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Gunzilla Games Raises $46M to Redefine the Battle Royale Genre By Letting Players Trade Their In-Game Items in “Off The Grid”

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3 years ago

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Gunzilla Games, a AAA game studio, announced that they have raised a total of $46M in their latest investment round. This new round of investment will allow the studio to build out their new platform called GunZ, empowering players by granting them complete ownership over their in-game possessions. GunZ will be the foundation for “Off The Grid” (OTG). One of the OTG’s standout mechanics is “in-game item trading”, the first game where players will be able to buy new in-game items from other players who collected them in the game or acquired them from each other. Trading will be handled via an internal blockchain based marketplace or any third-party marketplace which supports NFT technology. This investment round is led by Republic Capital. Other major participants include Griffin Gaming Partners, Animoca Brands, Jump Crypto, Raptor Group, CoinFund, Shima Capital, Dominance Ventures, GSR, Kucoin Labs, Spartan Investment Group, AlphaCrypto Capital, Blizzard, Digital Strategies, Morningstar Ventures, Gamegroove Capital, NGG and Huobi Group, who will also assist in maintaining the technical infrastructure of the project. Notable angel investor and advisor include Justin Kan, co-founder of Twitch.

Gunzilla assures gamers that they will never sell NFTs directly to their player community, nor will they hide progression or any game features behind a monetized paywall, the trading is entirely optional. Gunzilla believes that the GunZ platform has the potential to radically change the core gaming experience for players, and those not interested in trading are able to completely skip this feature and simply enjoy the full game for free without any limitations.

Vlad Korolev, CEO and Co-Founder of Gunzilla, explains: “We are striving to provide players with complete freedom in every detail of OTG, and with each step of its gameplay. In OTG additionally to the core gameplay, players will be able to own and trade their in-game items with other players. As well as assure players that their hard-earned items remain theirs to keep, no matter what. In today’s free-to-play games, if you pay for something, it isn’t yours. You do not, and cannot, own anything. Anyone can read the EULA of any game to verify this. If you’re banned, for example, any item can be taken away from you, even if your ban is accidental. When you stop playing any free-to-play game, the money you’ve put in also disappears. We are re-inventing the system, putting the power back in the hands of gamers, and are using blockchain technology to make this happen. With OTG and GunZ, we are creating a universe that will set a new standard for the industry”

Players will also be able to take their items out of the game. As the universe of OTG continues to evolve, gamers will discover new items each time they play. In-game items that players can trade will include the one-of-a-kind characters that players create themselves, custom weapons, clothing items and accessories.

This investment round follows the recent released teaser-trailer of Gunzilla’s new game OTG, a AAA Battle Royale 2.0, third-person shooter, led by the studio’s Chief Visionary Officer and Oscar nominee Neill Blomkamp. A free-to-play (F2P) title, OTG, that features a strong narrative focus with unique gameplay mechanics and is due for release across next-generation platforms in 2023.

Brian Johnson, a Senior Director of Republic Capital, said “The Gunzilla team is nothing short of stellar with industry veterans having contributed to games that many of us grew up playing. We believe that free-to-play reigns supreme and that by combining it with an optional Crypto component, Gunzilla will lead by example, marrying the Crypto and gaming worlds. There’s no doubt that the future of Crypto gaming needs to involve next-gen consoles, and we believe Gunzilla will allow this to happen with ease.”

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eSports

eWear launches aim.one – the world’s first functional gaming wear for esports athletes and gaming-fans

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3 days ago

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July 28, 2025

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From hoodies to short-sleeved jerseys: the entire collection has been developed to meet the specific needs of gamers – uncompromising, highest-quality and thought-out down to the last detail.

“There is the right functional clothing for every sport – for soccer, tennis, golf… Gaming used to have this gap. Not anymore!”, say the founders.

The debut collection features 4 products and thus offers the right piece for all gamers: hoodie, longsleeve, shirt and pants. Each combines innovative functionality with comfort and style. Smart gadgets – including special ventilation zones, padding and other features to promote reaction, focus and grip – make this clothing a real support in the game.

Developed from the ground up specifically for playing at a PC, “aim.one is for everyone who wants to take their gaming to the next level – from high-end eSports pros to hobby gamers,” say the founders. “With this collection, gamers finally get their own clothing tailored to their passion!”

 

The product launch will take place via Kickstarter on the 5th of August!

Until launch, Gamers can unlock MVP status for only a €/$1 donation. This grants up to 35% discount during the campaign — plus a free nickname print on their apparel.

The post eWear launches aim.one – the world’s first functional gaming wear for esports athletes and gaming-fans appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Central Europe

Number of companies and employees in German games industry falls for first time in years

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1 week ago

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July 23, 2025

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After years of growth, the number of companies and employees in the German games industry declined in 2025. This was announced today by game – The German Games Industry Association on the basis of data from gamesmap.de in cooperation with Goldmedia. According to the data, the number of companies in Germany that develop and/or publish games has dropped by 4 per cent within the past year, to 910. The boom in start-ups in the games sector, which was set in motion by the introduction of the German Federal Games Funding Programme in 2020, has now completely subsided. Last year’s figures already indicated a clear slowdown. This decline was due in particular to the consolidation of the global games market and the unreliable availability of games funding to date in Germany.

