Thirdweb, an innovative infrastructure startup, has appointed Atif Khan, who previously worked for Meta, as their new Vice President of Gaming. The company’s objective is to expedite the growth of the Web3 gaming industry. They have already demonstrated their capabilities by constructing a game from scratch.
Thirdweb is based in San Francisco and offers developers an inclusive Web3 infrastructure toolkit, enabling the creation of decentralized applications for blockchain games and NFTs. In a successful Series A funding round, the company raised $24 million, which valued the company at $160 million. Investors, such as Haun Ventures, Polygon Labs, and Shopify, all supported this funding round.
Before joining Thirdweb, Atif Khan served as the Head of Mid-Market & In-App Ads for Global Gaming at Meta and was the Chief Operating Officer at Stardust. He is enthusiastic about offering games developers a comprehensive toolkit.
Thirdweb aims to simplify the process of building Web3 games by providing a convenient one-stop solution, which eliminates the need for developers to work across multiple platforms. While providing a full-stack option, Thirdweb also accommodates game developers, who prefer specific components from other providers. If a studio opts for a different RPC node or index relay provider, Thirdweb can seamlessly integrate those choices. This flexibility and modularity reflect the preferences of users, who seek customized experiences and options when it comes to their wallets, whether they are smart, local, custodial, or non-custodial.
To display the effectiveness of their toolkit, Thirdweb has recently developed an impressive on-chain survival action game called Web3 Warriors. Within just three weeks, the game was launched on the testnet for Base, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling network developed by Coinbase. After less than a week, the game had attracted more than 500 players and recorded over 1,000 sessions.
Thirdweb prioritizes enjoyable gameplay and user engagement by integrating blockchain features, such as non-custodial wallets and cosmetic NFTs. They focus on entertainment value to address challenges in the play-to-earn model rather than just cryptocurrency rewards.
Khan anticipates a shift in the industry’s focus toward the value blockchain adds to users and developers. Popular games like Candy Crush, for example, highlight the significance of community and social aspects. Thirdweb aims to drive the adoption of Web3 technology through casual mobile games and become a prominent developer tool throughout the Web3 ecosystem.
Compiled by Coinbold
