Animoca Brands Japan, a strategic subsidiary of Animoca Brands, has on Monday announced it has entered into a partnership with XANA LLC, the company behind the Web3 metaverse XANA.
Under this partnership, Animoca Brands Japan will support the global development of XANA BreakingDown (tentative name), a Web3 game currently launched in closed alpha that is being developed by XANA, based on the popular martial arts event BreakingDown, Animoca Brands said in a statement.
BreakingDown is a mixed arts event in Japan, with fighters from diverse backgrounds competing in one-minute rounds.
Launched in 2021 by Asakura Mirai, a mixed martial artist, businessman, and popular YouTuber with over 3.4 million subscribers, BreakingDown’s style has garnered significant attention, establishing itself as a highly entertaining event with a large fan base.
It also broadcasts a wide range of content, including audition videos, pre-competition press conferences, match livestreams, and behind-the-scenes footage.
The official BreakingDown Japanese YouTube channel now has over 206,000 subscribers and its videos have been watched over 110 million times.
XANA was the main sponsor of the martial arts competitive events BreakingDown 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5. and also launched the official “XANA x BreakingDown Avatar NFT” collection in collaboration with BreakingDown.
The first sale for this collection sold out 5,000 NFTs within 10 minutes, and the second sale sold out 100 NFTs in just 1 minute.
In January 2024, XANA released the closed alpha of the official BreakingDown Web3 game, tentatively named XANA BreakingDown and available exclusively to holders of XANA x BreakingDown Avatar NFTs.
Meanwhile, Animoca Brands Japan plays the role of gateway between Japan and the rest of the world, accelerating mass adoption of Web3 by supporting the global expansion of Japanese intellectual property (IP) and content in the Web3 domain, as well as the Japanese expansion of overseas projects.
The firm will leverage its position as a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, which has over 540 portfolio companies, and its expertise gained from previous partnerships to support global marketing efforts for XANA BreakingDown.
“XANA BreakingDown fuses the popular entertainment value of BreakingDown with XANA’s Web3 technology,
“The aim of this project is to elevate the appeal of the unique fighting entertainment of BreakingDown to the Web3 sphere,” said Yuji Mizoguchi, Chief Operating Officer of BreakingDown and Chief Executive Officer of XANA JAPAN.
“We are confident that our partnership with Animoca Brands Japan will be a strong catalyst at the intersection of fighting games and Web3, and we look forward to further accelerating the global expansion of BreakingDown events,” he added.
Rio Takeshi Kubo, XANA Chief Executive Officer, commented that ater a year and a half of development, XANA BreakingDown is available to the public.
“We are deeply honored to partner with Animoca Brands Japan to support the global expansion of the Web3 game of BreakingDown, a major Japanese IP that transcends the boundaries of martial arts. We have great respect for their passion and innovation,
“We are confident that Animoca Brands’ strong global network and track record will facilitate the global success of this project and further expand the remarkable possibilities of Web3,” he added.
Kensuke Amo, Chief Executive Officer of Animoca Brands Japan, commented he is delighted to be able to support the global Web3 expansion of BreakingDown, one of Japan’s largest martial arts events.
“Animoca Brands Japan supports the global expansion of Japanese IP and content in Web3 to better connect Japan and the world,
“BreakingDown is a well known Japanese IP with a large and enthusiastic fanbase, and we believe it presents an excellent opportunity to accelerate mass adoption of Web3,” he added.
XANA is a global artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Layer-1 infrastructure for the metaverse, empowering billions to engage in a seamless Web3.0 cross-reality economy.
The platform is used by over 100 major institutions, local governments, global brands, and top IPs.
Founded in 2021, Animoca Brands Japan is a global Web3 company which was established to support the global Web3 strategies of Japanese intellectual property and content holders such as major publishers, brands, education, sports teams, athletes, artists, and game companies.
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