One of the highlights for VRFocus at Gamescom 2018 was BigBox VR’s debut of battle royale title Population: ONE. The studio recently revealed that it has secured $5 million USD in a seed funding round towards development.
The round was led by Shasta Ventures, with additional funding secured from GSR Ventures and Pioneer Square Labs Ventures. Jacob Mullins, a partner at Shasta Ventures, joined the board of directors. This brings BigBox VR’s total funding to $6.45 million.
“We’re excited to team up with partners who believe in accelerating VR online games and esports,” said Chia Chin Lee, BigBox VR’s CEO and co-founder in a statement. “It takes boldness to build products and communities that define emerging platforms, and we have the perfect team and investors to bring that vision to life.”
Currently in private beta, Population: ONE aims to build upon the success of Bigbox VR’s first virtual reality (VR) videogame, Smashbox Arena. You’ll be able to climb, fly and build with up to 24 other players in a match, with cross-play compatibility for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
VRFocus noted in its preview: “At present any VR fans who find themselves torn away from their headsets to play Fortnite but long for some immersive battle royale action should now pay attention to Population: ONE.”
“It was an easy choice to back the BigBox VR team, who have a history of success in key technology platform shifts,” said Jacob Mullins, partner at Shasta Ventures. “They are taking a true, native VR approach to product and user interaction for their upcoming game, POPULATION: ONE, which epitomizes the future of social engagement in virtual digital worlds. More than just a game in the broadest sense, it can evolve into a community that exists beyond the game environment.”
Population: ONE is scheduled for launch in 2019. For those that want to join the beta head to the official website for details. As further announcements are made VRFocus will keep you updated.