Thousands and The Wildcard Alliance have jointly announced a new $9 million funding round, backed by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm. This fresh capital will support the development of their blockchain game Wildcard and its connected creator economy platform, Thousands.tv.
The two sister companies are led by co-CEOs Paul and Katy Drake Bettner, the veteran developers behind Words With Friends and Lucky’s Tale. Based in McKinney, Texas, they have raised $6.5 million so far and expect to close the final $2.5 million in the coming weeks.
At the center of this push is Wildcard, a 2v2 Collectible Card Action Game (CCAG). Players compete in real-time battles using champions, each with a custom deck of summonable creatures. It blends fast combat with card-based strategy, offering deep mechanics and multiplayer excitement.
The game is now in active development with weekly playtests and has already passed approval for release on Steam. A full early access launch is expected later this year. With over 100,000 community members involved in testing, Wildcard is building strong grassroots momentum.
The game's development was first supported through a $46 million Series A round in 2022. As such, the new $9 million will help improve the game, add more live ops, and expand the web3 streaming platform.
Thousands is a web3-native streaming platform created just for games like Wildcard. Built on blockchain rails, it turns live game streams into two-way interactions, where both fans and creators can earn through play and engagement.
"Wildcard only succeeds if its creators and community succeed," said Paul Bettner. "Thousands gives us the on-chain 'rails' to solve this problem, to record and reward user acquisition and conversion at every step of the funnel."
And it's working. In May 2025 alone, the Thousands network generated $800,000 in revenue. Its metrics beat most web2 platforms, with an average $50,000 in revenue per stream and a 77% viewer-to-payer conversion rate. One stream hit $134,000, setting a new record.
Thousands works by making every action trackable and rewardable. Viewers don't just watch; they interact, claim digital items, and connect their wallets live during streams. Creators earn immediately when their content leads to user conversions. Studios save money too, gaining players at a lower cost than through ads or paid influencers.
Rick Johanson, a founding partner at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, praised this model. "Thousands is redefining how games and content reach audiences," he said. "Their web-native streaming layer – think Twitch meets WalletConnect – allows every connected viewer to become an active participant in an on-chain economy."
Dave White, research partner at Paradigm, echoed this support. "We believe in this game, and we believe in this team. Paul, Kate, and team have created one of the most eagerly anticipated games in crypto."
Since its early funding, Wildcard and Thousands have both made notable progress. Wildcard's playtests now stream several times a week, with the average viewer spending $141. These streams help the team refine the game while demonstrating Thousands' ability to monetize and build lasting engagement.
The latest Wildcard Showcase aired on June 18, featuring new updates from the founder and lead designer during a live broadcast on Thousands.tv. Events like this continue to energize the fan base while drawing attention to the game's creator-friendly model.
The Wildcard Alliance currently employs 30 full-time developers and another 30 contractors. They also minted their genesis Wildpass NFTs on Polygon, later migrating them to Ethereum and covering all gas costs for holders. A token called WC is planned for future release and will be 100% community-owned.
Wildcard is built by Playful Studios, the same team behind Words With Friends. It combines third-person gameplay with collectible cards and team-based competition. Each match is a blend of tactical summoning, skill-based action, and cooperative gameplay.
The game's "Wildpass" NFTs and upcoming WC token form part of its onchain economy. Players will be able to earn, trade, and take part in governance through Ethereum, aligning ownership with long-term engagement.
Thousands.tv is not just a streaming site, it's a blockchain platform for creators. Viewers can interact using live avatars, unlock NFTs during shows, and become part of the game's story. The tech behind it tracks every viewer touchpoint, making word-of-mouth measurable and rewarding.
Past Wildcard streams using Thousands have generated $77,928 in in-app revenue, with $109 per viewer and strong long-term retention: 82% on Day 3, 62% on Day 7, and 38% still active at Day 30.
Content creator Payton Kaleiwahea, founder of WolvesDAO, summed it up well: "Thousands doesn't feel like streaming. It's no longer a one-way street. You're not just watching the game. You're connected to it. You're inside it. With Thousands, being there matters, and that changes everything."
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