Three times since 2020, there have been months-long suspensions placed on funding applications. Despite the newly registered drop, the number of companies has risen by 46 per cent overall since the initial start of the games funding programme in 2020. Of the 910 present companies, 454 work exclusively in game development and 52 exclusively as publishers. The remaining 404 companies are active in both the development and publishing of games.

‘Last year was another very difficult one for the German games industry,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Germany’s international competitiveness was further decreased by the ongoing flip-flopping of the games funding policy, which ran right into the consolidation wave that swept the global games sector. Fortunately, the new federal government has already taken the necessary steps to level the playing field for companies in this country. The future funding budget is to be increased and thus adjusted to actual needs, and applications can be submitted from August onwards. These are crucial growth impulses that are urgently needed. The additional funds will not only give companies more planning security, but also time to implement additional tax breaks for games, as set out in the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD. The improved conditions will finally give games companies a boost, which will hopefully soon be reflected in more start-ups and the creation of new jobs.’

The number of employees at games companies in Germany has also declined over the last year. Whereas game developers and publishers employed 12,408 workers in 2024, the current figure stands at just 12,134 – a drop of 2 per cent. As with the number of companies, the employee numbers had previously shown strong growth since the introduction of the games funding programme at the federal level: a rise of 23 per cent from 2020 to 2024. The recent decline indicates that the current conditions for the games industry, which offer limited scope for planning due to the repeated funding application stoppages and significant current funding restrictions, are having an impact on the job market. A year ago, there were still more companies with ongoing projects that were internationally competitive thanks to funding at levels comparable to those in other countries – financing that had stabilised Germany’s game sector, despite the global consolidation wave and a lack of funding certainty for the industry here. The game industry secures a total of over 30,000 jobs in Germany. In addition to jobs in development and publishing, these include, for example, skilled professionals in educational institutions, the media and the public and commercial sectors.

About the data
The data is drawn from a survey carried out by Goldmedia on the basis of entries on gamesmap.de. It was conducted on behalf of game – The German Games Industry Association for the period ending on 12 May 2025.

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Asia

METABORA Partners with LINE NEXT

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2 weeks ago

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July 15, 2025

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METABORA, a global casual game developer and blockchain project operator, has announced a strategic partnership with LINE NEXT Inc. Through this partnership, METABORA will distribute Web3 games via the LINE Messenger–based Dapp Portal, expanding its reach in the Web3 gaming space.

The Dapp Portal is a platform built on the KAIA ecosystem that offers Mini Dapps (decentralised applications) directly within the LINE Messenger app. Users can enjoy a variety of Mini Dapps—ranging from games to social features—without needing to install separate applications. Since its launch in January this year, the platform has garnered significant attention, surpassing 100 million cumulative users.

Through this new partnership, METABORA and LINE NEXT will work closely to accelerate the growth of the Mini Dapp’s gaming ecosystem. Leveraging its network of development partners and global experience in game development and publishing, METABORA will supply Web3 games to the Dapp Portal. LINE NEXT will expand accessibility to Web3 games and support marketing of these games through its platform.

As part of the collaboration, METABORA will also expand the utility of its BORA token within the LINE Messenger–based Mini Dapp ecosystem. The company plans to implement a payment infrastructure that enables users to purchase in-game items currently planned for upcoming titles to be released under the BORA brand. Additionally, METABORA will apply Gas Abstraction technology, allowing users to make in-app purchases with BORA without needing KAIA tokens to cover gas fees. This feature is expected to be fully implemented in the second half of the year.

By expanding the utility of the BORA token, METABORA aims to elevate its value beyond the confines of the BORA Chain, laying the groundwork for broader integration across the Web3 ecosystem.

In addition, METABORA and LINE NEXT plan to continue their collaboration by researching and developing infrastructure to support the use of stable coins such as USDT, further enhancing the Web3 gaming experience within the LINE ecosystem centered on the Dapp Portal.

Lim Youngjun, Co-CEO of METABORA, said: “We’re pleased to partner with LINE NEXT, a company making remarkable strides in the global Web3 gaming market with its vast user base. Through our strong network of development partners, we will carefully select and bring high-quality games to the Dapp Portal, working together to create a leading example of Web3 gaming reaching a mainstream audience.”

Kim Woosuk, CSO at LINE NEXT, said: “Through this partnership with METABORA, we look forward to creating a major success case for Mini Dapp. Moving forward, we will continue working closely together across multiple fronts, including enabling USDT stablecoin support to improve game onboarding and the overall user payment environment.”

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