Animoca Brands forms partnership with gaming startup Untamed Planet to protect nature

Animoca Brands keeps expanding as it formed a partnership through its subsidiary nWay with Untamed Planet to co-create a game to benefit nature conservation efforts.

The game "Untamed Metaverse" is the result of a US$24.3 million Series A funding led by Animoca Brands. "Untamed Metaverse" is a 3D immersive experience in which players will be able to explore a digital twin of the world’s most amazing wild landscapes, participate in quests, collect NFT assets, and form communities passionate about protecting nature, all of which will directly benefit nature conservation efforts in the real world. Untamed Planet digitises wildlife ecosystems and creates nature-based experiences through which engagement in the digital world directly benefits conservation in the real world.

Untamed Planet also leveraged the “play-to-protect” model in its first game built on the Roblox platform. The game has generated 30 million plays since the launch in early 2021. Using the proceeds from in-game transactions, the game has already funded the adoption of a Black Rhino calf in Kenya and supported rangers protecting the Eastern Lowland Gorillas of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We are extremely proud to work with Untamed Planet to support a project that is both a good cause and an extremely promising open metaverse development. We look forward to advancing the ways in which technology can drive nature conservation," said Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands.

Moreover, the first NFT collection from Untamed Planet will be minted on Solana, a Proof of Stake (PoS) protocol with high energy efficiency. According to the company, on average, one transaction on Solana uses less energy than three Google searches. Minting an NFT on Solana uses less than a third of the energy of keeping a LED light on for one hour, and less than a quarter of the energy required to charge an iPhone 13.

The collection consists of animal avatars based on the work of photographer David Yarrow, who has donated six of his original wildlife photos. The NFTs will be for sale in May. All proceeds will be donated to wildlife conservation efforts.

The company uses Web3 technology to build sustainable sources of donations for nature while providing play-to-earn and play-to-protect opportunities for Untamed Planet community members. All blockchain projects, including Untamed Metaverse, will prioritise energy efficiency and sustainability. A core element of Untamed Planet’s mission is its commitment to “50% profit share for Nature”, whereby the company donates, invests, or distributes a minimum of half of each project’s profits to on the ground conservation initiatives and the local communities supporting them. Some projects within the Untamed Planet ecosystem allot over 50% and up to 100% of all proceeds to conservation.

“What excites me about the Untamed Planet mission is the opportunity to merge mainstream gaming with the new prospects that Web3 enables for digital ownership by players in order to drive real-world conservation - this project is epic. We couldn’t have hoped for better partners than Animoca Brands and nWay," said Scott Bandy, studio head of Untamed Planet.

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