NPC Labs, a gaming startup founded by former Coinbase Team, raises $18M to bring mainstream games to Web3

NPC Labs, a gaming platform founded by the former Base team behind Coinbase Layer 2, on Monday announced it has secured $18 million in a seed round led by Pantera Capital, bringing their total funding to $21 million, including pre-seed investments.

The round also saw participation from prominent investors like Makers Fund, Hashed, Collab+Currency, Sfermion, Mirana Ventures, Bitscale Capital, and Mantle EcoFund.

With this funding, NPC Labs aims to fast-track the development and onboarding of on-chain gaming as a key contributor to B3.fun, an innovative horizontally-scaled gaming ecosystem built on Coinbase’s Layer 2 network, Base.

NPC Labs’ dual focus with B3 is to provide web2 gaming developers the necessary infrastructure to transition on-chain and to create an engaging user experience with casual and hyper-casual games akin to Candy Crush or Monopoly Go! Currently in testnet, B3 is fully playable and gearing up for a broader launch.

Founded by the former business and ecosystem development team from Base, NPC Labs is set to turbocharge gaming on Coinbase’s Layer 2 network to bring mainstream games to Web3. This move aligns with Base’s mission to bring a billion users on-chain and to restore economic freedom for game creators and enthusiasts.

“In today’s hyper-competitive gaming world, developers struggle to bring their games to market. After years of development, they rely on publishers for support, marketing, and distribution, often giving up 70% of their proceeds and facing the risk of their game being pulled if it doesn’t generate enough revenue,” said Daryl Xu, NPC Labs Co-founder & CEO. “Players also risk losing their hard-earned consumables, cosmetics, and badges if publishing studios decide to drop the game. Our mission is simple: build fun games for everyone while making it easy for developers to benefit from being on-chain. We aim to put control back in the hands of game developers and gamers.”

Web2 game developers recognize the promise of on-chain gaming but often underestimate the complexities of building a protocol with sufficient liquidity and user base, along with the infrastructure demands for seamless gameplay. “Game-specific app chains end up siloing users, creating fragmented experiences with high barriers to entry,” said Viktoriya Hying, NPC Labs Co-founder & COO. “Imagine if every game required its own console and infrastructure. It’s impractical. Every gamer wants a single platform to play multiple games. B3 serves as that platform, providing the necessary infrastructure so developers can focus on delivering the best experience for their players.”

B3 features built-in chain abstraction, eliminating the need for users to bridge or switch networks. Currently in testnet, B3 initially supports games built on Ethereum, Base, and other EVM chains. Its proprietary and highly scalable technology stack allows for easy onboarding of games from other chains like Solana, offering users a seamless experience—just come in and play!

“Given the success and traction of Base, we were excited to partner with NPC Labs on their vision to elevate the Base ecosystem with B3,” said Franklin Bi, General Partner at Pantera Capital. “At Base, Daryl and Viktoriya championed many of the best teams in the ecosystem by deeply understanding their needs, especially in gaming and consumer applications. B3’s infrastructure and tools will bring a new dimension to Base, empowering developers to create great games and on-chain experiences for consumers.”