Arbitrum Gaming Ventures — the rebranded version of the Gaming Catalyst Program (GCP) — just dropped its first $10 million investment round, backing five projects building on the Arbitrum Layer 2 network. Rick Johanson, partner at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, said: "This first cohort reflects our commitment to supporting high-quality experiences that are built for the long term—products that attract players, retain them, and expand meaningful engagement across Arbitrum."
Arbitrum's $10M investment
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures started life as the Gaming Catalyst Program in March 2024 with 200 million ARB tokens (around $65 million at the time). The program exists to fund game developers, infrastructure builders, and distribution platforms that can drive real player engagement and retention on Arbitrum. The goal is straightforward: make Arbitrum the go-to Layer 2 for web3 gaming.
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures Unveils $10M
Five projects got funded
- Wildcard, a 2v2 collectible card action game from Paul Bettner (Words With Friends, Age of Empires) and Katy Drake. Paradigm and Griffin Gaming Partners back it. Wildcard's now building on Arbitrum after switching chains.
- Hyve Labs, a distribution platform for social, real-time gameplay across Telegram, Farcaster, X, and browsers. The pitch is frictionless onboarding for casual and social gaming.
- T-Rex, a blockchain designed to integrate consumer apps into everyday digital experiences. It has strong traction in Southeast Asia, which helps Arbitrum expand into emerging markets.
- XAI, the first Layer 3 gaming network built on Arbitrum Orbit. It targets open economies and in-game trade. XAI wants to bring Steam and Epic Games scale to web3, focusing on indie developers and mid-tier studios.
- Proof of Play, an on-chain game studio founded by Amit Mahajan, who co-created FarmVille. Their flagship game, Pirate Nation, runs fully on-chain and aims to set a new standard for blockchain-native game design.
The program hit some turbulence earlier this year when DAO members proposed scaling back unspent funds. This $10 million push shows the program is still alive and funding projects despite that uncertainty and the departure of major ecosystem players like Treasure DAO, which moved to ZKsync.
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures
Web3 gaming is still growing
The global web3 gaming market is projected to grow from $37.5 billion in 2025 to $183 billion by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 19.24%. North America generated $11.3 billion in 2024, and similar double-digit growth is expected worldwide.
With tools like Arbitrum Orbit, developer incentives, and strategic venture backing, Arbitrum is positioning itself as a top destination for blockchain games and infrastructure. As web3 gaming shifts from speculation to actual player utility, these early investments from Arbitrum Gaming Ventures could shape how decentralized game economies develop over the next few years.
