Omniverse #14 The Ultimate Weekly Roundup of Gaming & Tech Trends
Last week, I couldn’t send out the newsletter, and this week, I’ve kept it a bit shorter. Sometimes, life reminds us just how important it is to care for our health — our minds, bodies, and spirits. 🌱💫
The world is changing faster than ever, and finding our place in this whirlwind can feel overwhelming. Climate crises, animal rights, justice, child safety — these are the battles that define our times. Yet, in fighting for them, we sometimes realize the systems we work so hard within are part of the problem. It can feel like a knockout punch, leaving you searching for the strength to get back up and keep going. But here we are, still standing, still searching for that peaceful corner where we can breathe.
With that in mind, let’s take a moment to step back and see what’s been happening in the world of gaming this week — because even amidst the chaos, this industry offers a unique lens into innovation and connection. Let’s dive in. 🎮✨
Reports & Insights 🎓
How To Create Rarity And Desirability In Games: Explore effective strategies to merchandise rarity in gaming, including luck, limited-time events, and customization. Learn how rarity mechanics can boost player engagement in web3 games.
Blockchain Gaming Attracted 32% of Investments in Q3 2024: Drake Star’s Q3 2024 report shows steady growth in gaming mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for a fourth consecutive quarter, with $2.5 billion in deals and $1.1 billion in private funding.
Africa Gaming Market to Hit $3.72 Billion by 2029: The African gaming market is experiencing rapid growth, fueled by the continent’s increasing internet connectivity, widespread smartphone adoption, and a dynamic, youthful population.
Blockchain Gaming Dominates WAX Activity in Q3 2024: This article summarizes data from DappRadar, looking at major developments and offering a glimpse into WAX’s roadmap for continued growth.
Growth in Immutable zkEVM Activity Amid Market Decline: Explore Immutable’s Q2 2024 growth, including a 91,900% increase in zkEVM users and key developments like the $50M Main Quest program, Immutable Nexus launch, and strategic partnerships
Mobile gaming will see new innovation in monetization in 2025 | Mistplay
A new report from Mistplay sheds light on some of the behaviors of mobile gamers and their relationship with their games — including how monetization affects them.Mobile gaming creators are also predicted to use brand collaborations and reward programs to reinvigorate user interest and retention.
Web3 Gaming News 🎯
Moonray Expands Web3 Gaming Ecosystem to Mobile: Moonray, the Ethereum-based multiplayer combat game backed by Animoca Brands, expands from PC to mobile, offering immersive gameplay and optional web3 features to a wider audience.
Ragnarok IP Coming to Telegram and TON Blockchain: Delabs has announced its strategic shift toward Telegram and the TON (Telegram Open Network) blockchain, marking a significant step in the company’s evolution.
Immutable Expands Telegram Integration for Enhanced Gaming: Immutable, a key player in the web3 gaming space, has furthered its strategic integration with Telegram to expand gaming and community-building features on the platform.
zkRace Expands with Base Network Integration: zkRace joins the Base network, enhancing $ZERC token utility and platform accessibility. This integration aims to drive ecosystem growth and player engagement through cross-chain capabilities.
Delabs Shifts Focus to Midcore Gaming on Telegram: South Korean game developer Delabs is setting its sights on a new frontier by pivoting its portfolio to focus on midcore games through the messaging platform Telegram and the TON blockchain.
Star Atlas Launches $4 Million Golden Carnival Event: Star Atlas, a metaverse game on the Solana blockchain, has introduced its largest in-game event to date: the Golden Carnival.
Redacted Launches Fund to Support Web3 Gaming Startups: Redacted Group, a web3 data and entertainment startup, has announced the launch of an early-stage crypto fund aimed at accelerating growth for web3 startups and gaming companies.
Web3 Streaming Platform Soulbound to Launch on Telegram: Soulbound, a web3-based streaming platform, has announced a major redesign and feature expansion, aiming to position itself as a leading space for interactive streaming and creator monetization.
PARAVOX Secures $4.5 Million and Chooses Solana: 81RAVENS, developers of the 3v3 shooter PARAVOX, secure $4.5M in funding, bolstering growth and joining the Solana blockchain ecosystem to enhance esports engagement.
New Mobile MMORPG Coming to SuiPlay 0X1 Handheld: Shodown Samurai R, the mobile MMORPG reboot by LumiWave and SNK, is coming to Sui’s web3-powered SuiPlay 0X1 in 2025, featuring evolving NFTs and a dynamic, player-driven experience.
Xsolla Reveals Xsolla ZK Chain for Game Developers: Xsolla, a leader in gaming payment solutions, has announced the launch of its dedicated Layer 3 blockchain, known as Xsolla ZK. This new initiative aims to support game developers and creators by leveraging Ethereum Layer 2 technology, specifically the ZKsync Elastic Chain, to build scalable and efficient web3 solutions within the gaming sector.
Uprising Labs Shifts Focus to Build High-Quality Games on Consoles: Uprising Labs has pivoted from creating an L2 gaming blockchain to focusing on web3 game publishing for PC and console.
Web2 Gaming News 🎮
Square Enix is looking to launch its games simultaneously on all platforms more regularly.
GTA Online on PC Is Finally Getting Current-Gen Console Features in 2025
Activision has announced that Call of Duty series sales have topped the 500 million mark, and Microsoft has also revealed that Black Ops 6 enjoyed the series’ biggest launch ever.
PUBG studio unveils top-down PvP shooter Project ARC, with ‘real-time shared line of sight’. And it’s coming to Steam.
Here’re all 19 retro games coming in Atari 50’s The First Console War DLC
Launching next week.
ASSASSIN’S CREED SHADOWS BOSS REVEALS WHY THE GAME WAS DELAYED
AI in Game 🤖
Netflix Executive Promotes AI Game Development Shortly After Huge Layoffs: Netflix exec touts generative AI as a focal point for gaming’s future, despite laying off human game developers just weeks ago.
Sequoia investing into DecaartAI for engineless game creation: Sequoia, a tech investment firm, has announced that they are investing heavily into DecaartAI, using a demo codenamed Oasis to show off the new generative AI technologies.
And that wraps up this week’s Omniverse. Life can feel like a relentless game sometimes — filled with respawns, unexpected bosses, and moments where you just need to pause. But remember, even in the hardest levels, there’s always a checkpoint to regroup, recharge, and keep going. 💪🌟
Thank you for taking the time to journey with me through the gaming world. Until next week, take care of yourself, find your peaceful corner, and never stop exploring. 🎮🌌
