The innovative infrastructure startup, Thirdweb, has appointed Atif Khan, a former Meta executive, as its new Vice President of Gaming. The company’s goal is to accelerate the growth of the Web3 gaming industry, and they recently showcased their capabilities by building a game from scratch.
Based in San Francisco, Thirdweb provides developers with a comprehensive Web3 infrastructure toolkit, enabling them to create decentralized applications, including blockchain games and NFTs. Last year, the company successfully raised $24 million in a Series A funding round, with a valuation of $160 million. Notable investors, such as Haun Ventures, Polygon Labs, and Shopify, supported the funding round.
Atif Khan, the former Head of Mid-Market & In-App Ads for Global Gaming at Meta, has joined Thirdweb after serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Stardust. Khan is excited about the opportunity to provide game developers with a comprehensive toolset.
Thirdweb aims to simplify Web3 game building by offering a convenient one-stop shop solution that eliminates the need for developers to navigate multiple platforms.
While offering a full-stack option, Thirdweb also caters to 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 evolving preferences of users, who seek customized experiences and options when it comes to their wallets, whether smart, local, custodial, or non-custodial.
To showcase the power of their toolkit, Thirdweb recently developed a captivating 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. The game attracted more than 500 players and recorded over 1,000 sessions in less than a week.
Thirdweb prioritizes enjoyable gameplay and user engagement by integrating blockchain features, such as non-custodial wallets and cosmetic NFTs. They address challenges in the play-to-earn model by focusing on entertainment value rather than just cryptocurrency rewards.
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Khan predicts a shift in the industry’s focus toward the value blockchain brings to users and developers. Popular games like Candy Crush highlight the importance of community and social aspects. Thirdweb aims to drive the adoption of Web3 technology through casual mobile games and become a leading developer tool across the Web3 ecosystem.
