PlayFusion

Founded in 2015 by Mark Gerhard and Riaan Hodgson, PlayFusion is a Cambridge, UK-based game development studio that focuses on integrating physical and digital play through proprietary technology. The founders brought extensive experience to the venture; Gerhard previously served as the CEO and CTO of Jagex, the company behind the highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game, RuneScape. This background in managing large-scale, persistent online worlds and complex game technologies shaped PlayFusion's direction.

The company's core offering is its Enhanced Reality Engine, a technology platform that utilizes artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, and audio recognition to create interactive experiences that bridge the gap between physical items and digital games. This transmedia approach was central to its main products. One of its flagship projects was *Lightseekers*, an action role-playing game connected to smart action figures and a standalone trading card game. Every physical card could be scanned by the mobile game to unlock augmented reality effects and in-game abilities, offering a layered play experience. Another significant title was *Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions*, a digital and physical trading card game created in partnership with Games Workshop. Similar to *Lightseekers*, physical cards could be scanned to build a digital collection for online play.

PlayFusion's business model revolved around revenue from in-app purchases within its free-to-play games and the sale of physical products like trading cards and smart toys. The company secured an undisclosed amount in a Series A funding round in March 2017 from investors including Novator Partners, Nexon, and Lvp. In a significant milestone, PlayFusion was acquired by Build A Rocket Boy, the studio founded by former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, in December 2024. Following the acquisition, Mark Gerhard was appointed co-CEO of Build A Rocket Boy, where he contributes to the development of AAA projects like *MindsEye* and the open-world platform *EVERYWHERE*.

Keywords: enhanced reality, trading card game, transmedia entertainment, toys-to-life, augmented reality gaming, mobile games, computer vision, digital collectibles, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Lightseekers, Mark Gerhard, Riaan Hodgson, video game development, interactive entertainment, Jagex, Build A Rocket Boy, physical-to-digital, smart toys, collectible card game, in-app purchases