Forge

Forge operates a platform designed to connect and reward video game players, functioning as a loyalty and engagement engine for game developers.

The company was founded by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs: Dennis “Thresh” Fong, recognized by Guinness World Records as the first professional gamer and a serial entrepreneur who founded companies like Xfire and Raptr; Kun Gao, the co-founder of Crunchyroll; and George Ng, the co-founder of Cyence. The venture originated in 2020 as a project within GGWP, an AI-powered game moderation platform created by the same team, before being spun off into a separate company. Forge officially launched its public beta in October 2023, securing $11 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Makers Fund, BITKRAFT Ventures, and Animoca Brands, with participation from numerous other firms and prominent angel investors from the gaming and tech industries, including the founders of Riot Games, Twitch, and YouTube.

The business serves game developers by providing them with self-service, no-code tools to create custom loyalty and reward programs. These programs are designed to acquire, engage, and retain players by rewarding them for in-game achievements and community participation, such as social media activity. This model targets a key challenge for developers: the rising inefficiency of traditional user acquisition channels. For gamers, Forge offers a platform to aggregate their gaming achievements and history into a unified profile, unlocking rewards and in-game content based on their activity. The platform is free for developers to get started, with paid packages available to unlock more features, suggesting a freemium or tiered subscription business model. By July 2024, the platform had surpassed 1 million registered users.

Forge's core service allows developers to launch quests and battle pass-like experiences to drive sustained engagement. Players can connect accounts from various gaming platforms to automatically earn experience points and rewards. For developers, the platform provides tools to target players based on their verified gaming history, deploy multi-channel user acquisition efforts, and connect with influencers. It also offers an API for deeper integration, allowing developers to reward specific in-game events and distribute digital items directly through the Forge platform. This system aims to convert average fans into brand advocates, creating a community-driven marketing flywheel.

Keywords: player rewards platform, game loyalty programs, user acquisition games, community engagement gaming, Dennis 'Thresh' Fong, Kun Gao, George Ng, video game achievements, gamification marketing, GGWP, player retention, in-game rewards, game developer tools, Makers Fund, BITKRAFT Ventures, Animoca Brands, gaming community, battle pass API, direct-to-player, game marketing