Headliner of the Week

Azuki Elementals

News Highlights

• Ubisoft is releasing a new blockchain game called Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles in partnership with Oasys blockchain. The game's details and release date are still unknown. Ubisoft continues to explore blockchain technology after a previous mixed response to NFTs.
• Yuga Labs launches HV-MTL Forge, a web3 game where players craft spaces and compete in social voting contests. It's part of the Bored Ape Yacht Club universe and offers customization, social kudos, and community voting.
• Star Atlas is closing their mini-game, Escape Velocity, on July 7th. A new mining ship will be introduced for resource collection. Players using bots had rewards capped, and extras will be distributed. Mining Claim or Mining Ships will be needed for future resource gathering.
• Unity announces new AI platforms, Muse and Sentis, for streamlined content creation and neural network integration in games. They are also launching an AI marketplace in the Unity Asset store, featuring tools from external companies.

Project Spotlight

Mini-Royale Season 5, "Pirate Booty," brings fresh content to the browser-based FPS game. With a clan wars format, new heroes, weapons, missions, a battle pass, and a map editor, players can dive into the nautical-themed season. No NFTs are required to play, but owning season items enhances progress. Shards obtained from rewards or purchased can be combined into game items and minted as NFTs. Heroes are also available for purchase on Magic Eden.

NFTs Buzz

Top NFT collections by volume (OpenSea)

• Azuki's "Elementals" NFT expansion earned $38M in a 15-minute sale. The collection includes 20,000 NFTs based on earth, fire, lightning, and water elements. Some were airdropped, and the rest were available for purchase. Presale access was given to Azuki and BEANZ holders.
• NFT marketplace Magic Eden is incorporating BRC-20 token functionality, allowing users to collect BRC-20 projects and creators to release BRC-20 drops directly on the platform. This integration expands the reach and accessibility in the Web3 ecosystem.
• Fortnite partners with Nike's .Swoosh NFT platform for a Nike-themed experience, but no in-game NFTs are involved. Players can earn a free in-game accessory resembling Nike Air Max sneakers.
• Azuki plans to address concerns about the similarity of the Elementals art by hosting a community vote for diverse NFT backgrounds. The announcement drew a large audience on June 29, offering potential changes such as texture variations, different environments, and unique design elements.

Fundraising Frenzy

• Indian gaming venture capital firm Lumikai has unveiled a $50M game fund, attracting investors like Krafton and Supercell. The fund will support early-stage game developers and focus on areas such as gaming content, user-generated platforms, tools and technology, applied game mechanics, and frontier technologies.
• Pixion Games, a Web3 gaming studio backed by Avalanche, has raised $5.5M in seed funding for their flagship game Fableborne. The funding round included notable investors such as the Avalanche Foundation's Blizzard Fund and Shima Capital. Pixion Games plans to use the funds to develop their game and expand their team.
• Web3 game studio Mythical Games has raised $37M in Series C1 funding, led by Scytale Digital. New investors include ARK Invest, Animoca Brands, MoonPay, Proof, and Stanford Athletics. Previous investors also participated in the funding round.