Web3 gaming studio Argus has secured $10 million in a seed round led by crypto investment firm Haun Ventures. Other participants in the round include Robot Ventures, Anagram, Dispersion Capital, Alchemy (a Web3 developer backend), and several individual investors, including former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan. This funding will be utilized by Argus to expand its team and develop its studio and tooling infrastructure.
Additionally, Argus has unveiled the World Engine, a software developer kit (SDK) for blockchain gaming. The World Engine enables builders to create their own Web3 gaming ecosystems. Scott Sunarto, CEO of Argus, stated that the company’s goal is not only to establish the blockchain infrastructure necessary for emerging Web3 games but also to support developers in realizing their visions.
Sunarto compared the current state of crypto gaming to the era of computer games in the 1980s and ’90s, emphasizing the need for builders to have the ability to innovate and push boundaries. Argus positions itself as both an engine infrastructure team and an in-house content game studio.
Breck Stodghill, the Haun Ventures investor leading the round, described Sunarto as a “missionary” in advancing the growth of the broader Web3 gaming space. Stodghill believes that the combination of games and crypto has the potential to unite people and create exciting new gaming experiences.
The recent funding round for Argus reflects a resurgence of investment in blockchain-based games after a bear market that slowed down funding across the entire Web3 industry. In March, a16z, another crypto investment firm, led a $40 million investment round for CCP Games, a gaming studio expanding into Web3. In February, a16z also led a $25 million Series A for Here Not There, a Web3 gamified-social protocol.