Ascent Rivals - Onboarding Next Million Users

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Ascent Rivals - Onboarding Next Million Users

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

800000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

12

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Cardano currently lacks a market-ready game that can engage the 3 billion mainstream gamers and drive large-scale onboarding.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://ascentrivals.com/
,
• https://west.paxsite.com/en-us/features/pax-rising-showcase.html
,
• https://store.steampowered.com/app/2748420/Ascent_Rivals/
,
• https://youtu.be/VAC_PP8gQaA
,
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv6OI6cX9BZk93b6KSv46iK9zWTF7SL73

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

All smart contracts and related blockchain integrations developed for this project will be fully open-sourced under the MIT license, ensuring transparency, reuse, and community contribution.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Gaming

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe your established collaborations.

Our collaborations span gaming, automotive, and blockchain leaders. MSI and Starforge provide hardware and tournament sponsorships. Shelby Automotive and Saleen grant official rights for in-game likeness and marketing. AccelByte supports backend integration and aligns with our Cardano roadmap. Midnight provides solutions architects for unannounced features. Together, these partnerships ensure legitimacy, scalability, and visibility for Ascent: Rivals as Cardano’s flagship game.

Describe funding commitments.

Genun has been in full-time development for 3.5 years without receiving catalyst funding to date and committed to another year of building. Requested funds are for increasing quality, content, and majority to go-to-market spend.

Describe your key performance metrics.

Key performance metrics include

• downloads and users onboarded
• monthly active users
• unique Cardano wallets created
• and on-chain transactions from gameplay and tournaments.

To date, Ascent: Rivals has achieved over 10,000 hours of organic playtesting with a 7% Day-30 stickiness, surpassing many industry benchmarks. Based on the Hydra Doom example, our early limited testing alone would have generated over 2 billion on-chain transactions, highlighting the scale of adoption and throughput potential for Cardano

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Ascent Rivals has earned awards like PAX Rising and DreamHack Indie Playground, and is the only Web3 game featured on Steam. With no token, or NFT incentives, or prior catalyst funding, it has generated 10,000+ organic play hours, 4,000+ wishlists, and average playtime of 5+ hours.

With Catalyst support, we aim to complete Ascent Rivals for full release next year, targeting ‘Indie Game of the Year’ recognition and positioning it as a flagship product that showcases the strength of Cardano by elevating visual polish across maps, cosmetics, unlockables, ship parts, and environments. The game’s high skill ceiling and natural spectator appeal have already driven player retention above industry benchmarks, positioning Ascent to attract sticky, long-term users and by extension loyal Cardano users.

Our solution extends beyond gameplay into a full ecosystem of engagement:

• A dedicated web client will enable spectators to watch, cheer, and sponsor players, purchase teams, host tournaments, and even wager on matches.
• Seamless onboarding will allow users to link their existing wallets or even create Cardano wallets behind the scenes directly from Steam, Xbox, or PlayStation accounts.
• Unique in-game mechanics ensure frequent value exchange as players steal in-game currency on kills, which is then used for cosmetics, tournament entries, and other purchases. Each of these exchanges triggers an on-chain transaction, embedding Cardano utility directly into gameplay.
• In-game billboards, brand sponsorships, and tournament payouts will all leverage Cardano. Payouts, traditionally delayed for months in esports, will instead be instant, secure, and transparent highlighting Cardano's value.

We have already established partnerships with leading brands including MSI, Starforge, Shelby, Dirtfish, Saleen, and AccelByte. These partners provide credibility, sponsorships, and marketing reach. As we expand into global beta, we will engage additional mainstream brands to sponsor tournaments, further amplifying visibility and adoption.

Community empowerment is also a core part of the solution. We have built tournament-hosting tools that allow players, guilds, or sponsors to run their own competitions with custom rules, prizes, and advertising. Team owners can require token-gated participation, enabling NFT collections and communities to field teams, create rivalries, and build dedicated fan bases, mirroring the prestige and passion of traditional sports.

Ascent: Rivals is not just a game but a scalable ecosystem designed to onboard the next million users to Cardano. By combining award-winning gameplay, seamless blockchain integration, and a proven track record of Tier-1 partnerships, our solution will transform Cardano from a finance-first chain into a platform embraced by the world’s 3 billion traditional gamers.

Data shows that standout indie titles such as Rocket League have onboarded over 100 million users. With its early traction, Ascent: Rivals is well-positioned to onboard the next one million users to Cardano.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Ascent: Rivals will have transformative impact on the Cardano ecosystem by addressing the chain’s largest untapped audience of traditional gamers and converting them into long-term, loyal users transacting daily. Its impact spans adoption, gamer validation, and enterprise validity.

