PlaySafe ID, a platform designed to protect online gaming environments from cheaters, hackers, bots, and online predators, has raised $1.12 million (€1 million) in a pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Early Game Ventures, with participation from Hartmann Capital and Overwolf. The company plans to use the funding to accelerate its platform development, expand its team, and prepare for strategic integrations with gaming titles ahead of a broader market rollout.

PlaySafe Raises Over $1M for Safe Online Gaming

About PlaySafe ID

PlaySafe ID aims to introduce a new level of trust, fairness, and accountability in gaming communities. At the core of its service is a privacy-focused, verified digital identity that is game-agnostic and ensures that users are real people with no record of cheating or inappropriate behavior. The platform allows developers and game communities to enforce fair play without infringing on player anonymity or the creative and open nature of gaming.

The platform was developed to address long-standing issues in the gaming ecosystem, such as players repeatedly returning to games after being banned for cheating or abuse. With this system, users are issued a single PlaySafe ID that cannot be duplicated or reassigned. This ensures meaningful enforcement across games and reduces the recurring issue of bad actors simply rejoining under new accounts.

PlaySafe Raises Over $1M for Safe Online Gaming

Ovver $1 Million from Strategic Investors

In an interview with GamesBeat Cristian Munteanu, managing partner at Early Game Ventures, described PlaySafe ID as a trust layer for gaming that brings identity and accountability to digital environments. He stated that as artificial intelligence and online anonymity continue to challenge safety and fairness, PlaySafe ID offers a practical solution by allowing verified identities to carry across games, platforms, and genres. Munteanu believes the system could become a foundational element of the gaming experience, much like Steam accounts or Xbox Live profiles.

Felix Hartmann, managing partner at Hartmann Capital, echoed this sentiment. He noted that while gaming has become a major part of global digital culture, it remains largely unregulated. PlaySafe ID, according to Hartmann, introduces a form of digital governance by offering a system of accountability that operates independently of any single game or jurisdiction.

PlaySafe Raises Over $1M for Safe Online Gaming

A Platform Built with Player Privacy in Mind

PlaySafe ID’s verification system is powered by Onfido, a company specializing in identity verification and know-your-customer (KYC) services. Onfido handles the verification process, confirming the legitimacy of a user without PlaySafe ID accessing or storing sensitive data such as documents or biometrics. This approach ensures compliance with UK and EU data privacy standards, while maintaining the security and anonymity of gamers.

Once verified, users can connect their PlaySafe ID to supported games. The game can then check the user’s status via PlaySafe ID’s API before allowing access. If a user is flagged for violating community standards—such as cheating, using bots, or engaging in behavior harmful to children—the platform can impose penalties or suspend access. These decisions are made based on trust scores and contextual analysis to reduce false positives and ensure consistent enforcement.

To prevent identity misuse, PlaySafe ID includes security features that detect suspicious behavior. If unusual activity is found, access may be temporarily suspended until the user re-verifies through a selfie process similar to security measures used by banks.

PlaySafe Raises Over $1M for Safe Online Gaming

Founder’s Vision and Development Timeline

PlaySafe ID was founded by Andrew Wailes, who drew inspiration from his own experiences as a lifelong gamer. Frustrated by the increasing prevalence of cheating and toxic behavior in online games, Wailes began working on a solution in his free time in early 2023 while based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. He spent several months researching the problem, developing a prototype, and testing it on private servers before committing to the project full-time in July 2024.

Wailes noted that both cheating and child exploitation in games share a common issue: the lack of persistent accountability. Bad actors can easily return with new accounts, undermining existing anti-cheat and safety systems. PlaySafe ID was designed to address this loophole by offering a verified and persistent identity system that applies across different games and platforms.

PlaySafe Raises Over $1M for Safe Online Gaming

Future Plans and Market Outlook

With a current team of seven, including professionals from companies like Google and Jagex, PlaySafe ID plans to expand its staff and capabilities. The company is currently in talks with several major gaming platforms and expects to launch its first integrations later this year. Its goal is to reach over 250,000 users in the near term as it continues its go-to-market efforts.

As online gaming continues to grow, with over 3 billion active gamers worldwide, platforms like PlaySafe ID are aiming to offer scalable solutions for user verification and safety. The company’s approach reflects a broader industry trend toward balancing user privacy with the need for accountability and compliance, particularly in light of emerging regulations such as the Online Safety Act.