition on cryptocurrency transactions, showcasing its commitment to innovation in the dynamic gaming landscape.

Big Time Preseason is LIVE  🔥

Big Time Preseason, a free-to-play RPG, introduces a Cosmetic Based Economy, $BIGTIME Tokens, unique spaces called SPACE, Prestige Portals, Hourglasses, Rentals, and Time Wardens. Emphasizing fair play and asset ownership, it offers a dynamic and rewarding experience in a web3 MMORPG setting.

ZTX Playtest Hits 47,595 Players 📊 

The recent ZTX gaming Playtest #2 concluded with an impressive turnout of 47,595 players, showcasing strong engagement and excitement within the community. It introduced a range of new features and engaging gameplay modes, offering players an immersive Web3 adventure.

NOVEMBER

Pixels Launches on Ronin Network 🌐

Pixels made its debut on the Ronin Network, signaling progress in the Web3 gaming space. The migration presents opportunities for a more interconnected and vibrant player base. The move to Ronin also integrates $BERRY, the in-game currency, onto the Ronin chain.

Matr1x Doubles Funding to $20M 🔥

Matr1x, the Web3 mobile gaming startup, secures an additional $10 million in funding, doubling its total investments to $20 million. The funding surge propels the development of Matr1x Fire, an NFT-infused mobile team shooter, featuring diverse characters, multiple game modes, and a vibrant Web3 gaming experience.

HYTOPIA Secures $3M in Funding 💸

HYTOPIA, formerly NFT Worlds, announces a groundbreaking $3 million fundraise led by Delphi Digital and Delphi Ventures, alongside other stellar VCs and angels. The funding milestone propels HYTOPIA's mission to revolutionize gaming, offering a Minecraft-inspired playstyle with a social approach and a robust game creation toolkit.

Shrapnel Raised $20 Million 🎮

Neon Machine, the mastermind behind "Shrapnel," a Call of Duty-style crypto video game, raises an impressive $20 million in Series A financing, led by Polychain Capital. Anticipated to launch in December using Unreal Engine 5, the game aims to revolutionize the gaming industry, offering a blockbuster-quality shooter where players have ownership and creative control over in-game assets.

NEOM invests $50M in Animoca Brands 💰

Animoca Brands and NEOM announce a strategic partnership and a $50 million investment to fuel regional Web3 initiatives, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030. The collaboration aims to build Web3 enterprise service capabilities, fostering technology advancements in Riyadh and NEOM, including the establishment of a Web3 hub to nurture the local ecosystem.

DECEMBER

Pudgy Penguins Teases Pudgy World Alpha 🐧

Pudgy Penguins announced the upcoming Pudgy World Alpha, powered by zkSync and set to launch in Q1 2024. The open-world storytelling experience aims to onboard millions into the Pudgy Penguins ecosystem, blending physical and digital realms.

Mocaverse rasied total $31.88M 🚀

In a successful second tranche, Animoca Brands raises an additional $11.88 million for Mocaverse, totaling $31.88 million. The funds will fuel the development of Mocaverse's digital identity and point system, aiming to revolutionize Web3 gaming, culture, and entertainment with a decentralized and interoperable loyalty program.

Endless Clouds raised Additional $2.5M 🎮

Endless Clouds celebrates a successful $2.5 million funding round, backed by a stellar lineup of investors, including Animoca Brands, Faze Clan, and more. The funds will propel the development of Treeverse and Capsule Heroes, reinforcing the mission to create engaging games with user-owned digital collectibles, promising a thrilling journey for the gaming community in 2024.

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