Arcanum Ventures Partners with Black Ice Studios

Arcanum Ventures is proud to announce our backing for Black Ice Studios, a game development company helmed by industry veterans in the world of traditional gaming. Their flagship title, Ashes of Mankind, revolutionizes the concept of a “player-owned economy” that may set the standard for all web3 gaming to come.

 

What is Black Ice Studios?

Black Ice Studios is focused on fusing premier studio gaming experiences with web3 technologies. The company is founded by industry veterans who have worked on notable titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Cyberpunk 2077, and Rainbow Six: Siege. 

These talented founders teamed up with Ultra, an industry-leading web3 gaming blockchain and venture studio that is currently incubating Ashes of Mankind. As a result, the gaming ecosystem will launch on the Ultra blockchain, granting access to a built-in community of avid gamers.

The studio is dedicated to developing the same caliber of titles from their experience in major studios while integrating cryptocurrency systems. By using blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency infrastructure to create better player experiences, their premier title Ashes of Mankind is poised to set the standard for digital asset ecosystems in the world of web3 gaming.

What is Black Ice Studios Building with Ashes of Mankind?

Ashes of Mankind is the flagship gaming ecosystem for Black Ice Studios, upon which several gaming experiences will be developed. The Citadel is the first of these experiences – an immersive, extraction-based,  first-person shooting game.

While the game draws inspiration from the team’s background in developing the industry’s most notable action games, the experience is void of any web3 infrastructure. The digital asset economy, however, is entirely player-owned and operated, where all in-game assets are manufactured and distributed by web3 users from within the economy. This includes all weapons, armor, accessories, armor, and more in an experience that offers extreme customization and self-expression.

 

 

This novel approach to in-game economies is a step deeper into the tenets of decentralized ownership and user-generated content. Ashes of Mankind offers a multi-user gameplay experience that ranges from an exciting and beautiful first-person shooter to a complex strategy game of position and power among the ashes.

 

Arcanum’s Startup Advisory Support

Contrary to Arcanum Venture’s criticism of web3 gaming economies since the rise of the narrative in 2021, the company sees a strong case for crypto and blockchain in gaming. They believe digital assets and their highways serve as excellent infrastructure to improve gaming experiences. Some of these core use cases include the quick and reliable monetization of player efforts, increased stakes in more engaging gameplay, and in-game micro-governance for community and tournament dynamics.

These are the same beliefs shared by the Black Ice Studios team. The novel approach to an entirely player-owned economy from the root, with raw resource mining to the manufacturing and distribution of finished goods, means that much of the gaming experience is curated and shaped by the players.

Arcanum Ventures is supporting the company in the following ways:

• Capital Investment: Financial backing in Black Ice Studios in the form of a Seed Round investment
• Token Economy Design: Designing the token economy and game economy, with complex modeling for continued support and success
• Fundraising Support: Leveraging the Arcanum Ventures investor network and expertise to support the Ashes of Mankind fundraising efforts
• Go-to-Market Strategy: Supporting the team in developing the right strategies for launching products and digital assets
• Business Development: Facilitating networking opportunities, sourcing technology providers, and building strategic partnerships
• Marketing Guidance: Offering insights and strategies to enhance the market presence and reach for Ashes of Mankind

Arcanum Ventures works closely with Black Ice Studios as the principal tokenomics advisor, supporting the protocol design and feature-focused use cases to improve the player experience. Together, we are creating the framework for a AAA gaming experience built on web3 technologies.

 

Adrien David, the CEO of the studio, had this to say about the partnership…

“At Black Ice Studios, we believe in empowering players by merging traditional gaming with a player-owned economy and this collaboration enables us to take that vision further. With Ashes of Mankind, we are setting a new standard for how digital economies and gameplay can intersect, providing a seamless experience that places players at the core of our experience and gives real control and creativity to our community.

Our partnership with Arcanum Ventures helps achieve this vision as we share a common aspiration for the future of gaming and web3 in general. Their professionalism and deep understanding of both the gaming industry and blockchain technology have been invaluable to us.”

 

 

Sasha Asheghi, co-founder of Arcanum Ventures shared his excitement about the collaboration…

“It’s always a pleasure getting to work with teams who have been there before and have done it before. Knowing that Adrien and his co-founders have worked on some of the greatest video games I’ve had the pleasure of playing is exciting enough. Now we get to work closely with them in building a revolutionary game economy, and that’s a challenge we’re always up for.

Their approach to player-owned and operated systems goes hand-in-hand with the Arcanum Ventures ethos of decentralization and equity. It’s difficult to find a team that shares the same philosophies in web3 technologies, but when you do, you might just build an incredible game together.”

 

If this content interests you, be sure to follow Arcanum Ventures on our social media channels. Reach out if you’re interested in working together to structure your company’s token economy. 

 

About Black Ice Studios

Black Ice Studios is a game development studio composed of industry veterans with a proven track record of delivering innovative, AAA-quality gaming experiences. Focused on creating games that prioritize fun, accessibility, and player-driven engagement, Black Ice Studios is dedicated to bridging traditional gaming with emerging technologies.

Their flagship title, Ashes of Mankind, is a Free-to-Play, squad-based extraction MMO FPS that offers an immersive, competitive experience for players. Backed by major gaming industry leaders, Ashes of Mankind features a dynamic, player-led economy within a vast, dystopian world. Built for both Web2 and Web3 audiences, the game delivers a high-quality, enjoyable experience for all players.

 

Social Media Links 

Website | Twitter | Discord