In a recent announcement, WeMade, the South Korean game developer shifting to blockchain, NFTs, and DeFi has signed an onboarding agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Rogue Sentinel Studios for the blockchain game Astra Nova.

Astra Nova, slated for release in the latter half of 2025, represents cutting-edge action RPG development, powered by Unreal Engine 5. The game promises to significantly elevate the player experience by integrating blockchain and AI technologies within an expansive and immersive universe.

In Astra Nova, players will embark on an extraordinary journey on the space planet “Astra Nova,” humanity’s final bastion, engaging with its wild flora and fauna. The game is designed to offer a wide variety of content, including action-based combat with advanced technology, magic, and weaponry.

As per the announcement, Wemade is committed to broadening its WEMIX PLAY lineup and diversifying its genre offerings through ongoing partnerships with leading development studios worldwide.

This doesn’t come as a surprise, given that in February of this year WEMADE, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KSA based Nine66, a Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”) company, to drive the development of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia.

In addition WEMIX and Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create and accelerate growth opportunities for their respective portfolio companies and Web3 startups.

Last year WEMIX expanded into the MENA region with an office in UAE.

The gaming industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been steadily growing over the past few years. It is a dynamic industry that includes the production and sale of video games, gaming hardware, and software. Additionally, it encompasses platforms such as mobile devices, consoles, and PCs.

By 2027, it is projected that MENA’s digital gaming revenue will almost double from its 2021 value of approximately $3 bn.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt are the top three gaming markets in MENA. These markets have a high number of gamers, a strong market presence, and significant growth potential.

South Korean game developer, Wemade, and UAE DIFC (Dubai International Financial Zone), Innovation Hub partner to build WEMIX Play web3 gaming community to support Dubai Program for Gaming 2033.

The Wemade-DIFC Innovation Hub collaboration plans to focus on core initiatives, including establishing WEMIX PLAY Center within the DIFC Innovation Hub for WEMIX PLAY. Wemade and DIFC Innovation hub will onboard game companies and facilitate the raising of $100 million Web3 gaming fund to  support the developers, studios and entrepreneurs.

Dubai is a leading business hub with advanced financial services and policies for fostering economic growth, investor attraction, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. Aided by DIFC Innovation Hub, Wemade aims to maintain close communication with UAE crypto-regulating bodies for making the Middle East business strategy as per up-to-date trends.

Wemade is also working on an application for Crypto Token Recognition from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the DIFC’s Financial Regulator. Tokens conferred with this status will allow financial institutions in the DIFC to carry out transactions with them, to be used by over 4,900 companies in the special economic zone.

South Korean blockchain developer WEMIX and Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create and accelerate growth opportunities for their respective portfolio companies and Web3 startups.

WEMIX startups will have the opportunity to join Hub71’s community of over 200 startups and gain access to its range of value-add programs and incentives. Select startups will also benefit from the ability to scale globally through Hub71’s web3 and digital assets specialist ecosystem, Hub71+ Digital Assets, to unlock access to a host of programs, initiatives, and wide network of corporate, government and investment partners in the UAE and global markets.

 At the same time, startups within Hub71+ Digital Assets will be able to leverage the deep technical knowledge and expertise of WEMIX and its parent, Wemade, in different areas of blockchain technology including GameFi and DeFi.

“Developing strong partnerships with key stakeholders like Hub71 is an important part of our commitment to growing the blockchain ecosystem in the MENA region,” said Shane Kim, CEO of WEMIX Pte Ltd. “We are confident that this partnership will accelerate the creation of more opportunities for blockchain startups from across the world looking to expand into the Middle East and help realize our vision of developing a global blockchain economy powered by a wide spectrum of innovative applications that evolve past traditional technology barriers to drive sustainable future innovation.”

Elodie Robin Guillerm, Head of Growth and Strategy at Hub71, said: “The addition of WEMIX to our Hub71+ Digital Assets ecosystem is testament to the growth potential there is to be seized from Abu Dhabi. Hub71 truly values partnership and collaboration and by joining forces with leading blockchain companies like WEMIX, we can work together towards developing industry leading blockchain technologies to give rise to more opportunities for Web3 startups.” 

The WEMIX and Hub71 partnership will offer key advantages including  WEMIX ability to join Hub71+ Digital Assets and its ecosystem of leading regional and global partners of digital asset exchanges and service providers, technology providers, venture studios, venture capital funds, and blockchain platforms.

It also includes fast tracking of applications by WEMIX startups to join the Hub71 Incentive Program, designed to alleviate the cost and processes of setting up in Abu Dhabi, and dedicated resources for mentorship and technical support will be provided by WEMIX to Hub71 GameFi and DeFi startups

Finally the partnership will allow  Hub71 startups to access WEMIX’s global Web3 community and blockchain companies within the WEMIX ecosystem will also gain access to Hub71+ Digital Assets. 

This is the second MOU signed by WeMADE in the region. Prior to this WEMADE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KSA based Nine66, a Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”) company, to drive the development of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this year WEMIX expanded its presence into MENA with the opening of its office in UAE.

WEMIX a South Korean blockchain gaming platform part of WEMADE blockchain firm, is developing and delivering various games and has launched its MENA presence with its foothold out of UAE, Abu Dhabi in specific.

Wemade’s blockbuster Legend of Mir IP boasts its 500 million accumulated users in China. Wemade has over 10 subsidiaries, including Joymax (developer of Wind runner) and Flero Games(developer of Every Town) and shares in some of Korea’s most promising game developing companies, including 4:33 Creative Lab, IMC Games, XL Games, Hound 13, Raidmob, and Pulsar Creative.

According to the announcement, WEMIX MENA will also open another branch in the region as well possibly KSA and other areas of UAE.

The announcement states, “The UAE with its pro-blockchain policies, governments are focusing on digital innovation business. The region is proactively supporting blockchain-based business ecosystems and digital assets services. Launching of WEMIX MENA means WEMIX will actively seek to expand its ecosystem in the MENA.”

It adds, “Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been actively focusing on expanding global blockchain business by implementing digital asset regulations in 2018 and introducing Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The rapid growth in the game industry and positivity from the government toward blockchain business has made the city the base for many global IT companies to begin business in the MENA region.