Weekly Digest

November is certainly a month to remember as it feels like Steam is switching up its game as Phantom Galaxies by Animoca launches its early access phase on Steam, not to be outdone, highly polished new looter shooter The Desolation will also be there, veterans from Call of Duty recently unveiled their new IP Avalon and has players wanting more, whilst blockchain based version of Captain Tsubasa game is set to be released on iOS and Android

Also in our weekly digest:

• Why Saudi is an interesting spot for gaming

• Nakamoto Games integrate on Telegram

• Oasys Jedi ambassador program begins

• Pixels with 100k DAU and a token on the way?

• Ronin Name Service is now live, gamers running for tags

• $659M fund to support Web3 gaming products

Have you checked our new article?

We've dissected 14 top investments from 2021 to 2023 and rated these projects in terms of community, progress, and opportunities

Web3 Gaming News of the Week🎮

• The Desolation by Stratosphere Games launches their NFT looter-shooter on Steam

• Avalon by COD veterans has been unveiled and lets players jump into interconnected worlds

• Oasys Jedi ambassador program has officially begun

• Phantom Galaxies has launched its early access phase on Steam

• Gods Unchained planning to transition its login system to the Immutable Passport in December

• Captain Tsubasa RIVALS is to release on iOS and Android, using the IP of Japan's leading soccer manga, pre-reg open!

• The Walking Dead Empires is launching a new playtest, base building MMO game

• Vendetta Games announced Chalk River, an action game combining Western tropes

• Legacy the business sim game launches on Gala Games platform for PC and Mac

• SailWars the strategy warfare PvP battler by dot.gaming, backed by Disney and Hashkey is coming in 2024 on Immutable

• Splinterlands announces release date for Land Phase 1.5, allowing players to stake Dark Energy Crystals

• Pixels is exploding with 100k daily active users and could hit 1M by the end of 2024, is a token on its way?

• Ronin Name Service is now live and gamers, influencers publishers and studios can get a custom RNS name tag

• BinaryX launches Pancake Mayor, a free-to-play city-building simulator on the PancakeSwap Gaming Marketplace

• Nakamoto Games is set to redefine the gaming and messaging landscape by transforming Telegram into a fully-fledged Super App

• Galaxy Commanders by MagmaByte announces the integration with NEAR Protocol 

• Wemade and Canadian developer 2TG Entertainment will launch two new strategy role-playing games on the WEMIX PLAY

• Animoca Brand subsidiary GAMEE reveals its most ambitious gaming event to date: Arc8 GameFest mobile game tournament

• Zep, a South Korean metaverse platform, has partnered with Near Protocol to create online games in the metaverse ecosystem

Web3 Gaming Trends 🚀

• Game7 has released its 2023 State of Web3 Gaming Report, revealing that APAC hosts the majority of Web3 game development teams

• Animoca Brands announces a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia's NEOM Investment Fund to tap into 60% of its population 

Why are gaming companies interested in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia's high-tech planned city NEOM and Hong Kong-based Web3 gaming company Animoca Brands have formed a strategic partnership. The partnership involves a Memorandum of Understanding with NEOM's Investment Fund for a total of $50 million capital injection into Animoca Brands. Saudi Arabia has emerged as an attractive market for gaming companies, especially those in the Web3 space.

The country has a large, young and enthusiastic gaming demographic, with around two-thirds of the population identified as gamers. This aligns with global trends towards digital entertainment. Additionally, Saudi Arabia boasts strong digital infrastructure and government policies aimed at attracting foreign investment into the technology and entertainment sectors. As part of the Vision 2030 program, there are efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil, with gaming seen as a key job creator. The government aims to create 39,000 new gaming jobs.

Finally, major gaming events are being hosted in Saudi Arabia, which helps project the country as an emerging hub for gaming in the region. This also helps spotlight local talent. While the economic factors are important drivers, there is also genuine domestic cultural interest in gaming going beyond just investment incentives. The promising demographics, policy environment and cultural energy in Saudi Arabia offers lucrative opportunities for global gaming companies looking to tap into new markets, especially those focused on digital entertainment and gaming.

Web3 Funding News 💸

• SBI Holdings has announced $659M fund to support the development of Web3 gaming products from Sega and Square Enix

• Atlas, a 3D generative AI platform in Vienna, Austria, raised $6m to build virtual worlds and experiences with game developers and brands

• TG Casino has raised nearly $2 million in its $TGC token presale, raising $1,985,000

• Fanton Fantasy Football has secured a significant initial investment from TONcoin.Fund

Alpha Test, Early Access & Hands-On Gaming ⚒️

Mojo Melee new season Frozen Fate starts, 16th November

Arc8’s GameFest, 16-30Nov

Rumble Racing Star, open beta launch, 22Nov

Axie Champions closed playtest starts, 22Nov

Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements!

See you same place same time next week!

❤❤❤

Yoda Labs team