Distinct Possibility Studios, a new game developer led by industry veteran John Smedley, has raised $30.5 million to develop REAPER ACTUAL, a AAA open-world extraction shooter with integrated blockchain featuresโan ambitious move in a space where few have succeeded.
The funding round was led by Bitkraft and Brevan Howard Digital, with major contributions from The Tezos Foundation, Hashed, Delphi Ventures, and others.
Sponsored
Smedley, co-creator of landmark titles like EverQuest and Planetside 2, leads the studioโs efforts to develop REAPER ACTUAL.
The gameโs blockchain infrastructure will be built on Etherlink, a Layer 2 network on Tezos, chosen for its scalability, sustainability, and ability to support real-time in-game transactions.
Why It Stands Out
Fully integrated blockchain economies in AAA games remain extremely rare, largely due to the technical and design challenges they pose.
Titles at this scale must handle thousands of transactions without compromising performance or user experience, while maintaining energy efficiency and security.
Ubisoftโs NFT experiment with Ghost Recon: Breakpoint faced community backlash and was quietly shut down. Mythical Gamesโ Blankos Block Party and Galaโs Web3 projects garnered attention but failed to break beyond niche circles. Even Shrapnel, still in development, has yet to prove blockchain can scale to AAA expectations.
That makes REAPER ACTUAL a potential milestone in bridging high-end gameplay and decentralized economies.
Inside REAPER ACTUAL
Set on the island of Marova, the game puts players in the boots of elite operatives known as โReapersโ in a PvPvE environment combining tactical combat, territorial warfare, and resource management.
At its core is a blockchain-powered, player-driven economy built on Tezos and Etherlink. This tech handles large transaction volumes via energy-efficient smart contracts, enabling true digital ownership of in-game assets.
Players can create, own, and trade rare NFTs like characters, skins, and crafted weapons. Territorial battles, crafting systems, and trading of NFTs are seamlessly integrated with the blockchain, letting the player community shape the world and economy in real-time.
AAA Devs Reveal Whatโs Next
Distinct Possibility Studios is backed by veterans from top gaming giants, including Sony, Riot, and Epic, with credits on hits such as Call of Duty and Fortnite.ย
The studio plans to drop a pre-alpha called โFoundationโ in the upcoming weeks, giving early access to REAPER ACTUAL and on-chain tradable assets. Fans and investors can expect regular updates as the game progresses.
Why This Matters
As mainstream studios continue to experiment with blockchain integration, REAPER ACTUAL represents a step toward incorporating blockchain features into high-budget games with a stronger focus on gameplay and player experience.
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People Also Ask:
Blockchain gaming integrates blockchain technology to enable true digital ownership of in-game assets, secure transactions, and decentralized economies within video games.
Major challenges include handling thousands of transactions without slowing gameplay, maintaining security, energy-efficient operations, and balancing blockchain features with user experience.
Blockchain economies allow players true ownership and transferability of digital assets across platforms, unlike traditional games where assets are controlled solely by developers.
