Animoca Brands, the company advancing digital property rights for gaming and the metaverse, and Saakuru Labs, developer of the consumer-centric L2 Saakuru Protocol with zero transaction fees, announced today a strategic partnership to promote the adoption and integration of Saakuru Labs’ blockchain technology and thereby help to accelerate the growth of Web3 gaming.
The collaboration will provide opportunities to integrate certain games within the Animoca Brands ecosystem into the Saakuru Protocol, allowing these games to leverage Saakuru Labs’ gasless technology.
Animoca Brands and Saakuru Labs both share a vision to foster the development of seamless and ultra-fast gaming experiences that are fully on-chain. The Saakuru Protocol is noted for its gasless transactions and fast block times, which allow gamers to enjoy real-time interactions without the hindrance of transaction fees or delays.
The strategic partnership announced today will help to strengthen Animoca Brands’ presence in Southeast Asia, a region with a rapidly growing gaming community and increasing interest in blockchain technologies (source: GlobalData, January 2024). However, blockchain gas fees can be an obstacle to Web3 adoption in many Southeast Asian countries, where average income is significantly lower. Animoca Brands aims to tap into this vibrant market by deploying games on the Saakuru Protocol, thereby offering players gaming experiences that are accessible as well as innovative and engaging.
Saakuru Labs provides infrastructure components that are able to speed up game development and simplify the integration of Web3 functionalities into traditional gaming ecosystems. This collaboration aims to reduce barriers to entry for game developers in the Web3 space, enabling a smoother transition from traditional to blockchain-based gaming platforms.
Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, said: “Gaming is one of the cornerstones of the open metaverse and of the Internet’s evolution toward true digital ownership. With its rapidly growing and tech-savvy population, the region of Southeast Asia is poised to become a leader in the adoption of Web3 technologies, and the partnership between Animoca Brands and Saakuru Labs will help to accelerate this exciting movement.”
Jack Vinijtrongjit, the co-founder and CEO of Saakuru Labs, said: “Imagine playing a fast-paced multiplayer game, fully on-chain and without transaction fees or lag. That’s the power that the Saakuru Protocol brings to the table.”
Marius Silenskis, VP of Web3 Engineering at Saakuru Labs, said: “We have spent significant effort to ensure a seamless experience for developers so they can spend more energy focusing on figuring out the best Web3 strategy for their games. By using our SDK, a mobile game can add Web3 support in just days.”
Various Animoca Brands portfolio projects and partners are in discussions to adopt the gasless protocol promoted by the new partnership. Companies that have already committed to using the Saakuru Protocol include W3GG, GameFi.org, and GameGPT, among others.
Irene Umar, co-founder and CEO at W3GG, commented: “Being home to three million Southeast Asian gamers and one of the companies in the Animoca Brands portfolio, W3GG is thrilled to work together with Saakuru Labs to introduce the upcoming launch of 40+ Saakuru Protocol projects to the SEA community! I am excited to make a gamer’s dream come true: to participate in a game on the basis of true ownership of assets! This is a shared journey to create a transformative blockchain ecosystem!”
Amy Doan, business development manager at GameFi.org, commented: “We see immense untapped potential within Saakuru’s ecosystem, and we’re integrating our infrastructure into Saakuru Protocol to fuel growth through INOs and NFT marketplaces. Our dedication to the vision of Saakuru Labs is total, and together we’re set to unlock incredible opportunities.”
Will Deane, founder and CEO at GameGPT, commented: “GameGPT revolutionizes game creation by empowering individuals to craft games through intuitive AI prompts, democratizing game development like never before. Saakuru’s gasless environment serves as the ideal playground for our AI innovation, allowing creators to experiment freely with various game genres. Saakuru Protocol’s seamless integration facilitates a frictionless experience, not only for developers but also for onboarding gamers, ensuring a diverse and vibrant gaming ecosystem that thrives on accessibility and creativity.”