🎮 Another AAA Web3 Challenger Enters the Arena

[ed]

1/
New studio just raised $30.5M (led by Bitkraft + Brevan Howard Digital) to build a next-gen PvPvE shooter on Tezos L2: Etherlink.

At the helm? John Smedley (EverQuest, Planetside 2, H1Z1).
Team creds include: Sony, Amazon, Riot, Blizzard, Ubisoft, Epic.

2/
The Setup

World = Marova Island.

You = “Reapers” → elite operatives.

Gameplay = bases, territorial warfare, resource extraction.

Mode = PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Environment).

Think: Valorant + Planetside + blockchain-driven economies.

3/
️ Why Etherlink?

L2 tailored for gaming (fast, scalable, invisible UX).

Robust smart contracts for complex economies.

Sustainability + permanence when it counts.

“Infra should feel invisible until it matters.” – Efe Kucuk, Trilitech.

4/
Digital Ownership
Reapers will trade:

Characters

Bases

Skins

Craftables

All powered via the Reaper Actual Ecosystem + Etherlink.
Player-driven content → player-driven economy.

5/
Community Vision
Arthur Breitman (Tezos co-founder) summed it up:

“Holy smokes, it’s the EverQuest guy with an AAA team… building with AI + immersive world.”

The bet = empower players with tools + ownership = stronger, stickier community.

6/
Launch & Early Access

Platforms: Steam, Epic Games Store, Official Site.

Foundation phase (pre-alpha) coming in weeks.

Early access + tradable on-chain items will roll out then.

7/
Macro View

Web3 gaming is evolving past P2E gimmicks.

Infra (like Etherlink) makes digital ownership seamless.

AAA teams w/ $30M+ war chests = serious competition to legacy studios.

8/
️ Takeaway
Reaper Actual isn’t just another “crypto game.”
It’s:

AAA pedigree.

PvPvE innovation.

Ownership-first economy.

Built on Tezos L2.

The “Foundation” pre-alpha will tell us if this is the real deal… or just another hype cycle.

[Nahid10]

This looks like the exact kind of leap Web3 gaming has been waiting for. Too many projects in the past leaned on tokenomics before gameplay — but here you’ve got John Smedley, the EverQuest and Planetside brain, steering a team of AAA veterans with a serious $30M+ war chest. Pairing that pedigree with Etherlink’s gaming-focused L2 infra feels like a strong match: invisible UX for casuals, robust ownership and economies for the hardcore. If they can actually deliver seamless PvPvE with player-driven economies, this could be one of the first Web3 shooters that competes head-to-head with legacy titles.

[jacson4]

What excites me most isn’t just the shooter aspect, but the way they’re structuring ownership. Bases, skins, craftables, even characters — all tradable and tied to Etherlink’s ecosystem. That means the grind and creativity players put in will finally have permanence and value, instead of being locked in a closed system. Combine that with the PvPvE model (Valorant skill + Planetside scale + survival elements), and you get a formula that’s both competitive and sticky. This isn’t “play-to-earn,” it’s “play-and-own.” The Foundation pre-alpha will be the litmus test, but if it plays well, this could become the poster child for AAA Web3 adoption.