Ryu Games Secures $2.3 Million to Accelerate Growth of Mobile Cash Tournament Gaming Platform

SAN FRANCISCO, California – March 25, 2021 – Ryu Games, a mobile gaming platform offering cash tournaments, announced the close of a $2.3 million seed round of funding from Velo Partners, Citta Ventures, MGV Capital, INP Capital, Side Door Ventures, and 500 Startups, which will help further fuel the company’s growth. Other investors with deep gaming and cash gaming expertise include Geoff Bough, the former head of Business Development at FanDuel, David Kirk, the former chief scientist at NVIDIA and Riz Virk, formerly on the founding team at TapJoy. Since the launch of its SDK in late 2020, the company has announced several partnerships with game studios and launched a dozen mobile cash tournament games as well as the Pearl Shop for players to redeem its in-game currency “Pearls” for fun and entertaining rewards, such as avatars and in-game cosmetic items. With this additional capital, Ryu will continue moving forward to grow rapidly in the cash tournament gaming market within the US.

Competitive cash tournament gaming, also called “esports”, was estimated to exceed $1.1 billion in 2020, up 15.7% from 2019. While posing tremendous opportunity, regulation is managed tightly state to state in the U.S. Ryu’s cash tournaments SDK makes navigating this regulation easy, enabling developers to turn any mobile game into a cash tournament game.

Ross Krasner, CEO of Ryu Games, said: “Real money esports tournaments on mobile games have exploded in popularity over the past few years. We want to bring these players social functionality that gamers on other platforms have grown to expect. This round of funding will allow our team and our developer partners to bring our winning twist on cash tournaments to a broad audience through a carefully curated catalog of titles.”

Jim Mao, General Partner at Citta Capital said: “In the rapidly growing cash tournament gaming landscape, Ryu’s SDK stands out by providing a solution that enables developers to tap into the lucrative cash tournaments market seamlessly, combined with growing social features that drive greater player retention and spend. They have a tremendous opportunity ahead to expand their business in the US, and we’re looking forward to working with them on this journey.”

Evan Hoff from Velo Partners said: “We believe cash tournament gaming is becoming an established category within the gaming sector and is already seeing explosive growth among players. Ryu Games is uniquely positioned with its innovative and scalable platform to capture a material slice of this market. What we particularly like about Ross and the team is their understanding of the inherent social characteristics of gaming and their approach to product is built around that proposition. We are extremely excited for the journey ahead.”

Ryu’s mobile cash tournaments platform features hyper-casual games and deep social feature integration, including in-game chat, detailed match history, leaderboards and more. Players can earn rewards for playing such as Pearls and cash rewards for completing tasks, like inviting friends. Play challenges and tasks differ across Ryu’s network of games, and rewards also include player customization items, such as game-specific skins and win animations.

Since initially launching its SDK in September 2020, Ryu has released several mobile titles in the App Store, including such games as Bingo Boost, Blackjack Boost, and Hit 1000.

To learn more about Ryu’s growing mobile cash tournaments network, please visit https://ryu.games/.

About Ryu Games
Based in San Francisco, Ryu Games is a mobile gaming platform combining cash tournaments with social interactions. Its SDK can turn any mobile game of skill into a real-money tournament, while providing developers with a steady monetization stream and inclusion in Ryu’s growing catalog of games for cross-promotion opportunities. Ryu is also changing the way people play by mobile games by bringing competitive and social features into any game, including chat, leaderboards and more. For more information about Ryu’s platform and growing catalog of mobile multiplayer titles, visit https://ryu.games/.

Atari® and Chain Games Extend Partnership on the Atari Multiverse

The collaboration will see the expansion and development of the Atari Multiverse and further integration of ATRI & CHAIN games across both parties’ platforms

Atari and Chain Games will also increase the collaboration between their respective tokens, $ATRI and $CHAIN 

NEW YORK – MARCH 25, 2021 — Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and entertainment producers — has announced today that they will expand their existing partnership with Chain Games to integrate into the upcoming Atari Multiverse experience. As a part of this expansion, Chain Games and Atari will develop a region within the Atari Multiverse where users can experience their collaborative efforts, including brand new interactive experiences provided by both parties. Chain Games will have their own land plots where they will integrate their gaming experiences.

