Today’s Web3 digest will feature some of the biggest brands converging with blockchain-native projects in the space.

Names that headlined the news include airBaltic, AMC, Anne Rice, Mayfair Witches, Meta Platforms, NFL, Reddit, Roblox, and Studio Dragon. They are joined by Avalanche, BNB Chain, Bored Ape Yacht Club, Crypto.com, CryptoPunks, JPEGz, Floki, and Orange Comet, among others.

Meanwhile, Web3 games are pumping more life into the blockchain. Projects that made waves today include Aradena, Goldbit Casino, Gods Unchained, Neopets Metaverse, The Harvest, Undeads Metaverse, Valhalla, and XBorg.

Here are the stories that shape Web3.

Top Stories

• Web3 entertainment and gaming company Orange Comet is extending its partnership with theater chain AMC’s television franchise “Immortal Universe of Anne Rice.” As a result, the collaboration has unveiled the “Mayfair Witches Pass” NFTs project. Essentially, the collection grants holders entry to virtual or in-person experiences featuring the mystical world of vampires and witches (PRN).

• The NFT market’s momentum continues with major moves from blue-chip NFT projects Crypto Punks and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). Following the increased trading and sales volume in January, NFTs from Crypto Punks and BAYC each sold for more than $1 million worth of $ETH in the last 24 hours (DC).

• Shiba Inu-inspired crypto project Floki has announced plans to release a Chinese version of its play-to-earn (P2E) NFT game Valhalla. According to Floki developer B, “the data strongly favors a Valhalla launch in China.” Additionally, B also cited the country’s “massive number of gamers” and the “projected strength of this Chinese economy,” as reasons to cater the region (CD).

• The Avalanche Foundation has donated $1 million worth of $AVAX tokens to relief efforts for earthquake-affected communities in Turkey and Syria. The organizer of the fundraising initiative is renowned Turkish rock singer Haluk Levent. Moreover, Avalanche also encouraged other entities to contribute to the effort (TW).

• Social networking platform Reddit, in collaboration with the National Football League (NFL), has dropped a new free NFT collection. Dubbed “Super Bowl LVII x Reddit Collectible Avatar,” the project offers four types of digital collectibles namely: Eagles, Chiefs, The Champs, and LVII Super Fans. As of this writing, 651,800 of the avatars have already been minted since launch (NFTN).

Web3 Games

• Esports gaming community XBorg has announced the second title for its “Xtreme Championship Series” tournament. The next leg will feature third-person shooter game The Harvest. To celebrate, XBorg is giving away a PlayStation5, one Prometheus NFT worth $870, and 10 “Harvest Mystery Boxes” (TW).

• Browser-based crypto casino Goldbit Casino will soon launch its platform on the Avalanche blockchain. Some of the portal’s offerings include 3K Slot Games, sports books (NBA, NFL, UFC), 28 live dealers, and Esports betting. In essence, Goldbit Casino is positioning itself to become “the largest AVAX online crypto casino” in the space (TW).

• Forthcoming Web3 event the European Blockchain Convention has revealed survival role-playing game (RPG) Undeads Metaverse as one of its “Gold Sponsors.” Powered by blockchain networks Ethereum and ImmutableX, the upcoming title is set in a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic virtual world (TW).

• Avalanche and Polygon-backed title Neopets Metaverse, a 3D remake of the classic virtual pet game Neopets, has announced a partnership with “unified” Web3 portal Trantor. The one-stop platform aims to promote interconnecting brands and communities through empowered decentralized identities. In addition, the Neopets Metaverse team will reveal further campaign developments in the near future (TW).

• Trading card game (TCG) Gods Unchained has been reaping various blockchain gaming awards as of late. So far, the project has bagged two “Best Strategy Game” honors from Polkastarter’s “Gam3 Awards,” and Web3 Gam3r’s “Gam3rs’ Choice Awards.” Moreover, Gods Unchained was also named the Best Card Game (Gam3 Awards), and was listed as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Blockchain Games” (according to ABGA) (TW).

