Gm and happy Shrapnel STX1.1 to all the web3 playtesters. If you looking to join us this weekend, DM us and we might just spin up a Discord.

We’d have more of an intro here, but Tom and Griffin are both too busy trying to find someone willing to give up their Persona WL spots. So, lets just get right into it:

• Insert Coin to Continue: The latest funding rounds in web3 gaming.

• Partnerships: Who’s teaming up in the gaming world?

• Change Log: Updates, patches, and new features from games we’ve covered.

• Release Radar: Upcoming games, playtests, and drops.

• On-Chain Activity: New on-chain game announcements and network migrations.

• Other News: The other things that happened in web3 gaming this week.

• Bonus Loot: Cool media we’ve been digesting this week.

Insert Coin To Continue

The latest funding rounds in web3 gaming.

• Helika ($8M). The web3 gaming analytic platform and AI game management developer raised $8M in a Series A round led by Pantera Capital and participated in by Sparkle VC, Sfermion, Spencer Tucker (CGO Yuga Labs), and others.

• Moonveil Studios (Strategic). Moonveil Studios shared that it received a strategic investment from P2 Ventures and announced its upcoming second title, Bushwhack: Hunt in the Mist.

• XPLA (Strategic). XPLA received strategic funding from Play Ventures to accelerate its mainnet development and boost its gaming ecosystem.

• Ultiverse ($4M). Ultiverse raised $4M at a $150M valuation from Animoca, Sequoia, Maven Capital, GSR and others to accelerate the development of its AI-powered web3 game development platform.

Partnerships

Who’s teaming up in the gaming world?

• Champions Ascension x Sequence. Champions Ascension developer Rough House Games is partnering with Sequence to bring Sequence Wallet and marketplace functionality into the game and improve its onboarding process.

• Matr1x Fire x Animoca Brands. Animoca Brands will provide marketing development and strategic support to Matr1x Fire.

• Oasys x Kakao Games. Kakao Games’ web3 gaming arm, Metabora SG, partnered with Oasys to develop blockchain gaming titles on the Oasys blockchain.

• SPORTPASS x Euroleague. Animoca subsidiary SPORTPASS partnered with Euroleague Basketball to create a Euroleague gaming platform for digital collectibles, in-game rewards, and experiences.

• Sui x Stardust. Web3 game infrastructure provider has fully integrated its WaaS solution, in-game monetization network, API, and other developer-focused features to help promote the Sui gaming ecosystem.

Change Log

Updates, patches, and new features from games we’ve covered.

• Age of Mars adds shotgun, AR, and sniper weapon presets and is set to introduce new weapons classes in the next update.

• Dark Throne adjusted crystal reward distributions and added new skills for each character class.

• Goon Wars added nine new cards and upgraded its wagering mechanics.

• Kompete’s v0.36 upgrade added anti-cheat software and new weapons and vehicles.

• Might Action Heroes Season 3 started with a new payment mode, challenges, and returning player perks.

• Rainbow Rumble (Crypto Unicorns) added training options for its Rush and Showdown game modes.

Release Radar

Upcoming games, playtests, and drops.

• 🎮 Sipher (Mobile Pre-Registration): Live

• 🎮 Shrapnel STX1.1 (Playtest): February 22-24

• 🎮 Otherside (Apes Come Home): February 29

• 🖼️  Persona (Public Sale/Raffle): Ongoing

• 🪙  Forgotten Playland ($FP): Live

• 🪙 XBorg ($XBG P2A): Ongoing

On-Chain Activity

New on-chain game announcements and network migrations.

• ANIMO Stars Arena (Moonbeam). Stars Arena is a third-person mech-shooter coming to Epic Games, Steam, Playstation and Switch, and ANIMO’s first web3 game built on Moonbeam Network.

• Call of the VoYd (Immutable). Shima Capital-backed gaming studio Mystic Games committed to developing its F2P, mobile-first Roguelite RPG VoYd on Immutable.

• Hatchyverse Rampage (SKALE). Hatchyverse Rampage is a minimalist RPG developed using the DAO-owned IP of Hatchyverse.

• Kokodi (Immutable). Kokodi is a third-person fantasy extraction shooter incubated by Seedify Fund.

• Project Apidom (WEMIX). BREACHGG partnered with WEMIX to bring its RPG and MOBA title Project Apidom to WEMIX PLAY.

Other News

Cool media we’ve been digesting this week.

• MapleStory Universe dropped hints at play-to-mint and in-game currencies NESO and MESO in a new gameplay teaser.

• PIXELS launched at $0.50/token after going live on Binance.

• Playember shared its second Emby Game, Emby Glide, and teased an upcoming beta test for mobile.

• QORPO is expanding its QORPO airdrop farming campaign with new Zealy campaigns.

• Splinterlands tower defense game Soulkeep was acquired by Double Coconut, with the game reportedly remaining within the Splinterlands ecosystem.

Bonus Loot

• 📘  Creative Player Actions in FPS Online Video Games: Playing Counter-Strike, Eric Boria (Read)

• 🎧 How Warpcast Can Become Crypto’s First Mainstream App, Lightspeed (Listen)

• 🎧 The Future of Play-to-Earn and the Metaverse, CRYPTO2030 (Listen)