Los Angeles-based game studio Gardens Interactive raised a $35M+ Series B led by Lightspeed at a $190M pre-money valuation, taking its total funding to $71M

Venture capital is flowing into pre-launch game studios again, even for titles not focused on automation.

Los Angeles-based game studio Gardens Interactive has secured over $35 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to more than $70 million. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from a notable syndicate including Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Accel, Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors, the Nintendo family's Yamauchi No.10, and the ZeniMax Media family's James Altman, as well as founders of Slack and OpenAI's Sora. The funds are earmarked for the launch and live operations of the studio's debut title, an unrevealed social roleplaying game described as a "strandbox" experience. Gardens Interactive aims to create a new genre focused on deepening human connections and player-driven fun. The studio expects to close the full round by the end of the month, with Bloomberg first reporting the news. Moritz Baier-Lentz has joined as an advisor, and V Pappas of Lightspeed has joined the board.

The significant Series B funding round for Gardens Interactive signals a potential resurgence in venture capital interest for game studios, particularly those focused on social and player-driven experiences rather than automation. The caliber of investors, including prominent figures from the tech and gaming industries, suggests a belief in the "strandbox" genre and the potential for games to foster deep human connections. This could encourage other studios to pursue ambitious social gameplay concepts, potentially shifting investment focus in the gaming sector.

This development may influence how major tech investors allocate capital within the gaming industry, moving beyond purely performance-driven or AI-centric games. Gardens Interactive's success could validate new approaches to game design centered on community and emergent player narratives, impacting how future social gaming platforms are conceived and funded. The involvement of established figures from the gaming world, like James Altman, also points to potential cross-media expansions for successful social RPGs.