Opti Games
Endlessly OPTImistic, relentlessly scrappy, and passionately dedicated to creating "Golden Retriever" games that brighten the world wherever they are.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
* | $2.0m | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Opti Games, established in 2023 by co-founders Maxwell Zombro and Wilson Ainworth, is a game development studio positioning itself in the 'Triple-I' space, combining the creative spirit of independent studios with the production quality of AAA titles. The company secured $8.4 million in a seed funding round led by Krafton, with additional participation from notable investors such as 1Up Ventures, Linus Tech Tips, and MrBeast's Feastables. This capital is being directed towards expanding the development team and accelerating the production of their debut title, Sparkball.
The founders bring a wealth of relevant experience to the venture. Maxwell Zombro, the CEO, has a background that includes work at Blizzard Entertainment and as a co-founder of the mobile gaming company, Noodle Cat. Wilson Ainworth, the CTO, also hails from Noodle Cat and has prior experience at Microsoft. Their team is further strengthened by veterans from major studios like Riot Games, Blizzard, and Epic Games, reflecting a strategic blend of industry expertise. The studio's philosophy centers on creating "Golden Retriever" games, which are designed to be optimistic and uplifting experiences for a broad audience.
Opti Games' initial product is Sparkball, a 4v4 competitive online game described as a 'sport brawler'. The gameplay merges elements of MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas) and sports games, where two teams compete to score a ball in the opponent's goal while engaging in hero-based combat. Players can choose from various hero characters, each with unique abilities, and customize them with different items to suit their strategy. This model, which some have dubbed "FutLoL," aims to provide immediate action while offering strategic depth through character builds and teamwork. The business model appears to be free-to-play, a common approach in the competitive online gaming market to attract a large player base. The company has reported successful early access tests with positive player feedback and has formed partnerships with ten major esports organizations, including Fnatic, G2 Esports, and Cloud9, indicating a strong focus on the competitive gaming scene from the outset.
Keywords: game development, sport brawler, PC gaming, esports, free-to-play, multiplayer online, MOBA, competitive gaming, character-based, venture capital