Warner Music Group inks partnership with blockchain gaming developer

Music giant Warner Music Group is partnering with blockchain gaming developer Splinterlands.

The deal will give artists signed to WMG the opportunity to create and develop play-to-earn games that involve the use of crypto tokens.

“Warner Music Group is a leader in the music industry. They are innovating the music industry to meet the standards set by Web 3.0 community members," said Jesse "Agreed" Reich, Splinterlands Co-founder and CEO, in a statement. " We're thrilled to be working with them and I look forward to new collaborations at the intersection of gaming, music, crypto, NFTs, defi, and blockchain."

This isn't WMG's first move into crypto. Last year, the company worked with Genies to create avatars and create NFT merchandise for WMG artists. Last month, WMG partnered with digital collectibles platform Blockparty. 

“I don’t think we can underestimate how massive the opportunity around P2E gaming is. By partnering with Splinterlands to build custom tokenized games, we’ll unlock new revenue streams for our artists who have an interest in the space while elevating the role of fandom and community," said Oana Ruxandra, Chief Digital Officer and EVP of Business Development at WMG, in a statement. "As the Web3 ecosystem continues to evolve, WMG is committed to making sure music is front-and-center.”

Splinterlands was founded in 2018, and the company says its fantasy-themed collectible card game supports 450,000 daily users. This is the company's first major music partnership; WMG artists will be able to create mobile-friendly, arcade-style games using the app. 

Blockchain games are on the rise, as The Block reported in November. Nearly half of $3.4 billion worth of VC deals fell into this category in October. Numerous gaming firms have expressed interest in the technology, including giants like Square Enix, though such moves have prompted complaints from some quarters of their customer base.