MYSTiC GAMES, a gaming development studio based in Stockholm, has secured $1.3 million in a seed funding round led by Shima Capital and saw participation from 32-Bit Ventures, SevenX Ventures, MEXC, TA Ventures, and Mainstreet DAO. Angel investor Joe Mahon, who previously worked with Zappos’ Tony Hsieh on the Downtown Project, also participated. The startup offers a unique gaming experience by creating multiplayer games based on blockchain technology. The investment will be used to expand the team and further develop the upcoming mobile game, Call of the VoYd.
MYSTiC GAMES is also partnered with Nefta, with the Web3 technology platform bringing free-to-own NFTs to Call of the VoYd. Nefta is acting as advisers to MYSTiC GAMES, providing support for token minting, wallet creation, and launching its marketplace.
Shima Capital, an early-stage global venture firm focused on supporting cutting edge blockchain start-ups, acted as advisors, while also investing in the round. 32-Bit Ventures also acted as both advisors and investors, with additional investors including SevenX Ventures, MEXC, TA Ventures and Mainstreet DAO. Joe Mahon took part in the round as an angel investor.
MYSTiC GAMES is player-first, player friendly, and soon to be player owned through a DAO (Decentralised Autocratic Organisation) structure. Founded by a team of highly experienced games industry veterans on a mission to bring fairness and flexibility to Web3 mobile games, the studio has set out to disrupt the status quo of Web3 games that typically require heavy investment into paid for NFTs to drive the gameplay journey.
The team of six combines experience from studios such as Miniclip, Voodoo, Rovio, and King. MYSTiC GAMES will use part of the funding to grow its team, and remaining funds will be used to continue development of its upcoming mobile title, Call of the VoYd, a fast-paced Roguelike Royale game where players can play with friends, own collectibles, and win prizes.
The Genesis version of MYSTiC GAMES’ Call of the VoYd is available now. An early version of the game designed to test gameplay, those who play Call of the VoYd – Genesis will compete in competitions to win prizes for the main game, ahead of the launch of the Genesis NFT Collection later this year.
Matthew Buxton, CEO & Co-Founder of MYSTiC GAMES, said, “The current Web3 space is filled with a huge array of projects, but nowhere near as many players. Our goal is to deliver experiences to native, new, and potential Web3 players that are both accessible and enjoyable. We want to embrace Web3’s mission of truly democratising digital ownership and give our players assets that hold value in the real world. This investment gives us the opportunity to take huge steps towards achieving that. Both Shima Capital and 32-Bit Ventures delivered great knowledge of the games industry, connecting us with some amazing investors. We were delighted to have them acting as our advisors for this seed round.”
Shima Capital has been closely involved with MYSTiC GAMES since its founding in 2022, providing consultation services to the studio and working closely with additional advisers 32-Bit Ventures to deliver the seed round.
Yida Gao, Founder & Managing General Partner of Shima Capital, said “We have no doubt that Matthew and the entire MYSTiC GAMES team is poised for great success. The gameplay in Call of the VoYd is what first caught our attention, and we were further hooked by their data-driven approach to launching the game. We’re thrilled to be working with such a seasoned gaming team to bring Web3 gaming into the mainstream.”
Jason Perkins, General Partner of 32-Bit Ventures, said: “We’ve been extremely impressed with MYSTiC GAMES from day one. They have fantastic experience, understanding how to build games that people want to play, and where they want to play them. We couldn’t be more excited to support their vision for Call of the VoYd, and to compete alongside the community in the games’ first season for VoYd Hearts, including exclusive NFTs, and the treasure chest of tokens at the bottom of the VoYd.”
