United States-based next-generation blockchain gaming studio Mythical Games on Thursday announced a partnership with Kakao Games, South Korea’s leading publisher of online and mobile games, for Asia Pacific (APAC) expansion.

Moving forward, Mythical will integrate and support the BORANETWORK – an affiliate of Kakao Games and its proprietary blockchain and layer 2 ecosystem – as both entities continue their expansion in Asia, both parties said in a statement.

Mythical Games’ Web3 ecosystem allows players, creators, and artists to enjoy a frictionless gaming experience through ownership of a digital game collection.

Earlier this month, the firm announced a first-of-its kind partnership with the NFL to release the league’s first blockchain-based game. Its flagship game, Blankos Block Party, recently partnered with fashion brand Burberry and electronic music artist Deadmau5.

In addition to the integration, Mythical will be joining BORA’s node validator and governance committee, a major milestone for both parties as they continue to expand to global markets.

“We are thrilled to be joining the BORA node validator and governance committee. We see BORA not only as a next-generation blockchain, but also as a leader in bringing entertainment to Web3 in Korea – giving them a unique edge that no other protocol has. With Mythical’s expansion into Seoul earlier this year, we are keen to strategically align with leaders in the region,” said Rudy Koch, Co-Founder at Mythical Games.

Mythical is a next-generation games technology company creating a Web3 gaming ecosystem by leveraging blockchain technology and playable non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for tools that enable players, creators, artists, brands, and game developers to become stakeholders and owners in new “play and own” game economies.

Led by gaming industry veterans, the team specializes in building games around player-owned economies and has helped develop major franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Marvel Strike Force, and Skylanders.

Mythical Platform protects gamers that may be new to blockchain through a custodial wallet for their digital items, while allowing advanced players the freedom to link their own wallets via bridges between the Mythical Chain and public mainnets.

With its “gamers-first” focus, the Mythical Platform ensures players don’t need to dive into the intricacies of blockchain to enjoy ownership of their digital collections and have a great game experience.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Mythical Games and welcome their onboarding on BORA. Mythical Games is a pioneer and visionary in Web3 building ‘play and own’ game economies,” and added, “We will explore cross-promotion opportunities and potential collaborations in order to create synergy between each platform,” said BORANETWORK Chief Business Officer Young-joon Lim.

Founded in 2016, Kakao Games is responsible for publishing a variety of games, including Krafton’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (available in Korea), Kong Studios’ Guardian Tales (available in Korea, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania), XL Games’ Moonlight Sculptor (available in Korea, North America, Europe, and Taiwan), and its newest addition, Lion Heart Studio’s ‘Odin: Valhalla Rising’ (available in Korea and Taiwan).

Kakao Games is expanding its business to the blockchain market and Web3 gaming ecosystem.

METABORA is an affiliate of Kakao Games and the parent company of BORANETWORK focused on game development and blockchain-based gaming ecosystems. Its portfolio includes mobile games such as ‘Friends Popcorn,’ ‘Friends Town,’ and ‘Friends Shot’ based on Kakao Friends intellectual property (IP).

METABORA is expanding its platform beyond traditional gaming to focus on the development of blockchain technology and the metaverse.

Kakao-backed blockchain platform Klaytn inks five key partnerships for global expansion