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In the apparently very polarizing landscape of web3 gaming, No Re is here to continue to bring you unbiased and unpaid (unless you want to sponsor us) web3 gaming news every week. While we look to get a mega grant from Arbitrum, we’ll continue to bring you news, keep building, and give you your regularly scheduled news and experiments.

Anywho, for the NPCs that don’t know the programming, here’s the slate:

• 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 & grants in web3 gaming.

• Bitball ($2M). Sports and Football metaverse and IP collaborator Bitball raised $2M in strategic funding from BitFun Capital.

• Griffin Gaming Fund III, Fund ($500M). Griffin Gaming Partners, one of biggest pure-play gaming VC firms, is targeting a $500M gaming fund, 33% smaller than Gaming Fund II.

• Hypersonic Laboratories ($7M). The UCG-focused game developers building HELIX raised $7M in a funding round led by Play Ventures with participation from AppWorks, KB Investment, WTIC, and Alex Ekvall.

• Pixelverse ($5.5M). AI-powered pixel game universe Pixelverse raised $5.5M from Delphi Ventures, Mechanism Capital, Merit Circle, Big Brain Holdings, and others.

• Polygon Community Grants Program, Grants (1B MATIC). Polygon is handing out 1B in MATIC in a Community Grants Program for developers looking to build or migrate to Polygon.

• Unite ($3M). Formerly Taki Games, mobile gaming-focused L3 blockchain Unite raised $3M in a Seed Extension round from Superlayer, Solana Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Gemini Capital, Kraken Ventures, and others.

• XOCIETY ($7.5M). Sui-based shooter and RPG hybrid game XOCIETY raised $7.5M in a Pre-Series A funding round participated in by Hashed, Sui, Spartan, Big Brain, Krafton, YGG and others.

• Yuliverse ($4M). Metaverse and DePIN infrastructure game Yuliverse raised $4M in a Pre-Series A round led by Ling Feng Capital and participated in by Presto, DWF Labs, 2 Punks Capital, Ultiverse, and others.

Co-Op Campaigns

Who’s teaming up in the gaming world?

• Aurory x Nonsana. Aurory is teaming up with Nonsana to utilize Nonsana’s network of GPU nodes to provide access to AI model access to Aurory.

• Delabs x Ambrus Studio. Delabs Games is teaming up with Ambrus Studio to bring new game development into the Delabs ecosystem.

• Pixelverse x Blum. Pixelverse is partnering with Telegram-based hybrid crypto exchange Blum to support the Pixelverse Airdrop Arcade initative on Telegram.

• Sequence x Aethir. Sequence partnered with Aethir ot create new applications and infrastructure to better support decentralized cloud gaming.

Change Log

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

• The Beacon launched its New Frontiers Quest on Treasure.

• Bitball launched its latest football-themed mini game, Set Piece Master.

• Parallel is now available on Epic Games Store with downloaded unlocking 5 Apparition Packs for the TCG elites.

• Rumble Racing Star increased the Race to Riches prize pool, added new karts, among other updates.

• Sipher launched its P2E campaign, offering players the chance to earn ATHER rewards.

Release Radar

Upcoming games, playtests, and drops.

• 🎮 Crystals of Naramunz (Closed Beta): Live

• 🎮 Gangster Arena (Season 2): Live

• 🎮 Wanderers (Closed Beta): Live

• 🎮 Shrapnel (STX 3.1): June 24-28

• 🪙 Pirate Nation, $PIRATE (TGE): Today

On-Chain Activity

New on-chain game announcements and network migrations.

• Felines of Sarvia (SKALE). Developed by GoLive Games, the strategy-based game Felines of Sarvia is launching on SKALE.

• MegaFans (SKALE). Community and professional esports platform MegaFans is bringing esports to web3 using SKALE.

• The Mystery Society (Polygon → Immutable). Among Us-type game Mystery Society is transitioning from Polygon to Immutable zkEVM and is already available on the Immutable Passport.

Other News

• Arbitrum DAO voted to approve a $215M grant proposed by the Arbitrum Foundation and Treasure DAO to build out a Arbitrum Gaming Catalyst Program. Bullish on sybil governance.

• Blockchain Gamer Biz ranked its top 50 blockchain companies, with Mythical Games, Animoca Brands, and Sky Mavis taking the top spots.

• Heroes of Mavia launched Phase 2: Next Frontier, allowing players to convert MAVIA to Ruby and vice versa.

• Uniswap Labs acquired Crypto: The Game (CTG) for an undisclosed amount.

Bonus Loot

• 📘 E.L.F. Beauty's Roblox Domination: A Masterclass in Cultivating Community, James Purell (Read)

• 📘 Mark Cerny at 60 interview, Games Industry Biz (Read)

• 📘 3 Reasons Studios Are Adopting Web3 Gaming, Immutable (Read)