Rising GCC-based Game Developer Sooqista Studios Seeks Partnerships and Investment for Upcoming Release Fractalians Sooqista Studios, an independent game development company headquartered in Kuwait, has announced that it is searching for industry partners and investments as it gears for a commercial release of its web3 multiplayer action role-playing game Fractalians.
By Nial King
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Sooqista Studios, an independent game development company headquartered in Kuwait, has announced that it is searching for industry partners and investments as it gears for a commercial release of its web3 multiplayer action role-playing game Fractalians.
Founded in 2019 by Talal Alhabib and Jasem Dashti, Sooqista initially developed hypercasual games, creating more than 40 prototypes for several global publishers. In 2022, Sooqista joined the F100 hackathon organized by Fractal.is, a "digital arcade" distributing various web3 games. Fractal.is was founded by several tech industry leaders, including Justin Kan from Twitch, Robin Chan from Zynga, and Dan Borstelmann from Google.
Sooqista created Fractalians as its hackathon, and it was named one of the top six games of the competition, also winning the community vote award. Following this achievement, Sooqista decided to focus on developing Fractalians, which is currently in its alpha stage, and eventually release it commercially for both mobile and PC, with cross-platform gameplay compatibility.
At its core, Fractalians is an action RPG, but it will be expanded to involve multiple game modes, such as first-person shooter. It is a cooperative player-versus-environment game, with player-versus-player functionality to be incorporated in the future. According to Alhabib, one of Fractalians' most innovative features is that it uses web3 and blockchain technology to give players ownership of their character's skins and equipment. This will allow a true secondary economy for these virtual items to emerge.
However, unlike other games where the NFT aspect is the primary draw, Alhabib says that Sooqista is focusing primarily on making the game as engaging as possible via story, graphics, and gameplay. This will help gamers who are new to web3 and NFT games gain an appreciation for this space without burdening them with jargon and complicated technological concepts. Community is another major aspect of the game. Before joining a game server, players can stop by the in-game community hub and interact with their fellow players through chat or voice.
Sooqista is a game developer homegrown in the Middle East region, giving it unparalleled knowledge and access to one of the most promising growth regions for gaming in the world. Three Middle Eastern countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt – are expected to generate a combined $3.14 billion in games revenue by 2025. The region has also played host to large esports events, such as the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
To date, the company has been bootstrapped by its founders, and it is currently valued at around $35 million. According to Alhabib, Sooqista is looking for an investment of $5 million for its first seed round, and it will soon release a token to facilitate the funding. The amount raised will be used to expand Sooqista's team, bolstering its design, programming, and marketing capabilities.
Alhabib adds that the ideal investor is an individual or organization that is familiar with the gaming and web3 industries and understands how these operate. He explains that creating games at an AAA level takes significant time and resources, and investors should be supportive of the process instead of rushing to get their returns.
"We want somebody who understands the realities of gaming and can give us the flexibility to be creative," Alhabib says. "We believe that game development is an art and that it's not only about funding and money. Sooqista Studios is looking forward to working with like-minded individuals and organizations to bring into reality Fractalians, which represents an advancement in the web3 action RPG space."