Thomas Wilde
Thomas Wilde is a journalist and editor who has worked in the gaming press since 2002, notably serving as the editor for DoubleJump Books.
Pluto VR launches PlutoSphere Early Access to stream PC VR to Quest headsets without a PC
Seattle startup Pluto VR has launched PlutoSphere into Early Access, a streaming platform that lets Oculus Quest and Quest 2 headsets run PC VR apps without a local computer by streaming from the cloud. The service requires 5 GHz Wi‑Fi 6, ~50 Mbps bandwidth, sub-100ms ping to an AWS region, and supports Steam, Epic and Oculus libraries while aiming to expand headset support.
Rec Room raises $145M led by Coatue, valuing the Seattle VR startup at $3.5B
Seattle-based Rec Room raised $145 million in a funding round led by Coatue Management, bringing its valuation to $3.5 billion after a prior $100 million raise in March 2021; the cross-platform social VR app saw rapid user growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AccelByte raises $10M Series A led by Galaxy Interactive to power backend for live-service multiplayer games
Seattle startup AccelByte, founded in 2016, raised $10 million in a Series A led by Galaxy Interactive to provide backend tools and scalable architecture for multiplayer "live service" games. Investors also include NetEase, KRAFTON, and Dreamhaven, and AccelByte counts partners like Bandai Namco, Gearbox, and Stray Bombay.
ProbablyMonsters raises $200M Series A to expand Bellevue studios and fund long-term developer careers
Seattle-based ProbablyMonsters, founded by ex-Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, raised $200 million in a Series A to grow its network of studios and provide long-term, people-first employment for game developers. The funding — reportedly the largest Series A ever for a video game company — will support hiring, live operations, community engagement and stability beyond single AAA projects.
Starform, founded by ex-Z2 vets, raises $5M seed led by BITKRAFT to grow Seattle studio and fund 5v5 arena game
Seattle game studio Starform raised $5 million in a seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures to advance its closed-beta 5v5 arena PC/mobile game and build a second internal team; the studio was founded in 2018 by former Z2 employees and now has 11 staff. Starform will hire more developers and focus on social-play experiences, with the second team's project to be chosen later if it can support a 5–10 year lifecycle and global appeal.
Polyarc announces Moss: Book II sequel during Sony State of Play, continuing Quill’s VR adventure
Seattle studio Polyarc announced Moss: Book II, a direct sequel to its 2018 VR adventure revealed during Sony’s State of Play; the game continues Quill’s story with new threats and the player returning as the Reader to control Quill and manipulate the world in VR. Polyarc, founded by former Bungie staff and fresh off a $9 million funding round, emphasizes the player-Quill bond, including character communication via untranslated American Sign Language.
ProbablyMonsters, led by ex-Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, has raised $50 million in ongoing funding round
Bellevue-based ProbablyMonsters, founded in 2016 by ex-Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, has raised $50 million so far in a larger funding round according to an SEC filing; the collective operates three studios focused on multiplayer, storytelling and a cooperative RPG, with Firewalk Studios partnering with Sony on a new original multiplayer IP. A spokesperson declined to comment on the filing.
Rainway CEO Andrew Sampson says Rainway tech powers PC and iOS web versions of Microsoft’s Project xCloud and will pivot to virtualized browser apps
Seattle startup Rainway, co-founded by CEO Andrew Sampson, powers the PC and iOS web versions of Microsoft’s Project xCloud and is pivoting from gaming to a virtualized app platform for running powerful desktop applications in browsers. The 15-person company remains independent, has turned down acquisition offers, and aims to compete with Google’s web app offerings.
Pluto VR launches PlutoSphere to stream PC VR games to Oculus Quest headsets without a PC
Seattle-based Pluto VR is launching PlutoSphere, a streaming platform that delivers PC-quality VR games directly to headsets like the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 without a local PC, lowering VR entry costs. The service requires 50 Mbps and a 5 GHz Wi‑Fi 6 connection, will support Steam and Epic libraries and OpenVR/OpenXR apps, and plans broader device and AR support post-launch.
Rec Room raises $20M Series C led by Madrona as pandemic drives surge to 3M+ user-created rooms
Seattle-based Rec Room raised $20 million in a Series C led by Madrona Venture Group, bringing total funding to nearly $50 million. The four-year-old virtual hangout and game-creation platform saw explosive growth during the pandemic, tripling its community and surpassing 3 million user-created rooms by September.
Organizations
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DoubleJump Books Photographer · current
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GeekWire Photographer · current
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Valve Photographer · current
