EVE Online studio CCP has secured $40 million funding for a blockchain game

EVE Online studio CCP Games has raised $40 million from external partners to fund the development of a new game utilising blockchain technology.

The company said the project will be a triple-A game set in the same universe as its sci-fi spacefaring MMO, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in May.

“With key game systems developed on-chain, this new project will also leverage smart-contract blockchain technology, focusing on persistence, composability and truly open third-party development to create a new relationship between virtual worlds and players,” according to CCP.

The financing was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Makers Fund, BITKRAFT, Kingsway Capital, HASHED, Nexon and others.

“Since its inception, CCP Games’ vision has been to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real life,” said the Icelandic company’s CEO, Hilmar Pétursson.

“Now, with advancements made within blockchain, we can forge a new universe deeply imbued with our expertise in player agency and autonomy, empowering players to engage in new ways.

“This financing has marked an exciting frontier in our studio history as we begin our third decade of virtual world operations. We are humbled by the confidence from our partners in the development of this new title.”

A patent published last week shows Sony Interactive Entertainment has been exploring ways it could use NFTs and blockchain technology in games.