Party Icons raises $9M for mobile-1st gaming platform

Party Icons, a mobile-first gaming platform with three fully playable modes, said it has raised $9 million in funding despite market headwinds.

This significant investment underscores strong institutional confidence in Party Icons’ potential to revolutionize the gaming landscape with its innovative gameplay design and open ecosystem, powered by its unique “Party-as-a-Service” live operations model and integrated Web3 infrastructure, the company said.

Bitkraft Ventures led the round, bringing Party Icons’ total funding to $20 million. Other investors include IDG Capital, Gam3Girl Ventures, Leap Capital, Mantle Network, King River Capital, Mask Network, Yield Guild Games, Zentry, 32-Bit Ventures, Ed3n Ventures, Palm Drive Capital and individual investors Sebastien Borget, cofounder of Sandbox, and Cristian Manea, a Web3 angel.

“Party Icons is designed to offer more than just traditional gameplay,” said Sim, Party Icons CEO, in a statement. “Our vision is to create a space where players can not only enjoy compelling game mechanics but also participate in a thriving, player-driven economy. This funding round will enable us to push theboundaries of what’s possible in gaming today.”

The money from this round will accelerate the development of Party Icons’ diverse gaming and social experiences, expand Web3-enabled functionalities and infrastructure, and fuel its global expansion into key markets in 2025.

Bitkraft principal Jonathan Huang said in a statement, “Party Icons is on an ambitious mission to blend the social glue of party games with the intensity of extraction shooters, creating a next-gen, verticalized UGCplatform made possible only through clever integration of Web3 technology. We have been highly impressed with the team’s masterful ability to dual wield Web2 game design with Web3 token-unlocked features, and we couldn’t be more excited to lead this round. ”

Quick sessions and deep progression

The company said it designed its games for the modern player. When players first enter Party Icons, they arrive on Miragio, a fully customizable interactive island that serves as the lobby of the Partyverse.

Miragio is home to entertainment facilities, social hubs, marketplaces, and portals to the various game modes. Currently, three distinct modes are available, with more on the way, each offering a unique experience tailored to different styles of gameplay.

The core game mode, Party Heist, pits four teams of two against each other in whimsical maps for a high- stakes party royale experience with an extraction shooter mechanism. Extraction gameplay offers multiplepaths to victory and strategic depth—whether securing treasures and extracting early, hunting downenemies and bosses for bigger rewards, or ambushing others at extraction points.

“It’s important to note that our approach to Party Heist is not about competing with the heavily tactical shooters out there; the key word here is ‘party,’” Sim said.

Party Brawl shifts the pace to a 3v3 team deathmatch, where action and teamwork unfold rapidly acrossnew maps, delivering intense, adrenaline-fueled shootouts. Meanwhile, Carnival Clash offers a morelighthearted experience, featuring over 25 familiar party games that are easy to pick up for quick, casualfun.

All game modes are designed with modern gaming habits in mind, with most sessions lasting under 12minutes—reflecting today’s “bite-sized” entertainment trend. Players take on the roles of Hero Icons,characters inspired by art toys and pop culture, equipped with narrative-driven combat abilities andupgradeable Party Talents and weapons.

Higher-rarity Hero Icons and weapons, earned through gameplay and minted on-chain, also serve as key assets for mining within the Partyverse. This combination of fast-paced gameplay and character progression delivers both instant gratification and long-term depth for modern gamers.

God mode

Beyond the three game modes lies a fourth, secret mode—God Mode. Accessible only to OGX̅ NFTholders, God Mode introduces a twist.

Inspired by Squid Game, Hunger Games, and the original Japanese film Battle Royale, OGX̅ holders—Partyverse’s genesis PFP collection—assume the role of all-powerful game masters who exist beyond the arena.

These gods wield immense power to alter the course of gameplay, dropping valuable loot, reshaping the battlefield, and influencing outcomes with strategic precision or reckless abandon. Their unpredictable nature keeps the competition thrilling and dynamic, giving all players—regardless of skill level—a chance at victory.

“OGX̅, or Orsus Grandis X̅, is Latin for ‘ten thousand great beginnings.’ They are up to no good and lie atthe heart of Partyverse lore,” Sim said. “With God Mode, we challenge gamers with the idea of ‘Play, orBe Played.’ This mode lends itself perfectly to interactive live-stream content, bringing a new dimension ofengagement for players and spectators alike.”

In Party Icons, players can step into the role of the hero, the familiar protagonist in battle royale games, or embrace the power of the God. The game also introduces a third, innovative role—the Spectator.

Spectators will have the ability to actively engage during live streams, interacting with both Gods and thegame world itself. Using cutting-edge technology, Party Icons will enable spectators to influencegameplay in real time, adding a new layer of interactivity and immersion. This feature is expected to rollout in 2025, with testing already underway in collaboration with select streaming platforms.

Party-as-a-Service

Party Icons introduces Party-as-a-Service (PaaS), an evolution of the traditional game-as-a-service model that decentralizes live operations and economic interest. Instead of developers controlling every aspect of the game, Party Icons empowers guilds, streamers, whales, and players to engage with the game in ways that best suit their needs.

Mirship NFTs, available by invitation or application, enable holders to create Mirship Clubs within PartyIcons, giving them access to a dashboard that allows them to organize events and tournaments, leverageplayer data, and manage their club members’ in-game experiences. With built-in tools and data analytics,guilds can tailor experiences to their community’s needs, democratizing e-sports and allowing moreplayers—not just the elite few—to engage in competitive gaming.

Gabby Dizon, founder of YGG, said in a statement, “As we bring more users and communities on-chain, platforms like Party Icons are a great way to show how they can own part of an economy while having fun in a game with their friends. Through the YGG Mirship, the guilds in YGG can have a new meeting place in the metaverse to play together and share rewards.”

By fully integrating Web3 technology into gameplay, Party Icons creates a safe, open ecosystem wheredigital assets have real-world value. From in-game loot airdrops to the influence of God Mode, everyplayer has a meaningful role in the ecosystem. This decentralized live ops model transforms players frompassive consumers into active operators, empowering them to take ownership of the game’s success.

A future vision for gaming

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, Party Icons stands at the forefront, pioneering a new era of player-driven economies and decentralized live operations. Bolstered by this recent funding round, the team will continue to innovate in both gameplay and monetization, guided by their faith in the impact ofdecentralized ownership.

IGG Capital, an early investor in Coinbase and a leading international VC, said in a statement, “We fully believe in the future of gaming, and we’re confident in Party Icons’ ability to lead this revolution.”