In 2018, as cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology surged into the mainstream, a group of seasoned game industry veterans saw an opportunity to rethink how players interact with their favourite pastime.
Mythical Games emerged with a bold vision: to create high-quality games where players could own their in-game assets through blockchain. This meant players could collect, trade, and sell digital items—something previously difficult to implement in a meaningful way.
Founded in Los Angeles by former Activision executives and other industry leaders, Mythical quickly positioned itself at the forefront of web3 gaming, capturing the attention of a growing audience eager for the next evolution of play.
Key Insights
- Founded by ex-Activision leaders, Mythical Games empowers players to truly own in-game assets
- The company secured significant investments, quickly becoming a “unicorn” with a valuation over $1 billion
- The Mythical Platform abstracts blockchain complexity, letting players sign up with just an email
- Blankos Block Party became the first blockchain game on the Epic Games Store
- Titles like NFL Rivals and FIFA Rivals show Mythical’s strategy of combining blockchain with global brands
Source: Blankos Block PartyIndustry Veterans with a Bold Vision
Mythical was founded by a powerhouse team. CEO John Linden was previously a studio head at Activision and founder of Seismic Games. Chief Creative Officer Jamie Jackson also held leadership roles at Activision, having worked on blockbuster titles like Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and Skylanders.
They were joined by Rudy Koch (Business Development) and Chris Downs (Infrastructure), both of whom brought deep AAA development experience—critical in an industry where blockchain games were still finding their footing.
Over time, the leadership team expanded to include Arron Goolsbey (COO), Kasper Mai Jørgensen (CFO), and Jung Suh (CBO), helping guide the company through its next phase of growth.
Rapid-Fire Fundraising and Unicorn Status
Mythical quickly gained investor interest:
- 2018: $16M seed round
- 2019: $19M in additional funding
- 2021: $75M Series B
- 2021: $150M Series C led by Andreessen Horowitz, reaching a $1.25B valuation
- 2023: Another $37M raised during the crypto downturn, albeit at a slightly lower valuation
Their investor list is a who’s-who of traditional tech, crypto, and sports—featuring names like D1 Capital, Binance, Jonathan Kraft, and Michael Jordan. Hitting unicorn status in under three years signalled serious belief in their blockchain-enabled gaming model.
Source: Nitro Nation: World TourReinventing Game Economics with the Mythical Platform
At the core of Mythical’s ecosystem is the Mythical Platform, which handles all blockchain operations behind the scenes—NFT creation, asset trading, wallet management—so developers can focus on gameplay.
The platform simplifies onboarding: players can start playing with just an email, whilst all blockchain transactions happen in the background.
In 2022, Mythical launched the Mythos Foundation to further decentralise governance. The $MYTH token powers marketplace transactions and gives holders voting rights in ecosystem decisions.
Originally built on Ethereum-based tech, Mythical migrated to Polkadot in 2023—aiming for faster, cheaper, and more scalable operations across networks.
Breaking Ground in Web3 Gaming
Blankos Block Party
Source: Mythical GamesBlankos Block Party marked Mythical’s first big move. Launching in open beta in 2020, the game let players collect, customise, and play as digital vinyl toy NFTs called Blankos.
In 2022, it became the first blockchain game featured on the Epic Games Store. Collaborations with Burberry and Deadmau5 boosted its visibility, turning certain Blankos into sought-after collectibles.
But sustaining long-term interest proved difficult. By late 2023, Mythical shut down the PC version and shifted its focus to mobile—highlighting both the promise and pitfalls of early web3 gaming.
NFL Rivals
Source: Mythical GamesReleased in April 2023, NFL Rivals gave players the chance to act as General Managers, collecting and managing NFL players as NFT cards.
The game reinforced Mythical’s belief in seamless blockchain integration: users could play without understanding NFTs, but those who wanted to engage with ownership could do so. The result? Nearly 1 million downloads in its first month and #1 rankings in sports and action categories on the App Store.
By early 2024, the game had 5M+ players and over 1M active wallets, sustained by regular updates and seasonal drops—like Super Bowl-themed cards.
Nitro Nation: World Tour
Source: Mythical GamesIn partnership with Creative Mobile, Mythical introduced blockchain mechanics to the Nitro Nation racing series. Launched in 2023, the game let players race and customise NFT-based cars.
With over 65 licensed vehicles from brands like Aston Martin and Jaguar, the game stood out by merging blockchain with a proven franchise.
It demonstrated how web3 elements could complement, not disrupt, established gameplay experiences.
Expanding the Ecosystem
Mythical continues to grow its portfolio with new games and collaborations:
- Epic Spell Wars: Magic Fight – A digital card battler based on Cryptozoic’s cult series, with NFT mechanics baked into card ownership.
- Pudgy Party – Set to release in 2025, this party game taps into the massive popularity of the Pudgy Penguins NFT brand.
- FIFA Rivals – Launched in early June 2025, the game expands on the NFL Rivals model to bring blockchain gaming to football (soccer) fans globally.
These projects underscore Mythical’s cross-sector strategy: from traditional sports to NFT-native communities, they aim to bridge mainstream culture with blockchain tech.
Source: Mythical GamesChallenges and Growing Pains
Web3’s volatility has not spared Mythical.
In late 2022, co-founder Rudy Koch and two other execs left to form Fenix Games—prompting Mythical to file a lawsuit alleging they took proprietary plans. The dispute was settled by early 2024, but it highlighted internal friction during rapid scaling.
The broader crypto downturn also hit hard with Mythical laying off around 15% of its workforce in 2023, shifting from an aggressive growth phase to a more sustainable trajectory.
The shutdown of Blankos’ PC version reflected another sobering truth: novelty alone isn’t enough to keep players engaged. Mythical’s quick pivot to mobile shows a willingness to adapt, but also the tough reality of sustaining web3 interest.
Source: Mythical GamesCan Mythical Games shape the future of gaming?
Mythical Games has made significant strides in pushing blockchain into mainstream gaming. With high-profile partnerships, major funding, and a growing game lineup, the company continues to champion digital ownership in gaming.
But challenges remain. Web3 tech must become even more invisible to users, gameplay needs to evolve past the “NFT novelty” phase, and regulatory uncertainty looms large.
Still, Mythical has already moved the needle. They’ve brought blockchain games to platforms like Epic, worked with brands like the NFL and FIFA, and built a fully-fledged ecosystem that others now look to as a model.
No one knows if web3 gaming will go fully mainstream—but if it does, Mythical will likely have played a defining role.
