Apologies for the short delay but let’s get into what happened in the week of Web3 for 4/8/2023!

New Seasons

• The first season of Mojo Melee ended last August 3, and after a brief downtime, season two was released. The second season is entitled the Mark of Deception, and it introduces new champions, Spellstones, and a Battle Pass.

• Cross the Ages has announced that the highly anticipated second season of Mantris will launch on October 4, 2023. The game developers are planning a presale of Mantris Premium Packs in conjunction with the final Mantris Card Shard Airdrop. In addition, they are revealing new Mint Pass effects.

Events and Upcoming Plans

• On August 2, Inworld AI, an innovative Video Game AI Startup, successfully concluded its fundraising round, amassing an impressive $50 million with the primary aim of advancing the development of enhanced video game characters.

• Life Beyond introduces a new event called GameOn, which began last August 1. Now, players who log in during the month of August and test out "Solo Combat Trial" or "Agility Trial" will be eligible for a raffle that will be held at the end of the month. This event's full list of rewards has not yet been disclosed, but it is known to include an Otherside deed, which has a current baseline price of over $1100 USD.

• GameStop, a video game retailer, made an entry into the NFT space by launching its own marketplace. With ambitious plans to support crypto games, the move garnered attention in the gaming and blockchain communities. However, GameStop has decided to take a step back on August 2. As a result, the company has recently announced its intention to discontinue support for its own crypto wallet.

• On August 1, Bandai Namco, a prominent games publisher in the gaming industry, made a significant move by partnering with OASYX, a Blockchain for games, to venture into the world of blockchain gaming. This collaboration resulted in the introduction of RYUZO, an AI-powered virtual pet NFT game.

• Upland recently released a document detailing their development goals for the third quarter of 2023. And it's a fairly detailed roadmap. More growth, more customization, and more opportunities for player ownership are among their Q3 objectives.

• On July 31, Yuga Labs, the crypto tech startup renowned for creating the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT series, made a significant announcement. The company revealed its plans to acquire Roar Studios, a notable gaming and music firm, to enhance the overall gaming experience for its upcoming metaverse "Otherside".

• The Illuvium team is eager to provide the gaming community with an updated roadmap. Their Q2 results have been extraordinary, exceeding all goals and generating spikes of enthusiasm among participants. Regarding the remainder of the third quarter, the Illuvium team recognizes that substantial work remains. With the addition of new talents, however, they are poised to achieve their 2023 objectives.

Alpha Releases and A Closed Demo

• The closed alpha test for the post-apocalyptic game MetaCene began on the Rangers Testnet (Robin chain) last July 31. This alpha test is accessible to those on the whitelist or who own a MetaCene Apostle NFT.

• The Monkeyleague team is ecstatic to announce the release of their eagerly awaited Alpheta version. This is an important update to the game's constant progression towards the beta stage. The Alpheta version includes numerous game mechanics and quality-of-life enhancements.

• The Fall Guys-inspired racing game Metarush is preparing for a forthcoming closed demo. The game's first closed demo was conducted earlier this year, and now they're set to do it again. This closed demo's opening date has not yet been determined, but it is expected to occur in early September 2023. Apply for access to the demo here.

Mints

• Degen Game, a real-time strategy game that draws inspiration from Clash Royale. Recently, on August 4, Degen Game launched its Degen Pass mint on the Ethereum platform. This offering consists of 1,000 quantities, each valued at 0.0005 ETH. Holders of the Degen Pass can enjoy various advantages, including in-game Treasure Chests, potential airdrops, and other exciting benefits.

• Phantom Galaxies launches their Planet mint, giving Mintpass holders the opportunity to construct their very own planetary NFT. There is no deadline for minting your Phantom Galaxies Planet. If you do not have a Planet Mintpass, you can obtain one in OpenSea. Small asteroids cost approximately $185 USD, while large planets cost $300,000. Prices for Catalysts commence at 7.9 MATIC and increase from there.

Partnerships and Collaborations

• Wreck League, a 3D Mech-fighting game currently in development by nWay, the renowned studio known for creating licensed "Power Rangers" games and a subsidiary of the prominent publisher and metaverse investor, Animoca Brands, has recently made an exciting announcement. On August 4, it was revealed that Wreck League will be integrating Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, along with other NFTs from Yuga Labs, into its gameplay.

• Mojo Melee, a PvP auto chess battler, recently announced its partnership with Amazon Prime Gaming on August 3. As part of this collaboration, the game is offering free NFTs to all players. To claim these exclusive NFT rewards, players simply need to visit the Amazon Prime website.

• Rumble Kong League announced their partnership with Avalanche as a blockchain-based scaling solution to strengthen the RKL ecosystem. The selection of Avalanche by RKL is expected to enhance the Web3 gaming experience for players.

• Five of the biggest technology companies in the US - Nvidia, Apple, Adobe, Autodesk, and Pixar Animation Studios - teamed up on August 1 to create OpenUSD, a graphic collaboration software. The primary goal of this partnership is to advance the metaverse, for next-gen AR and content experiences.

• Gala Games has announced a partnership with the Elixir Games Launcher platform for game distribution. This partnership demonstrates Gala titles' dedication to promoting the most popular blockchain titles. The initial phase of the partnership will see the release of Town Star and Spider Tanks by Gala Games on the Elixir platform, with additional titles planned for the future.

• Sorare, a web3 fantasy sports game, has partnered with Mangopay to introduce Cash Wallet, a platform that allows users to make purchases using fiat or real-world currencies.