Weekly News Digest with CARV | Pixels is Live on Ronin

This is the weekly gaming news powered by CARV, covering the game updates and industry news from October October 31st to November 6th, 2023.

As a platform focusing on gaming, CARV consistently strives to stay updated with the ever-changing game industry. In order to ensure that you are kept abreast of the latest gaming news, we are delighted to present you with a review of last week's highlights.

📌 Industry News

The Sandbox announces open publishing and new 100M SAND Game Maker Fund 【Read More]

The Sandbox announced its plans to empower creators and reach 2,000 user-generated experiences on its map by 2024. They opened up their platform for LAND owners to instantly publish their creations, introduced a new Game Maker version, and launched a $100 million Game Maker Fund. The company aims to provide a participatory and engaging metaverse, with a focus on user-generated content, and has a strong emphasis on rewarding creators and communities. The event also featured the launch of new neighborhoods and partnerships with IPs and celebrities, marking a transition towards a new form of entertainment in the metaverse.

Algorand Ventures announces its investment in Fracctal Monsters 【Read More]

Algorand Ventures is investing in Fracctal Monsters, a play-to-earn game where players raise, battle, and evolve virtual monsters. The Algorand Foundation plans to introduce a player-versus-player (pVp) model and explore options beyond the digital realm. The game will join the play-to-earn crypto game category, allowing players to earn NFTs and tokens. Fracctal Monsters recently went live on web, Android, and iOS platforms. The investment has positively impacted Algorand's native token, ALGO, which rose 9.35% in the past week. The Algorand Foundation is known for fulfilling its objectives in the industry.

Animoca Brands Acquires Web3 Streaming Platform Azarus 【Read More] Animoca Brands has acquired a majority stake in the Web3 streaming platform Azarus to expand metaverse gaming. The move aims to integrate Azarus' blockchain-based game streaming technology into Animoca Brands' portfolio, enhancing streaming capabilities in Web3 games. The acquisition aligns with Animoca Brands' goal of creating a player-owned economy within the Web3 space. Azarus allows gamers to unlock new revenue sources, reward their audience, and incentivize followers while driving viewers to off-stream destinations. The acquisition price was undisclosed. Animoca Brands has already invested in hundreds of Web3 game companies and aims to lead in the expanding Web3 space.

NEOM partners with Animoca to drive regional Web3 development 【Read More]

Saudi Arabia's NEOM giga-project has partnered with Hong Kong's Animoca Brands Corp. to advance regional Web3 initiatives in line with Vision 2030. The collaboration aims to develop enterprise service capabilities with global applicability and support technological advancements in Riyadh and NEOM. It also seeks to create a hub within NEOM to nurture the local Web3 ecosystem. NEOM is investing $50 million in Animoca Brands through a convertible notes financing term sheet agreement. This partnership aims to accelerate Web3 technology development and adoption.

📌 Game Updates

Pixels is live on Ronin 【Read More]

Pixels, a Web3 gaming community, has migrated to the Ronin Network to enhance its gaming experience and community interaction. The move allows more players to join the Pixels Universe, fostering creativity and social engagement. The partnership with Ronin aligns with Pixels' vision of an immersive on-chain gaming experience. Users can now access the Pixels Universe using their Ronin Wallet, and the Pixels Farming game loop incorporates the $BERRY in-game currency on the Ronin chain. Additionally, Pixels is introducing Pixels Pets, NFTs with in-game utility, tradable on the Mavis Marketplace.

The Machines Arena Launches Beta Season 2 【Read More]

A new beta season for The Machines Arena, a free-to-play MOBA-style game, commenced on October 30th. This update introduces character skins, an in-game store with a free bundle for every player, a new game mode, and more. The in-game store allows players to purchase various skins, including Halloween-themed outfits, using different payment methods. The season also brings bugfixes, balance tweaks, new enemies, character upgrades, and a game mode called "Hand of God" with unique gameplay dynamics. The game's skins will be mintable on the Ronin network in the future.

Mint Phantom Galaxies Avatars and Starfighters 【Read More]

Phantom Galaxies has opened minting for the third class of Avatars and Starfighters as NFTs. There are five mintpasses available, each requiring ASTRAFER tokens for minting. Avatars and Starfighters have varying traits, with a chance to randomly upgrade to Ultra Rare Starfighters or Hero Avatars. Catalysts can be used to guide trait generation. Ownership of these NFTs grants access to private hangars and quarters. Minting takes place on the Polygon network, with varying costs for different mintpasses. Additional details can be found in the official blog post announcement from Phantom Galaxies.

Zoids Wild Arena Game Coming to Axie Infinity's Ronin Network 【Read More]

Sky Mavis, the creator of the Ronin blockchain, is partnering with Korean publisher ACT Games to bring ACT's titles to the Ronin network. The collaboration begins with the migration of ACT's trading card game (TCG), Zoids Wild Arena, to the Ethereum sidechain network. Sky Mavis aims to create a gaming ecosystem around Ronin, with a focus on blockchain gaming. ACT Games will migrate its entire gaming portfolio to Ronin, and it is also developing casual games around the Hello Kitty and Friends IP for potential Ronin integration.

Gas Hero will Undergo Community Test 【Read More]

social MMO game, 'Gas Hero,' will undergo community testing from November 24th to December 8th. The testing will be open to 3,000 users, including Gas Hero badge holders, Find Satoshi Lab ambassadors, and partners. Gas Hero stated that all assets during the community testing will be on the Polygon Mumbai testnet and will not be transferred to the mainnet after the public testing. When the public testing begins, users will need to start their gaming journey from scratch.

GensoKishi Online, Cursed Stone, and Sailwars Set Sail on Immutable's zkEVM Network 【Read More]

Three highly anticipated blockchain games, GensoKishi Online, Cursed Stone, and Sailwars, have announced their deployment on the Immutable zkEVM network. Immutable's zkEVM is an Ethereum scaling solution designed for blockchain-based games. GensoKishi Online, Cursed Stone, and Sailwars bring unique features, NFT integration, and dynamic in-game assets to the network, providing players with enhanced gaming experiences. This move signifies a significant step toward mainstream adoption of blockchain gaming, offering immersive experiences and ownership opportunities in the world of NFT-based gaming.