SG gaming studio secures $3m for cat-themed hero shooter

Photo Credit: 9 Lives

While some tech giants like Microsoft and Twitch are facing gaming woes, others in the space have garnered investor interest this year. India’s Nazara Technologies – best known for the mobile game World Cricket Championship – is pledging US$100 million for global expansion, while NFT gaming firms Pixelmelon and Imaginary Ones have announced new funding in recent weeks.

Now another Web3 gaming startup has joined the fray: Singapore-headquartered 9 Lives Interactive has announced a US$3 million funding round led by Mechanism Capital. Participating investors include Sfermion, 3Commas Capital, and Momentum 6.

An independent gaming studio, 9 Lives will use the funds to develop its debut game, a cat-themed hero shooter called Nyan Heroes. In the game, which uses Unreal Engine 5 as well as blockchain capabilities, “quirky” cats pilot powerful, highly customizable mechs – aka giant robots – in competitive battles to save the world.

“We grew up playing shooter games, and we believe that this is the next evolution, where cute cat heroes give this genre mass appeal, which will lead to both Web2 and Web3 player adoption,” said Max Fu, the studio’s creative director and CEO.

Fu transitioned into the gaming industry after an early career in medicine in Australia. The gaming studio, which is fully remote, also counts alumni from companies like Electronic Arts and Ubisoft as part of its team.

Currently in the pre-alpha stage, Nyan Heroes has seen over 13,000 sign-ups following a recent announcement of its early access launch.

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