Mass User Onboarding: With more than 3 billion gamers worldwide, onboarding even a small fraction creates exponential growth for Cardano. By enabling wallet creation directly from Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation logins, Ascent eliminates the technical barriers that currently prevent mainstream gamers from engaging with blockchain. This seamless onboarding will make Cardano the first blockchain many gamers experience, driving significant expansion of the ecosystem.

High-Volume On-Chain Activity: Unlike passive dApps, Ascent’s gameplay is designed around frequent value exchange. Players steal and spend in-game currency, purchase cosmetics, enter tournaments, and sponsor teams—each of which triggers an on-chain transaction. Tournament payouts, player sponsorships, and in-game billboard purchases further amplify sustained activity. This creates not just user growth but recurring transaction volume, proving Cardano’s throughput and utility in a fast-paced consumer market.

Game Industry & Enterprise Validation: Collaborations with MSI, Starforge, Shelby, Saleen, and AccelByte demonstrate Cardano’s ability to support Tier-1 partnerships. These brands bring not only co-marketing reach into gaming and automotive audiences but also legitimacy that signals to other enterprises that Cardano is a viable partner for global consumer-facing applications. This credibility is essential for attracting additional developers, investors, and industry leaders into the ecosystem.

Community Tools and Grassroots Growth: Ascent provides tooling for communities to create and manage their own tournaments, set prize structures, and host in-game advertising. By enabling NFT collections and DAOs to token-gate teams and competitions, the game gives Web3 communities new ways to expand their culture and rivalries on Cardano. This not only strengthens grassroots participation but also mirrors the dynamics of traditional sports fandoms, creating sticky cultural engagement.

Flagship Showcase for Cardano Adoption: Just as Rocket League scaled from indie recognition to 100+ million players, Ascent is positioned to become Cardano’s flagship consumer product. By securing mainstream attention through award recognition, high-skill competitive play, and global tournaments, Ascent demonstrates that Cardano can power experiences beyond finance and RWAs. This proof point will catalyze further development in gaming, esports, entertainment, and consumer adoption.

Ascent: Rivals positions Cardano as the blockchain that bridges Web2 and Web3 gaming, proves high-volume consumer use cases, attracts Tier-1 enterprise attention, and empowers communities with new tools for ownership and engagement. Its success will deliver measurable adoption outcomes while cementing Cardano’s legitimacy as a platform for global consumer applications.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team has the proven capability to deliver Ascent: Rivals at a high level of trust and accountability. The core development team consists of accomplished game developers and DigiPen alumni with experience shipping titles at major studios and scaling complex projects. This expertise is complemented by business operators with a track record of growing and managing successful ventures in finance, strategy, and community development, ensuring both technical excellence and operational sustainability.

Our achievements to date demonstrate credibility and execution capacity. Ascent: Rivals has won multiple awards and received global recognition at leading industry events. Highlights include the Google Web3 Award (2023, ~500 attendees), PAX West Audience Choice (2023, ~120,000 attendees), DreamHack Indie Atlanta (2024, ~40,000 attendees), and Games Dubai Expo (2024, ~23,000 attendees) where we shared the stage with Com2Us leadership. At PAX Rising (2024, ~130,000 attendees), one of the most prestigious recognitions for emerging indie titles, Ascent was awarded as a top upcoming game. Winning PAX Rising is often followed by securing “Indie Game of the Year” and publisher partnerships; we chose to remain independent to create a replicable playbook for future Cardano-based studios.

Our work has continued to be showcased at DreamHack Indie Dallas (2024, ~45,000 attendees), Gamescom (2024, ~320,000 attendees) where AccelByte featured us as a case study for Sony’s infrastructure, ETH Denver Arcade (2025, ~20,000 attendees), Game Developer Conference (2025, ~30,000 attendees) with sponsorship from MSI and Starforge, Momocon Invitational (2025, ~50,000 attendees), and PAX Indie Mix (2025, ~25,000 attendees). Recognition extends to the Sony Infrastructure Highlight Newsletter (2025), where AccelByte profiled Genun Games as the first indie studio delivering multiplayer at “iii” (indie that looks AAA) quality. Additionally, Ascent: Rivals has been featured on the Steam front page multiple times, organically surfacing due to strong player engagement and design appeal.

Feasibility is further validated by over 10,000 hours of organic playtesting, demonstrating both retention and scalability of the core gameplay loop. Early recognition from players and industry experts confirms that our approach resonates with traditional gamers, even without token or NFT incentives. By winning awards and attracting sponsorships from hardware leaders like MSI and Starforge, we have shown that Ascent has both the technical quality and cultural traction required for global success.

