Reach Labs, a new web3 game publisher formed through a collaboration between Rough House Games (creators of Champions Ascension) and Overworld, aims to enhance game publishing by integrating blockchain technology and community engagement. Helmed by serial gaming entrepreneurs Chris DeWolfe and Jeremy Horn, the company is tackling the challenge of user acquisition with an innovative platform that incentivizes players, influencers, and guilds to promote and share the games they enjoy.

Reach Labs Reveals New Web3 Game Publisher

The Reach Platform

At the core of Reach Labs’ strategy is the Reach platform, a proprietary marketing and distribution system that democratizes game publishing. Through the platform, fans and creators can promote games using affiliate codes, earning rewards for driving player engagement. This model reduces the industry’s reliance on traditional advertising channels, instead leveraging social connections and community networks.

Key features of the Reach platform include:

• Affiliate Marketing Tools: Players can generate codes and share them on platforms like Twitch and social media, earning a share of the revenue their referrals generate.
• Community Rewards: Players, influencers, and guilds are incentivized to grow game audiences.
• Decentralized Infrastructure: Powered by the Keystone Protocol, the platform ensures secure and scalable support for game distribution.

This approach not only benefits players but also allows game developers to reach audiences more effectively without the prohibitive costs associated with traditional advertising.

Reach Labs Logo

Solving the User Acquisition Problem

User acquisition has become a costly and inefficient process in gaming, with platforms like Facebook and Google dominating the space. Reach Labs seeks to decentralize this process by rewarding players for contributing to the growth of games. DeWolfe, cofounder of MySpace and Jam City, and Horn, a gaming veteran with a history at companies like FunPlus and TinyCo, recognized the need for a new approach. Together, they created Reach to make game discovery more social and accessible.

DeWolfe’s journey began when rising costs and privacy changes in mobile advertising prompted him to explore web3. He spun out Champions Ascension, a web3 fighting game, into a standalone venture and experimented with AI-powered social imagery through Plai Day. Similarly, Horn’s experience highlighted the potential of blockchain games to restore virality and improve monetization.

Reach labs Logo and Key Art

Reach Labs’ Game Portfolio

Reach Labs plans to develop and operate a diverse portfolio of games across multiple platforms. Its flagship titles include:

• Champions Ascension: A web3 fighting game by Rough House Games, featuring player-versus-player (PvP) and player-versus-environment (PvE) modes.
• Conquest: An action RPG for PC and consoles.
• Kingdoms: A free-to-play mobile strategy game.

Additional projects are under development, with Reach aiming to onboard third-party partners and expand its ecosystem through acquisitions. Champions Ascension also won "Best Fighting Game" during our 2024 GAM3 Awards.

Champions Ascension x GAM3 Awards 2024

A Player-First Approach

The player-first philosophy at Reach Labs aligns with trends in user-generated content and blockchain-enabled engagement. By rewarding players for promoting games and connecting communities, Reach hopes to create a network effect that benefits developers and gamers alike. DeWolfe emphasized the challenges facing smaller game developers, noting that barriers to entry in traditional markets often stifle innovation.

With Reach, he hopes to give new teams a chance to succeed through community-driven growth. Horn echoed this sentiment, describing Reach as a bridge between web2 and web3. He envisions hybrid models that combine traditional and blockchain-based elements, catering to a broad audience while fostering virality.

Keystone Logo

Future Outlook

Reach Labs is poised to expand its influence in the gaming industry by onboarding more titles into its ecosystem. Its partnership with the Keystone Protocol and backing from investors like A16z and Hash position it for growth in a rapidly evolving market.

As regulatory clarity around blockchain technologies improves, DeWolfe and Horn anticipate significant growth in web3 gaming. Their goal is to make Reach the standard for marketing and distribution in this new era of gaming, enabling hundreds or thousands of games to thrive.

Source: GamesBeat