NFT News

• Ethereum-based DeFi protocol Cryptex Finance is launching an NFT market capitalization index token called JPEGz. Essentially, the index will track ten digital collectibles. Titles included are Azuki, BAYC, Cool Cats, Doodles, Vee Friends, and World of Women, among others. The latest offering will grant investors exposure to multiple NFT assets (B).

• Latvia’s flag carrier airBaltic is introducing a set of 25 collectable NFTs called ‘Planies.’ The project is part of the airline company’s airBaltic Club loyalty program. Owners of the NFTs will get the chance to obtain exclusive membership by staking their Planies on the platform (FTE).

• Crypto.com, a crypto exchange based in Singapore, has teamed up with K-Drama distributor Studio Dragon. The partnership will launch NFTs of the art toy DearRo (inspired by Korean TV series Crash Landing On You and Start-Up). Additionally, Studio Dragon also revealed plans to K-Drama NFTs for every quarter of 2023 (FK).

Into the Metaverse

• London-based electronic musician and audiovisual (AV) artist Halina Rice will make her first virtual performance on the 9th of February. Metaverse infrastructure company Condense and French audio manufacturer L-Acoustics have partnered to deliver the live-streamed concert. Rice will appear in the virtual world as a 3D hologram, while combining her music with mixed-reality visuals (AV).

• Dining and entertainment brand Dave & Buster’s Entertainment has launched an interactive virtual experience called “Dave & Buster’s World.” The metaverse project was released on gaming platform Roblox. Basically, the platform will offer remakes of various arcade games including Full Tilt, GridIron Blitz, Superball Dash, and Zombie Survival, among others (PRN).

• Social media giant Meta Platforms has launched the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s first metaverse academy. Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the training center aims to offer programs focused on extended reality to prepare students for careers in metaverse and other related technologies (NN).

Around the Blockchain

• In preparation for the upcoming Valentine’s Day, blockchain protocol BNB Chain has launched an NFT scavenger hunt. Dubbed “Love is in the Air: A Valentine’s Adventure of Sweet Surprises with BNB Chain,” the campaign will run from February 8-13. The contest requires participants to collect NFTs and complete the phrase “love-is-in-the-air.” Winners will receive a share of the 14,000 BUSD prize pool. Qualifiers will take home limited edition BNB Chain love NFTs (BNBC).

• Render Network’s utility token $RNDR saw an 80% rise over the past week. The surge is attributed to the community voting in favor of a new burnt-and-mint equilibrium (BME) model. The cryptocurrency’s price started at 40 cents on the 1st of January, before eventually ending up at $2.03 (per CoinGecko). Render Network provides decentralized GPU-based rendering solutions for digital creation processes (CD).

• Geneva, Switzerland-based non-profit NEAR Foundation has formed a partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS). The entities are collaborating on a workshop about Web3 and blockchain technologies, and its relation with the sports industry. The three-day, non-technical course will run on February 10, 17, and 24 (FT).

Web3 Content Creators

• Brycent: YouTuber and Twitch streamer SypherPK recently hosted an NFL Tuesday Night Gaming (NFLTNG) showdown. The latest edition featured Gam3rs’ Choice Awards Content Creator of the Year Brycent playing alongside esports player, coach, and influencer Mikaveli.

• Cagy: Web3 gaming YouTuber Cagy went to Twitter to state how a vast majority of games in the space “won’t make it.” The content creator even cited builders “rugging” their own communities towards the end of their venture. However, Cagy emphasized that games fail “due to lack of funding, money management and failure to grow a community that spends.”

• Hustle: Jonny aka Hustle has announced a weekly Twitter Spaces session with Crypto Banter. According to Hustle, the program will focus on crypto gaming, NFTs, metaverse, and AI in Web3. Furthermore, the content creator also hyped the “tons of top level guests and founders” that will soon grace the space.

• Spike: Esports player Spike recently partnered with upcoming turn-based strategy project Aradena to give away 20 Genesis Card Pack Bundles. Basically, Aradena is a collectible fantasy game currently building on the Ethereum blockchain.

• Stache: Stache’s latest episode of “The NFT Beat” with co-host JChains focused on the future of NFTs in the space. Titled “STOP Buying NFTs, They Are DOOM’d To FAIL,” the stream also covered various news and topics including Web3 gaming, market trends, events, etc.