Reach Labs, a new web3 game publisher formed through a collaboration between Rough House Games (creators of Champions Ascension) and Overworld, aims to enhance game publishing by integrating blockchain technology and community engagement. Helmed by serial gaming entrepreneurs Chris DeWolfe and Jeremy Horn, the company is tackling the challenge of user acquisition with an innovative platform that incentivizes players, influencers, and guilds to promote and share the games they enjoy.
Reach Labs Reveals New Web3 Game Publisher
The Reach Platform
Reach Labs built its strategy around the Reach platform, a proprietary marketing and distribution system designed to democratize game publishing. Fans and creators can promote games using affiliate codes, earning rewards when they drive player engagement. The model shifts away from traditional advertising channels, relying instead on social connections and community networks to spread the word.
Key features of the Reach platform include:
- Affiliate Marketing Tools: Players can generate codes and share them on platforms like Twitch and social media, earning a share of the revenue their referrals generate.
- Community Rewards: Players, influencers, and guilds are incentivized to grow game audiences.
- Decentralized Infrastructure: Powered by the Keystone Protocol, the platform ensures secure and scalable support for game distribution.
This setup benefits players while giving game developers a more effective way to reach audiences without the steep costs of traditional advertising.
Reach Labs Logo
Solving the User Acquisition Problem
User acquisition has become expensive and inefficient in gaming, with platforms like Facebook and Google dominating the space. Reach Labs decentralizes this process by rewarding players for contributing to the growth of games. DeWolfe, cofounder of MySpace and Jam City, and Horn, a gaming veteran with experience at companies like FunPlus and TinyCo, recognized the need for a different approach. Together, they created Reach to make game discovery more social and accessible.
DeWolfe's path to Reach began when rising costs and privacy changes in mobile advertising pushed him toward web3. He spun out Champions Ascension, a web3 fighting game, into a standalone venture and experimented with AI-powered social imagery through Plai Day. Horn's experience highlighted how blockchain games could restore virality and improve monetization.
Reach labs Logo and Key Art
Reach Labs' Game Portfolio
Reach Labs plans to develop and operate a diverse portfolio of games across multiple platforms. Its flagship titles include:
- Champions Ascension: A web3 fighting game by Rough House Games, featuring player-versus-player (PvP) and player-versus-environment (PvE) modes.
- Conquest: An action RPG for PC and consoles.
- Kingdoms: A free-to-play mobile strategy game.
Additional projects are under development, with Reach aiming to onboard third-party partners and expand its ecosystem through acquisitions. Champions Ascension also won "Best Fighting Game" during our 2024 GAM3 Awards.
Champions Ascension x GAM3 Awards 2024
A Player-First Approach
The player-first philosophy at Reach Labs aligns with trends in user-generated content and blockchain-enabled engagement. By rewarding players for promoting games and connecting communities, Reach hopes to create a network effect that benefits developers and gamers. DeWolfe pointed to the challenges facing smaller game developers, noting that barriers to entry in traditional markets often stifle innovation.
With Reach, he wants to give new teams a chance to succeed through community-driven growth. Horn described Reach as a bridge between web2 and web3. He envisions hybrid models that combine traditional and blockchain-based elements, catering to a broad audience while fostering virality.
Keystone Logo
Future Outlook
Reach Labs is positioned to expand its influence in the gaming industry by onboarding more titles into its ecosystem. Its partnership with the Keystone Protocol and backing from investors like A16z and Hash set it up for growth in a rapidly evolving market.
As regulatory clarity around blockchain technologies improves, DeWolfe and Horn anticipate significant growth in web3 gaming. Their goal is to make Reach the standard for marketing and distribution in this new era of gaming, enabling hundreds or thousands of games to thrive.
