Wildcard Public Debut | The Most Anticipated Web3 MOBA Game

Into the Metaverse with Wildcard 

Introducing our first public debut of Wildcard, Web3’s most anticipated game 

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Author: Paul Bettner, Co-founder & CEO

In 2017, I became fascinated by something I saw happening in our own game communities. A new type of “player” had begun to emerge: this player was watching people play as much as they were playing themselves. Others saw this as an opportunity adjacent to our industry. I saw the birth of a brand new platform for games.

So we began work on this brand new type of video game. A game that would be as much fun to watch as it is to play. A new genre, where the thrill of competition between players is elevated to new heights and where a live audience of fans and spectators join together to interact within the game itself, in real time. Wildcard was born.

But we were still missing something. Existing platforms for creating and sharing content were closed ecosystems. Walled gardens. Content creators were stuck with a limited set of tools to grow their audience, connect with their fans, and build their business. “Please like and subscribe!” falls far short of what should be possible…

What if we built a platform where players and creators could directly engage with their fans? What if the entire competitive ecosystem for Wildcard was a platform owned by the community? What if Wildcard offered a greatly expanded creator toolset, unlocking new opportunities for player ownership, fan incentives, and community engagement?

Web3 is the missing piece. It unlocks our ability to build an open platform for video game competition and content creation that is owned by its players and its fans. It is fantasy sports, college athletics, and pro leagues all rolled into one, played online, minted on the blockchain, and owned by the community. 

Web3 has unlocked our ability to bring the vision for this game and ecosystem to life. Since announcing our $46M funding round from Paradigm VC last June, Wildcard has quietly become one of the most anticipated Web3 projects in gaming with a growing Discord community of over 30,000 members. 

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Today, after more than 5 years in development, I am thrilled to announce that Wildcard’s first public playtest will take place on Thursday, February 23, 2023. This public exhibition event, titled "Melee on the Meteor", will be the first time members of the Wildcard community come together as competitors, fans, and spectators to play the latest build of the game. Hosted in the “Frostburn Arena”, a virtual event venue built specifically to host the Wildcard games, this exhibition will see Wildcard champions Bolgar and Locke take the field alongside their team of summons, facing off in a grudge match years in the making…

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What to expect

Wildcard is a web3 multiplayer battle arena game where champions summon creatures to battle in dynamic arenas surrounded by live fans and spectators. Born out of our experience developing the real time strategy game franchise, Age of Empires, Wildcard applies the "easy to pick up and play, takes a lifetime to master" formula as the foundation for a dynamic PvP, strategic action game, with thrilling real-time gameplay.

This upcoming Wildcard exhibition on February 23rd will pit members from the Discord community against Professional Streamers. Community members will participate in the event live, with real-time giveaways and air-dropped prizes - including allowlist opportunities for Wildcard’s upcoming MINT!

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Game 1: Community vs. Community 

Game 1 will feature two of Wildcard’s top community playtesters competing in a best two out of three Wildcard match. 

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Game 2: Streamer vs. Streamer 

Two of Web3’s top streamers go head to head.

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Game 3: Community vs. Streamer 

In the third and final match, the winning community playtester and the winning streamer challenge one another to a match that will determine whether Locke keeps his crown or Bolgar knocks it to the ground and re-captures the glory. 

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How to participate 

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The fun begins at 10am PST/12p CST/1p EST on February 23rd. For more information and to join in, visit wildcardgame.com/ex1. 

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See you in the arena on February 23rd!

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