Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV) is a strategic initiative launched by the Arbitrum DAO to accelerate the growth of gaming and entertainment on the Arbitrum blockchain platform. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Arbitrum Gaming Ventures Partners and Vice Presidents Rick Johanson and Dan Peng to gain a deeper understanding of the initiative.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Could you tell me more about your individual backgrounds and what led you to start Arbitrum Gaming Ventures?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Rick): When I launched my last startup, which was a consumer fintech app, we evaluated a number of blockchains before landing very organically on Arbitrum. That was my initial gateway, which made me a believer in its ability to provide the user experience we were looking to achieve. I have a background in traditional gaming, both with LucasFilm and as an early employee at Zynga, but also have experience in entertainment and fintech and saw an opportunity for the next wave of builders across all of those spaces to both benefit from and add to the Arbitrum ecosystem.
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Dan): I was familiar with Arbitrum from my time in product design and finance, but like many blockchains it had historically been very focused on decentralized finance use cases. Yet we saw that there were some very ambitious teams using it for their gaming and entertainment projects. We looked at the problems those builders traditionally face, like funding, strategic partnerships, or in some cases, even how to use the blockchain to its full potential, and saw that we could help. Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV) was founded to back teams from both traditional and web3 gaming to not only get their products to launch, but to facilitate their journeys at every step.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Has AGV’s thesis evolved since it first started – and if so, in what ways?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Rick): It’s still early for us – we just announced our first cohort in May – but we are already seeing both validation for our original thesis and how it can be expanded beyond gaming. We felt strongly from the start that everyone from indie teams to established game publishers could benefit from being under the Arbitrum umbrella, but we’ve also backed teams doing intriguing things in realms of content distribution and infrastructure. We’re close to being able to share more about a portco in an emerging category that sits at the intersection of finance and entertainment that we are calling finatainment, which is really exciting.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What has been the most rewarding part of what you have accomplished with AGV so far?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Dan): Working with the different teams and leaning in to understand where we can help them most. There’s been a lot of enthusiasm across the board, and while we weren’t surprised that indie and mid-sized studios would be receptive, there have also been some big, well-known publishers who want to have conversations with us, including some who likely wouldn’t have considered moving into the web3 space a few years ago.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What have been the most significant milestones for AGV to date?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Rick): Announcing our first cohort was huge, not only because it came together so quickly but also due to how it showcases our commitment to supporting high-quality experiences that are built to last. Wildcard and Proof of Play are made by proven founders with traditional gaming backgrounds who see the technological and network advantages of building on Arbitrum. Xai is bringing the scale of Steam and Epic games to web3, and T-Rex is a purpose-built blockchain for entertainment and consumer applications in the rapidly expanding Southeast Asia market. Additionally, Hyve Labs is working on frictionless, multi-platform games distribution for the post-app store world. This cohort is a perfect example of the sector and geographical diversity we’re bringing to AGV.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What are some of the areas/technologies that are most interesting to AGV?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Dan): Our foundation is in gaming, and we will keep backing both indie and established teams who understand the shift we’re undergoing in web3 gaming right now: The first wave of games was focused on the blockchain itself, and the experience was secondary. We want to partner with builders who focus on the experience first; builders who make great games and then show players how blockchain can add another layer on top. AGV is already supporting companies working on entertainment, infrastructure and fintech, and we’re especially excited about solutions for distribution. We foresee an saturation of AI-powered content coming to the market in the near future, which is why we believe it’s more important than ever to have creative distribution solutions to help the best content rise above the noise.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What differentiates AGV from other initiatives trying to do similar things in blockchain/web3 gaming?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Rick): At AGV, capital is just the starting point. What builders need most isn’t just funding, it’s focus. The space is loud. Incentives are misaligned. And too often, great founders get pulled into grant-chasing or pitch cycles that distract from their core competencies: actually building.
Our unique model – which we call Network Native Capital – is different from that of a conventional VC. We’re building a full-stack system where capital, infrastructure, and network support converge, so founders can stay focused on momentum, not bureaucracy. Whether it’s follow-on investors, a strategic grant, or help navigating go-to-market, every form of support we provide is designed to reduce friction and reinforce clarity.
And we don’t do it alone. As part of the Arbitrum ecosystem, we work closely with Offchain Labs, whose deep technical expertise, developer relations, and protocol insights provide another layer of support for teams building on-chain. This proximity allows AGV to not only fund ambitious projects but also to help founders unlock the full power of Arbitrum’s tech and ecosystem advantages.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What are some of the challenges you have faced with AGV to this point, and how have you overcome them?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Dan): There’s a large education component to what we’re doing. Within the existing Arbitrum community, we’ve had to be very clear about the fact that we’re supporting creators who have already established themselves there while also bringing in teams that will make that community more vibrant. For developers who have never built on blockchain before, we’ve needed to have sharp answers to both the “Why blockchain?” and “Why Arbitrum?” questions. With this in mind, we’ve had a healthy collaboration with the Arbitrum Foundation and Offchain Labs to create cohesive, unified messaging. It will take both time and successes to validate those points, but we are seeing signs that the industry is receptive to them.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What are some of AGV’s future goals?
Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (Rick): Building on the idea that we offer much more than simple funding, we’re formalizing a venture platform strategy with Offchain Labs to provide structured, thesis-aligned support for portfolio teams beyond capital. This effort will focus on mapping the developer journey, launching a distribution guild to accelerate user growth, streamlining access to technical and ecosystem resources, promoting cross-pollination amongst our portcos, and supporting go-to-market execution. The goal is to help high-potential teams scale faster and more effectively, while reinforcing alignment with Arbitrum’s infrastructure, community, and long-term vision.
And as games, culture, and consumer apps increasingly converge, we’ll continue to evolve our thesis to back founders building products that feel native to this new reality. It’s very clear that gamification is foundational for how younger generations interact, transact, and express themselves online. We’re excited about a wave of builders creating apps and infrastructure that blend play, identity, and utility, reimagining what consumer products can be in a world where engagement is interactive by default.
