Sparq™ announces its Break Free digital collectibles, bringing collegiate sports fans closer to their favorite brands

Sparq, a U.S.-based proprietary mobile game publishing and acquisition platform, has announced a series of digital collectibles for its community and college sports fans. This eye-popping collection will enhance the community engagement, enabling benefits that aim to bridge the gap between Sparq and its earliest community members. The ultra-unique collection will feature 2,140 free-mint NFTs (A nod to the last year BTC will be mined), each with unique traits, all offering special features within the Sparq ecosystem.

Sparq will feature athletes and universities across the U.S. in its upcoming mobile game, Crown U™ — a fast-paced, multiplayer mobile game featuring real NCAA athletes, schools, and stadiums in exciting cross-sport competition. Unlike traditional sports sims, Crown U blends fun, skill-based gameplay with the chaotic energy of party knockout games like Fall Guys. It’s scheduled for late 2025. 

The NFTs will mint on the Ethereum scaling network Base and be available for purchase on OpenSea, with integration into Hyperliquid for enhanced liquidity and trading speed. Holders will also receive airdrops of the upcoming native SPARQ Token, offering governance, rewards, and revenue-sharing opportunities within the ecosystem.

The creative direction for the Break Free collection was done by a renowned Tokyo-based digital artist known for their various works in Web3, character design, and immersive digital art. With their unique design style, the artist brings a unique visual identity to the collection, making each NFT a vibrant celebration of sports, gaming and digital creativity.

“Our goal with Break Free is to continue to redefine digital ownership for our community,” said CEO Jan Horsfall. “Holders will enjoy early access to the $SPARQ token, NFT avatar integration, and exclusive privileges such as once-in-a-lifetime sports experiences and early access to future content.”

Earlier this week, Sparq also announced the beginning of pre-production for Crown U. As part of that announcement, they indicated that the game will offer an optional blockchain- enabled rewards program, allowing fans to earn cryptocurrency and digital assets through the Sparq Locker Room™.

Sparq’s publishing and acquisition team, with over 140 years of game-building experience, has previously led efforts for major IP such as NFL™, Lord of the Rings™, Marvel Comics™, Magic: The Gather™, Game of Thrones™, D&D™, Bondai, and dozens more. The company's AI-driven gamer acquisition engine is supported by cutting-edge tools designed to foster fan engagement and growth.

Sparq’s upcoming token launch later this year will provide opportunities for tier-1 sports brands to engage new and old fans alike, through immersive AAA mobile games, starting with top U.S. universities, mascots and athletes in its games. 

U.S. collegiate sports generate approximately $19 billion annually, surpassing the NBA’s $13 billion in the 2023–24 season.  With a fan base exceeding 182 million, collegiate sports offer a prime platform for initial engagement, paving the way to expand into other Tier 1 sports licensing opportunities.