Esports

SIPHER RAISES $6.8M TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT OF “WORLD OF SIPHERIA”

Published

5 years ago

October 26, 2021

Sipher, a gaming studio that pioneers blockchain technology, has announced the closure of its US$6.8 million seed round, co-led by Arrington Capital, Hashed and Konvoy Ventures.

The funding will be used to accelerate the development of its upcoming World of Sipheria game and continue to build the tools needed to create compelling, fun and engaging gaming experiences based on blockchain technology.

In addition to the leading backers, Sipher further attracted the participation of backers including Defiance Capital, Signum Capital, Dragonfly Capital, CMT Digital, BITKRAFT Ventures, Delphi Digital, Alameda Research, Fenbushi Capital, Sfermion, Hyperchain, GBV, Kyber Network, Coin98 Ventures, YGG and Merit Circle. The company also welcomed notable angels including Holly Liu (Kabam), Kun Gao (Crunchy Roll) and Alex Svanevik (Nansen.ai).

Founded by prominent Vietnamese CEO Nguyen Trung Tin, who counts accolades such as inclusion on Forbes’ prestigious 30-Under-30 list upon an enviable CV, and has set Sipher on a mission to unify state of the art blockchain tech, artwork, storytelling, multiplayer gaming with decentralized financial technologies.

The company’s vision is to create an expansive world that will attract and keep the player base engaged for years to come as new worlds, characters and factions are introduced. Sipher is fostering an ecosystem where people can play for fun while also being rewarded for their time spent in-game. By leveraging blockchain technology, Sipher is bringing economic freedom to gamers and providing the community with ownership of in-game assets which directly contributes to the growth and success of the gaming industry.

“First and foremost, games are meant to be fun,” Tin says. “They are meant to be social. They are meant to invigorate, excite and bring people together for a common purpose, to enjoy time spent with each other. This is true for the most classic and for the most futurist of games. This is what makes games the most powerful medium for sharing and discovering amazing moments together.”

Backer Jason Chapman of Konvoy Ventures agrees, saying: “Gaming is the new social square and is driving the development of global culture. Tin and the whole Sipher team are helping pioneer a new wave within this social arena, one where players are rewarded for their time, performance, and creativity. Gaming has always been home to creators, thinkers, and competitors and it is time that we see games show their communities financial loyalty. There are more than 3 billion people playing games across the globe and less than 0.1% of gamers are experiencing direct profit sharing. Sipher is renegotiating what players should expect from their games and is here to bring joy to their players both through entertainment and financial freedom. The whole Konvoy team is thrilled to be in Sipher’s corner as we build this new era of games.”

This community spirit is echoed in the huge uptake of Sipher’s Discord community, which already numbers over 60,000, and in the enthusiastic response to its early character launches. Siphers’s first playable NFT character, Sipherian Surge, was a drop of 10,000 genesis Sipher Inu NFTs were bought in less than 15 minutes and are now available for trading and secondary purchase on OpenSea.

Sipher’s next priority is launching the playable MVP of the first gaming experience in the World of Sipheria. The experience will introduce a cooperative dungeon game mode that will onboard new waves of native and non-native blockchain users through beautiful design and graphics, compelling gameplay, expansive world lore hidden with secrets to be discovered and the ability to take part in the game economy. It is also preparing to release its second collection called the Sipherian Flash, a drop of 10,000 limited Sipher Nekos as playable characters.

Excited by the prospects Sipher offers, backer Michael Arrington of Arrington Capital stated: “We believe that the world of Sipheria will be one of the most exciting and adventurous experiences inside the Metaverse. Sipher builds on innovative P2E economics while leveraging both the spirit of crypto culture and mainstream gaming. The art blends a futuristic world of sci-fi and captivating animals, it is internet-native and inspiring, a game that everyone can fall in love with. We believe that Metaverse gaming will unlock a new economic frontier where users can reap the rewards of their time and creativity, and we fundamentally believe in the passion and energy behind Tin and his team. We believe that Sipher is positioned to capture and captivate users across all regions of the world. We are excited to back Sipher and join the world of Sipheria.”

Endorsing these sentiments and stating his faith in the Sipher team and its leadership, co-investor Kyuntae Ethan Kim, Managing Partner of Hashed, who said: “Since 2018, Hashed has been actively investing in blockchain games and metaverse with our strong thesis on virtual worlds. We think the virtual world economy will be much bigger than that of the real world thanks to the blockchain infrastructure providing a key backbone for digital assets. Tin and his team have demonstrated huge potential to become the next major blockchain gaming studio. They not only understand the crypto/blockchain ecosystem, but also have strong ability to implement great quality games. They know the beauty of combining NFT and gaming and have plans to connect esports in their game eventually. I am so excited to co-lead this round and can’t wait to see Sipher’s community grow rapidly.”

AYO.NEWS says:

For years, the dreams of metaverse gaming have been held back by technological limitations and the hesitancy of the mainstream gaming community, but with blockchain now mature and more widely accepted, and investment flowing into the sector, a new revolution really is beginning.

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Esports

LEXUS SUPPORTS ESPORTS AWARDS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2021

AYO News Staff

Luxury carmaker Lexus is returning to support the Esports Awards for a third year running

As Official Auto Partner of the awards, the company will be working with the Esports Awards on a number of activations that incorporate their vehicles. Lexus will also sponsor both the Esports Organisation of the Year and Streamer of the Year awards.

