Distinct Possibility Studios to launch Reaper Actual web3 game following $30m funding round

Distinct Possibility Studios, founded by gaming industry veteran John Smedley, has secured $30.5m in funding to develop Reaper Actual, a blockchain-powered open-world PC shooter. 

The funding round was led by Bitkraft Ventures and Brevan Howard Digital, with participation from the Tezos Foundation, Hashed, Delphi Ventures and other investors.

The studio plans to release a pre-alpha version later this year, with a full launch scheduled for early 2026. Six months after its launch, the game will transition to a free-to-play model.

Set on Marova — a war-torn island four times the size of Call of Duty: Warzone’s Al Mazrah—Reaper Actual combines extraction shooter gameplay with base-building. Players can claim and defend custom bases, which can be purchased as NFTs or through standard storefronts like the Epic Games Store.

Base owners can set traps and deploy AI-controlled guards, while attackers must navigate instanced raids to steal resources. The game blends PvP, PvE, and persistent world mechanics, drawing comparisons to DMZ and Rainbow Six Siege.

All in-game items (weapons, skins and defensive structures) will be tradable on the Steam Community Marketplace and Etherlink, a Tezos-based platform that supports both crypto and traditional payments.

Smedley estimates that only 8% of players will use blockchain features at launch, with adoption potentially increasing to 30% over the next two years as players recognize the value of digital ownership.

With Smedley’s background in developing EverQuest, Planetside and H1Z1 (and his leadership roles at Sony Online Entertainment and Daybreak Game Company), the studio aims to demonstrate that blockchain integration can succeed without compromising gameplay.

Reaper Actual is designed as a shooter with optional Web3 features. The $30.5m in funding will be allocated to game development, server infrastructure and community building before launch.