Community Gaming Raises $16M in SoftBank-Led Round to Expand Crypto Esports

The competitive gaming platform is expanding into Latin America and Southeast Asia.

AccessTimeIconApr 7, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 7:15 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Community Gaming has closed a $16 million Series A funding round led by SoftBank Group’s SB Opportunity Fund. The funding will help drive the company’s expansion into Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank launched the $5 billion fund in 2019. A $3 billion follow-up fund was launched in September.

  • Earn Alliance CEO on Helping Gamers Discover Web3
    17:22
    Earn Alliance CEO on Helping Gamers Discover Web3
  • Web3 Gaming Market Still Growing in 2023: Game7 Data
    01:21
    Web3 Gaming Market Still Growing in 2023: Game7 Data
  • State of Web3 Gaming in 2023
    08:11
    State of Web3 Gaming in 2023
  • Metaverse-Focused Gala Games to Airdrop Version 2 Tokens in May
    05:55
    Metaverse-Focused Gala Games to Airdrop Version 2 Tokens in May
  • “North America will still be our biggest market,” Chris Gonsalves, CEO of Community Gaming, told CoinDesk in an interview. “But we’re seeing the most organic growth in Latin America.”

    Community Gaming is a platform that lets gamers create their own esports tournaments and gaming competitions for any game they like. Web 3 is baked into the equation through blockchain-based sign-ups and instant payments. Earlier this year, the Community Gaming platform reached 100,000 unique registered users, the company said.

    Other participants in the funding round included Animoca Brands, Binance Labs, BITKRAFT Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners and CoinFund, among others.

    Later this quarter, Community Gaming will launch a “Quests” feature that rewards users for time spent on the platform rather than just paying the top winners of an esports tournament. It’s a variation on this season’s “play-to-earn” trend.

    “You could think of it like a loyalty system or a retention system where you’ll be able to complete quests every single day that earn you small amounts of money,” said Gonsalves, describing the new model.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Brandy Betz

    Brandy covered crypto-related venture capital deals for CoinDesk.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.