Transcend is excited to share news of our lead investment in the oversubscribed Seed Round for Ruckus Games, a leading AAA PC/console developer headquartered in Frisco, Texas.
The Transcend team, in prior operating roles, identified significant, growing demand for next generation PC/console games all the way back in 2016. Our thesis then was relatively straightforward - next generation connected consoles were inbound, Microsoft was pushing aggressively into subscriptions with their Game Pass offering, Microsoft was connecting Xbox to PC and there simply was not enough AAA PC/console game content available to fill the ‘shelves.’
Today, the opportunity for PC/console games remains massive. Newzoo expects these platforms to collectively generate $91Bn in revenue worldwide, approximately the same size as the market for mobile games. Covid-related supply chain issues on the hardware side are ameliorating. We maintain the future remains bright for PC/console game developers and are actively cutting checks to the very best teams. Ruckus Games is one of those teams.
Ruckus was founded in August 2021 by veteran developers formerly of Gearbox Software and Riot Games. The 7-person co-founding team has been instrumental in the creation and success of the Borderlands IP, Elder Scrolls Online and collectively have made over 25 games across multiple platforms that have grossed in the $-billions. The team brings decades of development and leadership experience in design, art and technology. Their focus at Ruckus is on cooperative gaming, emergent gameplay, stylized and unique characters, and player agency. The player is our hero.
“When we were looking at making a studio and Ruckus’ first game,” said Paul Sage, CEO of Ruckus Games Inc. “we wanted to bring the creative risk-taking we see in independent studios into the gaming mainstream, giving our developers a much-needed voice in the industry they’ve helped to build. That benefits players when we do it right – they get to play something unique, filled with passion, and chock-full of stupid amounts of fun. What could be better?”
"Ruckus Games is redefining emergent multiplayer gameplay without pulling any punches on their creative and technical excellence,” said Andrew Sheppard of the Transcend Fund. “We are excited to partner with CEO Paul Sage, a proven studio leader and creative, and his talented team to bring their multi-game production vision to life."
About Transcend Fund
Transcend is a top performing early stage venture capital firm that partners with the boldest founders in the industry to collaboratively build the future of interactive entertainment.
Founded in San Francisco by gaming veterans, the Transcend portfolio features a preeminent group of high growth digital entertainment companies around the world.
More information about Transcend can be found on our website. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news from around the Transcend ecosystem.
About Andrew Sheppard
Andrew is a strategist and seasoned executive focused on helping founders grow.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience building, managing and advising multi-billion dollar consumer businesses. Past employers include EA, Gamespot, Kabam and GREE. Andrew serves on the Board of Directors for Nexters and Rakuten Games. He has direct experience working in online media, social media game services, subscriptions, free-to-play, console games, online/PC games, mobile games and apps. His current focus areas include cross-platform games, Web3 and digital identities and communities.
Andrew is excited to put capital to work in service of companies that are passionate about reinventing the game.
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