Yuga Labs Acquires Roar Studios to Expand Metaverse Vision

Yuga Labs, the web3 company known for its association with Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), CryptoPunks, Meebits, 10KTF, and Otherside, has announced its agreement to acquire Roar Studios, a firm at the intersection of gaming, social media, and the metaverse with deep technology and AI roots. The announcement was made on July 31, 2023.

Key Details of the Acquisition

Roar Studios' Contribution: Roar Studios is the developer of ROAR, an immersive media experience that allows artists and fans to connect, collaborate, and compete in real time. The platform combines innovative proprietary technology with established MMO game and platform systems, creating an experiential, semi-autonomous music and entertainment world.

Integration with Yuga Labs: As Yuga Labs develops Otherside, its ambitious, interoperable metaverse, the Roar team will contribute their innovative technology, specialized expertise, and leadership. The acquisition aligns with Yuga's vision of creating new ways for communities to connect and express themselves.

Leadership Changes: Eric Reid, Founder and CEO of Roar Studios, will join Yuga as the General Manager of Otherside. He will be responsible for evolving the vision and leading the development and production of the platform.

Yuga Labs' Background: Yuga Labs has been shaping the future through storytelling, experiences, and community in the web3 space. Since their launch in April 2021, they have made headlines for releasing IP licenses to their NFT holders, acquiring rights to other top collections, and making web3 history with Otherside. In March 2022, Yuga Labs raised a $450M seed round at a $4B valuation.

Statements from the Companies

Daniel Alegre, CEO of Yuga Labs, stated, "Roar Studios has redefined what it means to experience media content in the metaverse. Roar's dedication to creative content creation and social connections will accelerate our execution of our bold vision for Otherside and Yuga's ecosystem more broadly."

Eric Reid added, "Our team's mission is to empower players to create and be social in a community-driven, open media experience, so our work fundamentally aligns with Yuga's larger web3 metaverse strategy. When Daniel and Mike Seavers opened the door for us to contribute to Yuga's paradigm-shifting approach to content and immersive experiences, we jumped at the opportunity."

The acquisition of Roar Studios by Yuga Labs signifies a strategic move to enhance Yuga's metaverse offerings and leverage Roar's technological innovations. By integrating Roar's immersive media experience and aligning with Yuga's web3 metaverse strategy, the collaboration aims to redefine the way media content is experienced in the virtual world. The addition of Eric Reid to Yuga's leadership team further strengthens the company's vision for Otherside and its broader ecosystem.