WarDucks Raises $3.8 Million for Location-Based AR Game
Dublin-based game studio WarDucks has just raised $3.8 million for the launch of its location-based AR game studio in a bid to compete with some of the biggest augmented reality game developers such as the US-based software development company Niantic which is behind the widely popular Pokemon Go and the upcoming Harry Potter Wizards Unite. The funding round was led by EQT Ventures with the participation of other venture capital firms including Suir Valley Ventures and other investors.
The Dublin-based studio has also appointed John Romero, the co-creator of the first-person shooter (FPS) video game Doom, to assist with the game design of its upcoming AR game. Romero will be the creative consultant for the new game studio and will provide expertise to WarDucks for its location-based augmented reality game. The game studio has also tapped on Doug Kaufman as the lead designer. Kaufman worked in the turn-based strategy video game Civilization II and the simulation role-playing video game Frontierville. The narrative lead for the studio will be Lawrence Schick who also scripted the classic Dungeons & Dragons and the adventure White Plume Mountain.
WarDucks will use funding from this round to help fund the development of its new location-based augmented reality game and to boost its capacity by expanding its development team. The studio was discovered by EQT Ventures using the Artificial Intelligence platform Motherbrain, a proprietary platform that digests data and uses it to identify and proactively contact the most promising startups.
WarDucks was founded in 2013 by its current CEO Nikki Lannen who previously worked Facebook’s senior gaming team. She founded the studio with a focus on creating world-class content for mobile and immersive virtual reality and augmented reality platforms.
WarDucks aims to tap into the “huge opportunity” presented by the fast emerging location-based AR mobile gaming which combines the best of engaging gameplay with the local appeal of real-world maps. The partnership with EQT Ventures and other financing partners now puts WarDucks on a firm footing in the race to launch its location-based AR game. The game developer already has extensive mobile gaming experience having worked on similar projects in the past. The studio has also tapped into the talent of some of the top gaming executives from around the globe.
With its financial war-chest safely secured, WarDucks is hoping its next title will not only engage avid gamers but that it will also become a popular franchise.
EQT Ventures is a Swedish venture capital firm which had its first exit in December 2018 when the Finnish mobile gaming studio Small Giant Games was acquired by Zynga in a $700 million deal. The Swedish venture capital firm was founded by Lars Jörnow in 2016 with a capital of $566 million and is currently based in Stockholm and has 25 employees. EQT Ventures focuses on making minority equity investments in tech startups in Europe and the US that have good growth potential. The value of its investments ranges from EUR3 million to EUR75 million.
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https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2019/03/23/warducks-raises-3-8-million-for-location-based-ar-game/https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WarDucks-Founder-and-CEO-Nikki-Lannen-427×640.jpghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WarDucks-Founder-and-CEO-Nikki-Lannen-150×90.jpgGamingTechnologyDublin-based game studio WarDucks has just raised $3.8 million for the launch of its location-based AR game studio in a bid to compete with some of the biggest augmented reality game developers such as the US-based software development company Niantic which is behind the widely popular Pokemon Go and…Sam OchanjiSam Ochanjisochanji@yahoo.comAdministratorVirtual Reality Times
