Having made a name for itself creating virtual reality (VR) titles like RollerCoaster Legends II: Thor’s Hammer and Sneaky Bears, Irish studio WarDucks is now looking towards augmented reality (AR) development, having secured $3.8 million USD in a recent funding round.
In a funding round led by EQT Ventures, with Suir Valley Ventures and several others also involved, WarDucks will be using the investment to grow its team and fund development of its first AR title. The team expansion has already begun, with veterans such as John Romero (co-creator of Doom and Quake) on board as a creative consultant, ZeniMax lead content designer Lawrence Schick has been chosen as lead narrative designer (Elder Scrolls Online, Dungeons & Dragons), and Doug Kaufman (Civilization II) is lead game designer.
“There’s a huge opportunity in AR location-based mobile gaming, which combines the local appeal of real-world maps with engaging gameplay,” said Nikki Lannen, CEO and founder of WarDucks, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with EQT Ventures as we race towards the launch of our location-based AR game as the team’s extensive mobile gaming experience will be invaluable on the next phase of our journey. The fact that we’ve also had so many top gaming executives from around the world join our team is testament to the talent and vision of the team we’ve currently got in place.”
Currently, WarDucks hasn’t released any details regarding its new AR title, whether it’ll be a new IP or leveraging one of the company’s existing properties.
“WarDucks is a strong, proven games studio with an impressive team of passionate game experts ready to take on this rapidly growing genre of mobile gaming,” Lars Jörnow, partner at EQT Ventures adds. “We believe that WarDucks’ next title will engage players all over the world and become a popular franchise. The EQT Ventures team is excited to partner with Nikki and the team on this journey with our in-house gaming expertise.”
As further details surface regarding WarDucks plans to enter the AR scene are revealed, VRFocus will keep you updated.