Ex-Riot & Blizzard Devs Secure $30.5M to Launch AAA Shooter on Tezos’ Etherlink L2—GameFi Just Got Serious
Big guns from gaming giants are betting big on blockchain. A team of former Riot and Blizzard developers just locked in $30.5 million to build a AAA-quality shooter on Etherlink—Tezos’ slick Layer 2 solution. Forget pixelated play-to-earn gimmicks; this is high-stakes GameFi with triple-A polish.
Why Tezos? While Ethereum gas fees still give traders night sweats, Etherlink’s low-cost, high-speed infrastructure could finally make blockchain gaming feel… well, like actual gaming. No janky interfaces, no wallet-emptying transactions—just slick headshots and (maybe) profitable loot drops.
The cynical twist? Wall Street still thinks ‘crypto gaming’ means buying JPEGs of apes. Meanwhile, actual builders are quietly assembling the infrastructure to onboard millions—one headshot at a time.
Another Player On The Web3 Gaming Horizon
At the helm of the newly formed gaming studio will be the co-creator of well-known titles such as EverQuest, Planetside 2, and H1Z1. According to a press release shared with CryptoPotato, the $30.5 million funding will be led by Bitkraft and Brevan Howard Digital, with participation from The Tezos Foundation, Hashed, Delphi Ventures, Shima Capital, North Island Ventures, and more.
Arthur Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, said,
“‘Holy smokes, it’s the EverQuest guy with an AAA team and they’re building an immersive world with AI, are you kidding me!?’ were my initial thoughts, and I’ve remained as excited since!”
The game will be set on the island of Marova, where players will step into the role of elite operatives known as Reapers. They will be able to build and manage bases, engage in territorial warfare, and resource extraction in a Player vs Player vs Environment (PvPvE) world.
Upon launch, it will be available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the official website.
Reapers will be able to trade rarities such as characters, bases, skins, and craft other items within the Reaper Actual Ecosystem and via Etherlink. The gaming studio believes that giving the players the tools to create content will result in a much deeper community that can actively develop the game’s economy.
The CEO, John Smedley, had the following to say:
“Tezos and Etherlink are fundamental to delivering a groundbreaking digital ownership experience within gaming. Players will benefit from a transparent and sustainable blockchain environment.”
Adding to the announcement, Efe Kucuk, Head of Gaming at Trilitech, said, “Infrastructure in games should feel invisible until it matters. That’s what Etherlink allows – no friction, no gimmicks, just permanence when it counts.”
The team will announce the “Foundation” phase, or pre-alpha, in the coming weeks, which will include early access to the game and on-chain, tradable items.