To ensure accountability, we have a transparent development roadmap, active engagement with global gaming events, and proven ability to attract partnerships with Tier-1 brands. By continuing to test at scale, refine based on player data, and leverage established industry collaborations, we validate that our approach is feasible, scalable, and aligned with both Cardano adoption goals and mainstream gamer expectations.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Core Polish & Content Expansion

Milestone Outputs

• Deliver one additional playable map with distinct mechanics and layouts that expands variety for players and prepares the game for future regional testing.
• Upgrade the baseline UI to a more polished standard so players experience a professional look that reflects a market-ready product rather than an early prototype.
• Release an initial set of character animations and emotes that replace placeholder assets, improve immersion, and allow players to better express themselves in-game.

Acceptance Criteria

• The new build includes a fully functional map integrated into rotation with no critical bugs, ensuring it supports competitive and casual gameplay scenarios.
• The game’s UI across menus, HUD, and gameplay presents polished visuals that are consistent with professional indie releases, with no placeholder assets remaining.
• Characters display basic but complete animation sets and emotes that integrate seamlessly into gameplay and pass both QA validation and playtester feedback reviews.

Evidence of Completion

• Public release notes detail all new content, alongside QA validation logs confirming that new features have been tested thoroughly across builds and environments.
• Screenshots and gameplay footage demonstrate the new map, upgraded UI, and integrated animations and emotes for players, proving visual and functional upgrades.
• Playtester reports confirm successful implementation of the new content and highlight increased satisfaction with immersion and visual polish compared to prior builds.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

75000

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

Feature Complete Game Build

Milestone Outputs

• Add three new maps that provide unique layouts and competitive diversity, ensuring gameplay remains fresh across multiple matches and regional player bases.
• Raise visual fidelity for all maps, UI, and in-game items to a near-AAA indie standard so players perceive Ascent as competitive with leading independent games.
• Complete a comprehensive suite of character animations and emotes, creating a polished presentation that improves player immersion and gameplay expression.

Acceptance Criteria

• Players can access and rotate across all new maps without technical issues, expanding the content available for competitive and casual players globally.
• All UI elements, maps, and in-game items display high-quality textures and effects that remove the prototype appearance and meet QA’s quality benchmarks.
• Characters function with polished animations and emotes that are consistent across all gameplay modes and pass both internal and external testing processes.

Evidence of Completion

• Release documentation and QA certification reports validate the new maps, UI fidelity improvements, and completion of character animations and emotes.
• Gameplay videos and screenshots demonstrate the new polished features, showing the improved quality benchmarked against other recognized indie titles.
• Playtester surveys confirm that the feature-complete build delivers a professional gameplay experience without placeholders, supporting retention and appeal.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

125000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Retention Systems & Social Features

Milestone Outputs

• Implement tournament modes with automated brackets and payouts that support both small community competitions and large-scale official events.
• Introduce team creation and management systems that allow players to form persistent groups, track progress, and compete more effectively.
• Deploy social tools such as in-game chat, friends lists, and guilds that strengthen player communities and improve long-term retention.
• Complete localization for at least three major global languages so the game becomes accessible and inclusive to key regional markets.

Acceptance Criteria

• Tournaments can be created, joined, and completed successfully without technical failure, demonstrating stability under different player loads.
• Team features allow users to reliably form and manage persistent groups, supporting participation in tournaments and casual modes alike.
• Social tools such as chat, friends lists, and guilds function seamlessly, enabling meaningful connections that players adopt during testing.
• Localization is verified by QA testers who are native speakers, ensuring accurate translations that align with cultural expectations and usability.

Evidence of Completion

• QA validation reports confirm that tournaments, team systems, and social features operate without technical issues under load testing.
• Successful playtest documentation demonstrates successful translation into multiple languages, reducing accessibility barriers for global users.
• Recorded gameplay and demonstration videos showcase real players using social systems, tournaments, and localized features during tests.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

150000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Deploy Global Launch and Go-to-Market Strategy

Milestone Outputs

Deploy coordinated marketing campaigns across digital platforms, tournaments, and streaming outlets in collaboration with MSI, Starforge, and automotive partners.

Host large-scale online tournaments with prize pools, in-game billboards, and brand sponsorships to amplify visibility and adoption.

Engage communities through co-marketing efforts, leveraging established partners and integrating content into esports and automotive fan cultures.

Acceptance Criteria

Campaigns achieve measurable reach through impressions, clicks, and sign-ups while successfully leveraging partner amplification strategies.

Online tournaments are executed with strong participation and stable technical performance, attracting both competitive and casual players.

Sponsorship activations from MSI, Starforge, and other brands are live in-game or through marketing channels, reaching target audiences effectively.

Evidence of Completion

Marketing campaign reports showing metrics of user acquisition, reach, and conversion rates tied directly to campaign activities.

Tournament participation data including number of players, teams, regions represented, and viewer counts from streams.

Published co-marketing materials and press coverage demonstrating brand alignment and Cardano ecosystem visibility through global campaigns.