Chain Games is integrating the Atari Token ($ATRI) into their existing games. Atari Chain, a subsidiary of Atari and ICICB Group operates the Atari Token. As a part of the deal, Chain Games Token ($CHAIN) will be available for use in the Chain Games land of the Atari Metaverse. In addition to the Atari Multiverse collaboration, Chain Games will also take part in the Beta program for the Atari Crypto-Casino. Atari Chain and Chain Games are jointly working on additional initiatives.

Chain Games™ is an evolution in Web 3.0 blockchain gaming, combining smart contract-based contests with state-of-the-art gameplay. Chain Games’ products are fully ERC-20 and Ethereum compatible. SmartContests™ is an industry-first contract-based competition system where players can compete in games of skill to earn winnings. SmartStaking™ Gaming Contracts reward stakers on the network with 15% of the fees generated on each game played, allowing them to passively earn on any game played on the Chain network. Super Crypto Kart is the first blockchain-integrated game to utilize the Chain Games SmartContests™ Gaming Contracts. Super Crypto Kart is a cross-platform kart-based racing game that will be available in the Atari Multiverse, along with other games such as CHAINO, Solitaire Plus, Speed Chess, and additional titles that are currently in development.

“It is very natural for us to extend our partnership agreement with Chain Games,” said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “Having Chain Games as a partner in our world, in one of the upcoming lands, will help us continue to push the envelope for crypto gaming.”

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Atari and love what they are doing in the blockchain and crypto space! ” said Adam Barlam, CEO & Founder of Chain Games. “Being partnered with such an iconic brand and staple in the gaming industry will enable us to be synonymous with the term blockchain gaming!” 

About Chain Games

Chain Games™is an evolution in Web 3.0 blockchain gaming combining smart contract-based contests with state-of-the-art gameplay. Chain Games is committed to transitioning the blockchain gaming industry into the modern gaming era. Chain Games is an Estonian Private Limited Liability Company. 

For more information on Chain Games, please join the Chain Games Telegram at https://t.me/chaingames and visit https://chaingames.io. 

About Atari / Atari Chain

Atari, composed of Atari SA and its subsidiaries, is a global interactive entertainment and multiplatform licensing group. The true innovator of the video game, founded in 1972, Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including globally known brands such as Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command® and Pong®. From this important portfolio of intellectual properties, Atari delivers attractive online games for smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices. Atari also develops and distributes interactive entertainment for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo game consoles. Atari also leverages its brand and franchises with licensing agreements through other media, derivative products and publishing. Atari Chain is a 50%-subsidiary of Atari, SA, co-owned by Atari and ICICB Group, and is operating the Atari Token.

Get Ready For The Run Of A Lifetime As Crash Bandicoot™ Is Unleashed On Mobile Worldwide

Everyone’s favorite marsupial stars in brand-new mobile adventure Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!™ now available for free on iOS and Android

First collaboration with Activision pairs King’s unparalleled development talent with legendary Crash Bandicoot franchise

NEW YORK / LONDON, March 25, 2021 – King, a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world, today announced that Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!™ is now available to download and play for free worldwide on iOS and Android mobile devices. In the all-new Crash Bandicoot mobile adventure, players will run, spin, swipe and smash their way through mysterious lands, defeating the henchmen of Dr. Neo Cortex who has dispatched iconic villains across the multiverse. With the help of his sister Coco, Crash must bash Cortex’s minions back to their own dimensions!

“We’re very excited for players to finally get their hands on Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!,” said Stephen Jarrett, Vice President of Game Design at King. “It’s been a labor of love for King to bring everybody’s favorite marsupial to mobile in a way that is unique and fresh, while honoring more than 25 years of rich history with the beloved character. We wanted to make this the Crashiest Crash game ever!”

