The Near Foundation is excited to announce that it’s partnering with WEMADE, one of the largest publicly-listed gaming companies in South Korea. A leading game developer in South Korea for over 20 years, WEMADE will be vital in Near’s push toward mainstream adoption of Web3.

Near and WEMADE will support the development of blockchain apps in Korea as well as other markets. Near and WEMADE will also jointly work on mutual brand awareness, and collaborate on a number of Web3 community events and business opportunities.  

“WEMADE and Near share a similar vision of enabling and accelerating the mainstream adoption of blockchain to create a future of nearly limitless potential use cases and benefits for all of us across many different areas of our daily lives,” said Shane Kim, CEO, WEMIX and Vice President, WEMADE. 

“In order to achieve that vision, we must make it easier, faster, and more cost-effective for developers to onboard off-chain apps, organizations, and startups, and are confident that Near is ideally positioned to do so.”

Onboarding end users and developers into Web3

The partnership will do much to encourage developers, including game designers, to build on the Near. Beyond co-hosting community events like offline hackathons and boot camps, Near and WEMADE will work together on mutual brand awareness, invest in research and collaboration on cross-chain initiatives, and be on the lookout for potential Web3 business opportunities and founders. 

A renowned leader in game development, WEMADE is at the forefront of a generational shift as the gaming industry pivots to blockchain technology. Its WEMIX subsidiary is building an experience-based, platform-driven, and service-oriented mega-ecosystem — one that will give users everywhere access to a wide array of easy-to-use Web3 apps and experiences.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with WEMADE as part of our shared vision towards a decentralized future for the gaming industry,” said Commenting on the partnership, Marieke Flament, CEO of the Near Foundation. “By joining forces, we are confident in our ability to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions that meet the growing needs of gamers and developers in the Web3 space.”

The Near-WEMADE partnership marks the second major Web3 gaming partnership from the Near Korea Hub. The first, a partnership with BORA — the Web3 GameFi platform of Kakao Games — will also be vital in accelerating the mainstream adoption of Web3.  

Near is excited to announce a new strategic partnership with BORA, a Web3  gaming subsidiary of METABORA. Near and BORA will support each other in spreading local brand awareness, invest in research and collaboration on cross-chain, host events, and generate Web3 opportunities in Korea. 

An affiliate of Kakao Games and its parent company BORANETWORK, BORA is focused on game development and blockchain-based gaming ecosystems. Its mobile gaming titles include Friends Popcorn, Friends Town, and Friends Shot. 

“We are thrilled to be working with Near and welcome their expertise, knowledge and network as we aim to transform the world of Web3 gaming,” said Vincent Lim, a CBO of BORA. “Together with Near we will not only explore cross-promotion opportunities, but also seek future collaborations on IP-based game development that will lead to mass adoption and give us the competitive edge we need to position ourselves as leading players in the web3 gaming space.”

Since the launch of Near’s Korean Hub in November of 2022, BORA has been steadily building up awareness throughout South Korea, while focusing on Web3  innovation, business development, education, and talent. The hub is led by entrepreneurs Scott Lee and Ben Kang — both influential figures within South Korea’s growing blockchain community.

“One of the big ambitions of the hub  is  to tap into the country’s active gaming community, and to  bring  amazing projects and creators to the Near ecosystem.” said Robbie Lim, GM, Partners & International at Near. “ The partnership with BORA is our first major win – and a big step forward for NEAR as it accelerates its ambition to become the go to layer 1 for the Web3 gaming community.”