Gm, gn, and ga players. For the nth time this year - we are so back. Those keen-eyed readers who doom scroll on X will have seen we’ve updated our name, so you may see more memes, takes, and replies from Web3 NoReaga.

Before we jump into things, big glhf to Nouns Esports CounterStrike team, who will be fighting for a spot at the first CounterStrike 2 Major in Copenhagen. Let’s get into it:

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

• Co-op Campaigns: 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.

• Crystal Fun ($5M). Decentralized game developer Crystal Fun raised $5M from Kucoin Ventures, Comma3 Ventures, and others in a seed funding round ahead of the release of OUTER.

• PlayMakers ($1.5M). PlayMakers raised a pre-seed round from RockawayX, Hugues Ouvard (Xbox), Sébastien Borget (Sandbox), and others to build its UCG toolkit for web3 and traditional games.

• XPLA (Strategic). XPLA received additional strategic funding from Emoote and Tess Ventures, following another strategic investment from Play Ventures announced last week.

Co-op Campaigns

Who’s teaming up in the gaming world?

• Ancient8 x Openfort. Ancient8 is partnering with web3 gaming infrastructure provider Openfort to bring Openfort’s onboarding and wallet integration tools to the Anicent8 network.

• Funtico x GameSwift. Traditional and web3 game developer Funtico is partnering with GameSwift to release its ten upcoming games on GameSwift.

• Helika x Ubisoft. Helika will assist Ubisoft with user acquisition, AI game optimization, and both on and off-chain game analytics for Champions Tactics and future web3 gaming titles from Ubisoft.

• Helika x XPLA. Helika will integrate its on-chain analytics tools for gaming and NFT projects building on XPLA.

• Saga x 8bit Arcade. 8bit Arcade is bringing its game launchpad and library of retro and modern games to the Saga ecosystem through the Saga Innovator Program.

• XPLA x SOOHO.IO. XPLA is partnering with the SK software security team and Oasys Tealswap developer SOOHO.IO to provide development support on XPLA.

Change Log

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

• Blade of God X was listed on Epic Games.

• Champions Ascension Alpha is live on Epic Games.

• Aavegotchi launched its new Gotchiverse game, Lickys Escape.

• Axie Infinity Homeland players can now earn AXP in-game.

• Pirate Nation successfully completed its transition to the Arbitrum Orbit-based multichain Apex.

• Synergy Land increased outfit stats, labor points, and labor regeneration, alongside other improvements.

Release Radar

Upcoming games, playtests, and drops.

• 🎮 Parallel (Open Beta): Live

• 🪙 Nekoverse ($BEAM P2A): Ongoing

• 🎮 Gods Unchained (Mobile): Tonight

• 🎮 Otherside (Apes Come Home): Tonight

• 🖼️ Nine Chronicles M (Season 4 Pass): Tomorrow

• 🖼️  BAC Game (BAC Genesis Mint): March 7

• 🎮 Lucha Throwdown (Launch): March 20

On-Chain Activity

New on-chain game announcements and network migrations.

• Chibi Clash (Immutable). Chibi Clash is a P2E, PvP auto battler and fantasy gaming universe developed by Zynga, AWS, EA, and Bandi Namco alums with the support of AI.

• Heroes of Mavia (BNB Chain → Base). Heroes of Mavia is a multiplayer strategy and P2E game developed by Skrice Studios.

• Lucha Throwdown (Beam). Lucha Throwdown is a Lucha IP-licensed game from Raini Studios set to launch on March 20th.

Other News

• Ancient8, a Celestia and OP Stack-based gaming L2, launched its mainnet.

• Arbitrum is hosting a multi-day onchain gameathon, Arbitrum Arcade, offering players, creators and builders prizes starting March 5.

• Gala Games’ GALA token contract received the third-highest security score from Certik behind BTC and ETH.

• Heroes of Mavia is launching its DAO governance voting system, Mavia DAO, allowing MAVIA holders to propose and vote on MIPs.

• Raini Studios announced the launch of Lucha Throwdown, with a full gameplay reveal scheduled for GDC.

• Sophon, a gaming collaboration between Merit Circle and GuildFi, hints at an airdrop before details of the project are announced.