“We are excited to deliver a new mobile experience that pairs Activision’s beloved franchise together with King’s unparalleled mobile expertise,” said Daniel Alegre, President & Chief Operating Officer at Activision Blizzard. “This collaboration is a great example of how we are working across our franchises to bring our IP to players on different platforms. We can’t wait for our fans to jump in.”

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! offers an un-fur-gettable gameplay experience, with a variety of running challenges and exciting features that add depth and progression to the game including time trials, collection runs, base building and crafting. The game will also be updated regularly with new cosmetic items, classic and creative new skins, and much more during regular seasonal updates.

The all-new Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! will also launch with a range of exciting social features including Teams and Survival Runs. Players can choose to join a team with friends or start their own where they can chat with other Bandicoot fans or compete against one another on asynchronous multiplayer runs to climb the leaderboard and earn special rewards.

The Wumpa Archipelago is vast and fans of the Crash Bandicootfranchise will immediately recognize memorable regions from previous Crash Bandicoot games, such as Temple Ruins, Turtle Woods, The Lost City, The Lab and more. Classic enemies and bosses, including Scorporilla, Nitrus Brio and Fake Crash will try to thwart Crash’s progress in a brand-new adventure that gamers can play on the go.

Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! is now available to download and play for free on iOS and Android. For more information visit www.CrashOnTheRun.com.

About King

King is the game developer behind the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as mobile game hits including Farm Heroes, Bubble Witch and Pet Rescue. Candy Crush is the top-grossing franchise in US app stores, a position it has held for the last two years, and King’s games are being played by 240 million monthly active users as of Q4 2020. King, which is part of the Activision Blizzard group since its acquisition in 2016, employs nearly 2,000 people in game studios in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona and Berlin, and offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Malta.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves King’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the features, functionality and launch of Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause King’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to King and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither King nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of King or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

© 2021 Activision Publishing Inc. CRASH BANDICOOT: ON THE RUN!, CRASH BANDICOOT and CRASH are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. KING and the KING crown logo are trademarks of King.com Ltd.

Lifesize NBA^® 2K21 Zion Williamson LEGO^® Brick Statue Unveiled by The Brickman

2K partners with Australia’s only LEGO^® certified professional for one-of-a-kind build

With NBA^® 2K21* built from the ground up for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, 2K Australia and New Zealand teamed up with Ryan McNaught – known as The Brickman and Australia’s only LEGO® Certified Professional – to give Next-Gen cover star Zion Williamson a fresh new blocky look.

The statue was built using approximately 42,000 LEGO® bricks and is an impressive, true to size recreation of Zion, a player who is known for his on-court power and also fittingly possesses a Gold “Brick Wall” badge in NBA 2K21.

“Working on this project with 2K Australia and New Zealand has been amazing. We had the whole workshop come together to help build Zion Williamson, and thanks to 2K, we’ve managed to create one of the coolest LEGO® models we’ve ever built,” said Brickman. “The most unusual aspect about our LEGO® Zion was his pose. Getting the LEGO® bricks to stay together on these crazy angles – almost gravity-defying – was quite a challenge. Our skills were well and truly put to the test while building Zion, and we’re really proud of the model we’ve been able to build through this partnership.”

“NBA 2K21 is a significant milestone for the series introducing ground-breaking new features that have been built from the ground up utilising the power of new gaming hardware,” said Ben Seccombe, Director of Marketing & Communications at 2K Australia and New Zealand. “This is a fitting way to celebrate this landmark by rebuilding cover star Zion Williamson out of LEGO® bricks, showcasing his impressive brick wall style physique.”

NBA 2K21 is the latest title in the world-renowned, best-selling NBA 2K series andleads the charge with next-gen innovations while continuing to deliver an industry-leading sports video game experience for the current generation of gaming platforms.

NBA 2K21 is available for $49.95** (AUD) & $ 59.95** (NZD) on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and is available for $109.95** (AUD) & $119.95** (NZD) on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. 

For more information on NBA 2K21, please visit www.nba.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or subscribe on YouTube.

Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). 

*PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S required to play the next-generation version of NBA 2K21. 

**Based on 2K’s suggested retail price. Actual retail price may vary. See local retailer for info. # # #

SOLASTA: CROWN OF THE MAGISTER SPRING UPDATE AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM AND GOG

Create, and Play Through Your Very Own Dungeon with the New Dungeon Maker

PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 25, 2021 – Tactical Adventures, a French development studio of passionate and dedicated RPG game developers and tabletop players, announced today the Spring Update for its tactical RPG Solasta: Crown of the Magister is available now. The new update hosts a variety of new gameplay features, achievements, increased progression level cap, martial feats, more difficulty settings, pickup quests, characters background-related missions, and of course the highly anticipated brand-new Dungeon Maker tool. Solasta: Crown of the Magister is available on Steam and GOG for $27.99 (a -20% discount).

Players can now enjoy the Beta version of the highly requested Dungeon Maker, a tool that allows players to create and customize their own dungeons, bring them into the game to play, as well as share with other players to enjoy. The Spring Update marks the last chance to purchase Solasta: Crown of the Magister at its Early Access price of $27.99 (a -20% discount).

Wizards of the Coast has granted Tactical Adventures a license to use the Dungeon & Dragons SRD 5.1 content and rules in Solasta: Crown of the Magister.

Solasta is a team-based tactical role-playing game where each character plays a critical role in the campaign and can be a hero. The dynamic and mysterious world features elements of verticality, allowing players to use their surroundings as an element of strategy. Players can position ranged characters on high vantage points or send their rogue down into shafts and caverns to scope out what lies ahead. In Solasta, light is a tool to explore the depths and hallows of dungeons or can be used as a weapon against the creatures of the dark, but if players are not careful, it will give away the party’s position to nasty creatures bent on their demise.

Stay up to date with Solasta: Crown of the Magister: visit the website, purchase on Steam, purchase on GOG, follow on Twitter, Instagram, like on Facebook, watch on YouTube, and Twitch, and join the conversation on Discord or the official forums.

Godzilla Takes on the Mobile Game World with Three Brand New Games for iOS and Android

TOKYO, March 25, 2020 – TOHO Games, the game division of Toho Co., Ltd. today announces the 2021 worldwide release of three free-to-play Godzilla mobile games: “Run Godzilla“, “Godzilla Destruction“, and “Godzilla Battle Line“. “Run Godzilla” will be released worldwide (excluding Japan) on March 25, 2021. The pre-registration campaigns for “Godzilla Destruction” and “Godzilla Battle Line” will begin on the same day. In anticipation of these three exciting new games, key visuals and a promo video has been unveiled.

View the promotional video on the official Toho Godzilla YouTube Channel

“Toho has been deeply involved with the production process for all three games since the early planning stages,” said Keiji Ota, Director/CGO (Chief Godzilla Officer) at Toho Co., Ltd. “All the staff involved in the project have worked together to keep alive the spirit of the Godzilla series, while also creating a ‘new Godzilla’ specially for the mobile game world. Whether you play on your way to work or school, or during your time off, we hope these games will help you feel closer to Godzilla in your everyday life.”

You can visit the Twitter accounts of the Godzilla Games to pre-register and view exclusive content. Fans who pre-register via Twitter or Facebook will receive special game-related gifts through their social media account, the first of which is a social media profile pic.

“The Godzilla universe is beloved by people all over the world, regardless of age or nationality,” said Ota. “For all of Godzilla’s fans, we at Toho will continue to venture into new territory to build and expand the Godzilla universe. Stand by for even more destruction!”

Godzilla’s global reach is set to expand even further this year alongside the release of the new Hollywood movie “Godzilla vs. Kong” (in US theaters and on HBO MAX on March 31, and in Japanese theaters on May 14) and upcoming anime TV series “Godzilla Singular Point”.

Ota added, “The year 2021 will see the broadcast of the anime TV series “Godzilla Singular Point” and the release of the Hollywood blockbuster movie “Godzilla vs. Kong”. Among all the excitement, the Godzilla brand is taking another major, monster-sized step forward by releasing three new mobile games worldwide.”