Lexus made its esports debut with the Esports Awards in 2019, when it provided several supercars from blockbuster movies, which took centre stage at the Esports Stadium Arlington. Last year, the carmaker collaborated on exclusive content as part of the highly successful virtual ceremony.

“It’s an honour to be able to welcome Lexus as a partner for the third year in a row. After supporting us through a successful virtual ceremony last year, it speaks volumes that Lexus has once again committed to going all-in and driving the esports ecosystem forward. Both of our brands focus on prestige and excellence, and I look forward to showcases our joint values as we return to a physical event in November,” said Michael Ashford, Managing Director, Esports Awards.

Esports

REKTGLOBAL BRINGS TOP GAMING TALENT TO INFINITY FESTIVAL 2021

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2021

AYO News Staff

ReKTGlobal, the digital entertainment and esports organization, has been named one of the official presenters of gaming content at the 2021 Infinity Festival.

On 3 November, superstar gaming creators Ally Battaggia (a.k.a TheGeekEntry) and Gabby Murray will join Stove’s Kitchen and Paul Shaw in a panel exploring the content creator economy. In addition, ReKTGlobal CCO Kevin Knocke will share his unique expertise in a panel on esports.

Battaggia, who has a growing following across social media, took on streaming during lockdown, joining the fan-favorite NoPIxel GTA RP server. Since then, she’s become a mainstay participant, even crafting a NFT/TCG collection from her beloved GTA RP character. With 9.6M social media followers, Murray has built a fanbase as a multi-talented lifestyle and gaming content creator, with a Discord community that is expanding by the day.

Top gaming creator Stove’s Kitchen (whose real name is Steven Cho), part of the Team RAR (Rare and Ridiculous) internet group, has a devout fan following on his YouTube channel, where he posts gaming and challenge videos. Meanwhile, Shaw oversees Special Projects at TalentX Entertainment, a subsidiary of ReKTGlobal. The four will join forces for Making a Living as a Content Creator: Much More Than Gaming — a panel that explores what sets livestream content monetization and strategy apart from pre-produced content.

Also on 3 November, Knocke will take part in an esports panel with Darin Kwilinski, Lead Content Producer at IGN Entertainment, and Amanda Solomon, CEO at Tyrus Talent Management. The panel, Esports or Esports? Does It Matter? will break down misconceptions about esports to separate the hype from actual substance.

Knocke, who has been competitively gaming since he was a kid, has years of involvement with high profile companies and events in the esports business – specifically Blizzard Entertainment, IGN, SiriusXM, Sony, South by Southwest, E3, PAX, and Ubisoft — giving him a broad perspective on the industry. Before joining IGN, Kwilinski, a lifelong gamer, was a senior editor for esports at ESPN, establishing its vision and voice. Solomon is an executive with a well of expertise in the strategic sales and partnerships realm, specializing in esports, gaming, and talent.

Now in its exciting fourth year, the forward-focused Infinity Festival is the place where Hollywood meets Silicon Valley. The multi-day annual event, held in Los Angeles, brings together Hollywood’s finest storytelling talent with the innovative creators of cutting-edge technology. For 2021, Infinity Festival will blend in-person and virtual events for a unique hybrid experience.

The in-person portion will be held in several adjacent Hollywood locations with most events happening at Goya Studios and the Dream Hotel; the online component will be presented through the easy-to-use FNvirtual event platform. The festival will continue its theme of “Story Enabled by Technology” with an entirely new slate of innovative programming, including industry-leading speakers, panel discussions, an exhibition hall, innovation labs, and a fine art gallery, each with an emerging-tech focus.

For tickets and additional information, visit infinityfestival.com.

Esports

TEAM SINGULARITY TO LAUNCH FAN TOKENS VIA BLOCKSPORT

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2021

AYO News Staff

Danish esports organisation Team Singularity has extended its partnership with Swiss fan engagement platform Blocksport.

The multi-year agreement will see the launch of the $SNG Fan Token, giving holders access to unique opportunities to influence team-related decisions, enter the fast-track at SNG Academy, access exclusive content, train with professional esports athletes and more.

$SNG Fan Tokens are expected to launch in December 2021 with a supply of 3M, and will be priced at €1 each in the initial sale.

Commenting on the news, Atle S. Stehouwer, CEO and Founder of Team Singularity, said: “I am happy that our partnership with Blocksport is officially extended and we can finally announce the next step in our collaboration.”

Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder of Blocksport, added: “We are happy to extend our exclusive partnership with Team Singularity and launch $SNG Fan Token for their fans. Singularity has a global and awesome fan community. The Token opens up a new world – an environment in which they have the chance to be very close to their favorites players and team”.

Team Singularity currently fields rosters in CS:GO, Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six, VALORANT, Free Fire, Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, Quake, League of Legends Wild Rift, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, Call of Duty Warzone, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Battalion 1944, H1Z1, Tekken7, Rogue Company, Brawlhalla, and Clash Royale. In addition to Blocksport, the organisation has commercial partnerships with PWC, Pluck GG, Raven, SCUF, KontrolFreek, Randers FC, Esportal, Challengermode, MYESPORTSCARD, and MYFUTCARD.

Staying with esports and Blocksport.io, just yesterday we reported the platform had partnered with Jordanian sim motorsports organisation Desert Fox Racing.