Los Angeles, CA – Gardens, a game studio with a vision to blend indie innovation and AAA ambition, announced today that it has successfully raised $31.3 million in Series A funding. The funding round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Krafton, with participation from renowned gaming industry veterans and major gaming platforms.
The impressive list of investors includes Mike Morhaime, the co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment and founder of Dreamhaven, Stephen “Slim” Lim, the co-creator of Valorant, and Nate Mitchell, the co-founder of Oculus. Other notable investors include executives from Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, TikTok, and Bandai Namco, among others.
The funding will enable Gardens to develop their upcoming game, an online PvPvE fantasy adventure sandbox ARPG. The game aims to combine elements from multiplayer RPGs and fantasy action-adventure games, offering a cooperative gameplay experience with an element of surprise and betrayal. Gardens’ game director, Chris Bell, explained that the game is designed to provide new experiences with each playthrough, with the world evolving and growing over time.
The company’s playable prototype, showcased at GDC 2023, received rave reviews from investors, publishers, and platforms. Maria Park, Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Krafton, praised Gardens’ demo, describing it as “innovative and, above all, joyful.”
Gardens’ unique approach, combining indie creativity with AAA ambitions, sets them apart from other game studios. Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner and Head of Gaming at Lightspeed Venture Partners, noted that Gardens feels magically different from anything he has seen before and expressed excitement about their potential for global success.
As Gardens continues to develop their ambitious project, they plan to expand their team significantly. They are actively seeking talented game designers, engineers, and artists to join their team. For more information on open positions, visit the official Gardens website and follow their progress on Twitter.
This groundbreaking venture has already captured the attention of the gaming industry, and we eagerly await the release of Gardens’ highly anticipated game.
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Photo: KRAFTON GAME UNION
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