Additional details on “Godzilla Run,” “Godzilla Destruction” and “Godzilla Battle Line” can be found below.

Run, Godzilla! A bizarre casual game where you raise Godzilla.

This is an idle game in which Godzilla and Kaiju become stronger while you’re away. In the village, the sun rises and sets day after day. What you must remember is that Godzilla, Kaiju, and the villagers have only a limited amount of time. One day, they will say goodbye. Raise Godzilla and Kaiju well, so they are ready to say goodbye when that time comes. Don’t worry! You can look back on the Godzilla you’ve raised even after they’re gone. Pass on their abilities to the next generation and raise even stronger Godzilla and Kaiju!

Godzilla Destruction

Become Godzilla and crush cities underfoot! Step inside the monstrous body of the legendary Godzilla and terrorize all corners of the world! Destroy cities across the globe in this exciting and easy to play game!

Pre-registration steps for “Godzilla Destruction”:

(1) Follow the official Twitter: @GZ_destruction

(2) Follow the official Facebook: @GZ_destruction

Godzilla Battle Line

Take on the world! 3-minute monster all-star battles! All the popular monsters and weapons from the Godzilla series are ready for battle! Build your own team of the strongest monsters and fight against players from all over the world in real time! Get ready for fun but intense 3-minute battles!

Pre-registration steps for “Godzilla Battle Line”:

(1) Follow the official Twitter: @Gz_battleline

(2) Follow the official Facebook: @Gz.battleline

ABOUT TOHO:

Toho Company, Limited, is a Japanese entertainment studio focused on the development, production, exhibition, and distribution of powerful live action and animated content including motion pictures, television and theater. Founded in 1932, Toho remains a prominent force in bringing brands and original storytelling with versatile talents to audiences worldwide. Its subsidiaries include Toho Cinemas, the highest grossing exhibition company in Japan, and Toho International, Inc., a U.S. established incorporated company that manages and commercializes Toho’s intellectual property portfolio. To learn more about Toho, visit: www.toho.co.jp/en/ .

SAN DIEGO – March 24, 2021 – Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, today announced Rocket League Sideswipe, a brand-new, standalone Rocket League game for mobile devices coming later this year!

Rocket League Sideswipe brings the competitive, car soccer gameplay of Rocket League to mobile screens with a new perspective on the field. Players will compete in fast-paced, 2 minute, 1v1 or 2v2 matches. With intuitive touchscreen controls that make it easy to pick up and play, longtime Rocket League players and newcomers alike will be able to immediately jump into the action-packed fun of car soccer. 

Rocket League Sideswipe will be free and launch on iOS and Android worldwide later this year. A Regional Limited Alpha test on Android via Google Play is starting today in Australia and New Zealand. There will be future betas in additional regions and more information will be shared in the coming months on the Rocket League website. 

To learn more about Rocket League Sideswipe, read the latest blog post HERE

ABOUT ROCKET LEAGUE
Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is one of the most critically-acclaimed sports games of our generation. Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Epic Games Store, Rocket League includes nearly endless customization possibilities, a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely.

To learn more about Rocket League, please visit www.RocketLeague.com, “Like” it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter @RocketLeague for all the latest developer updates and news.

ABOUT PSYONIX™
Based in San Diego, CA, Psyonix is a critically-acclaimed video game developer and a leading expert in Unreal Engine technology. For more than 15 years, the studio has been a driving force behind some of the most successful games in the industry, including Gears of War, Mass Effect 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Bulletstorm, Unreal Tournament III, Unreal Tournament 2004, and the award-winning Sports-Action hit, Rocket League®. Psyonix joined the Epic Games family in 2019.
 
© 2021 Psyonix. All rights reserved. Psyonix, the Psyonix logo, Rocket League, the Rocket League logo, Rocket League Sideswipe, and the Rocket League Sideswipe logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Psyonix in the USA and elsewhere.