Delivery Month

6

Cost

150000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Global Beta Region Testing & Market Validation

Milestone Outputs

• Conduct structured playtests in North America, Europe, and Asia that capture player retention, monetization patterns, and adoption trends.
• Integrate analytics systems that track KPIs such as LTV, CAC, player drop-off points, and regional retention rates at scale.
• Identify streamers, creators, and influencers who organically engage with the game, building an early content creator ecosystem.

Acceptance Criteria

• KPI dashboards consistently show accurate, real-time data across regions, including retention, monetization, and adoption behavior.
• Drop-off points and pain areas are identified and documented, providing actionable insights for further development cycles.
• Streamer engagement and influencer adoption is documented, including viewership, sentiment, and early co-marketing potential.

Evidence of Completion

• Regional testing reports are compiled and shared with the community, showing retention, monetization, and regional adoption metrics.
• Analytics dashboards demonstrate tracked KPIs across LTV, CAC, drop-off points, and retention, validated for accuracy and reliability.
• Engagement summaries highlight streamers and influencers, with supporting data on viewership numbers, audience sentiment, and impact.

Delivery Month

10

Cost

200000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Closeout & Ecosystem Reporting

Milestone Outputs

• Produce a final report summarizing results, including number of downloads, monthly active users, wallets created, and transactions.
• Provide key learnings and a detailed case study for Cardano, highlighting adoption strategies that can be replicated by future teams.
• Share outcomes publicly with Catalyst and the community, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and ecosystem trust.

Acceptance Criteria

• Final report is comprehensive, data-driven, and delivered to Catalyst and the Cardano community with verifiable adoption metrics.
• Data demonstrates alignment with goals, showing measurable onboarding of users, wallets created, and transaction volume achieved.
• Lessons learned are presented in a way that other builders and projects can adopt to further drive adoption within Cardano.

Evidence of Completion

• Published closeout report is made available to the community, supported by raw data sources and transparent methodology.
• Analytics dashboards show aggregated results across downloads, wallets, and transactions with supporting data accuracy checks.
• A community presentation shares project outcomes, adoption numbers, and impact stories, validating accountability and delivery.

Delivery Month

12

Cost

100000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total Requested: 800,000 ADA (~$480,000 USD equivalent)

Art & Content Production – $72,000 (15%)

• Creation of new maps, characters, ship parts, cosmetics, and emotes.
• Upgrading overall visual fidelity of maps, UI, and items to match near-AAA indie standards.
• Outsourced 2D/3D art, animations, and polish required for global release readiness.

Core Development & QA – $72,000 (15%)

• Engineering to integrate new retention features (tournaments, social tools, localization).
• Continuous QA, playtesting, and analytics integration to measure retention, LTV/CAC, and player behavior.
• Server infrastructure for alpha/beta testing across multiple regions.

Marketing & User Acquisition – $336,000 (70%)

• Global go-to-market campaign with sponsorship integrations (MSI, Starforge, Shelby, Saleen, and more).
• Paid media, influencer campaigns, and streamer engagement to capture traditional gaming audiences.
• Esports-style tournament sponsorships, prize pools, and in-game billboard activations.
• Localization and regionalized campaigns for North America, Europe, and Asia.

At least 70% of funding is dedicated to marketing and user acquisition, ensuring maximum visibility and adoption. As precommitted funding from the team covers the core delivery of the game, the majority of Catalyst funds will be used to gain additional players and accelerate global adoption.

Art and visual fidelity upgrades are critical for competing with mainstream indie and AA titles.

Development and QA ensure scalability, retention, and a polished gameplay experience that validates Cardano’s ability to onboard traditional gamers.

This budget positions Ascent: Rivals to scale from an award-winning indie project into a global release capable of onboarding 1 million new users to Cardano, proving adoption through a flagship game and community-driven tournaments.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem because the majority of Catalyst funds are applied toward user acquisition and global adoption, rather than core development costs. Our team has already precommitted resources to deliver the game itself, which means Catalyst funds directly accelerate growth, visibility, and measurable on-chain activity.

By onboarding traditional gamers through seamless wallet creation on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, Ascent: Rivals converts new players into active Cardano users. Each player interaction generates recurring transactions through in-game currency transfers, tournament entries, sponsorship payouts, and billboard advertising. This creates sustained on-chain volume while proving Cardano’s scalability in a high-demand consumer environment.

Beyond transactions, the project strengthens Cardano’s enterprise credibility by showcasing Tier-1 collaborations with MSI, Starforge, Shelby, Saleen, and AccelByte, expanding Cardano’s reputation beyond finance into global gaming and entertainment. Communities also benefit through tournament-hosting tools, token-gated teams, and sponsorship systems that empower grassroots participation.

In short, Catalyst funding directly translates into new wallets, new users, high-frequency transactions, and global visibility which achieves and unrivaled eficient cost-per-user well below industry norms. This makes Ascent: Rivals a high-leverage, flagship investment for driving Cardano’s mainstream adoption.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes