🎮 Welcome to the “Next Level” - A New Playtest Series for the DAO

Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV) has been hard at work backing builders, deploying capital, and helping level up the gaming ecosystem on Arbitrum. Now, we’re excited to invite DAO members to experience that momentum firsthand.

Welcome to the Next Level!

Next Level is a series of quarterly playtest sessions that will give Arbitrum DAO members and community stakeholders exclusive early access to AGV-backed games building on Arbitrum. Each session is an opportunity for DAO members to get their hands on early builds and interact directly with the development teams behind titles in the AGV portfolio.


Level 1: Wildcard — 2025-07-10T17:00:00Z

Wildcard is a 2v2 Collectible Card Action Game (CCAG) that blends third-person action combat with strategic deck-building. Play as a champion, summon powerful creatures, and battle for victory in dynamic arena fights!

As part of AGV’s $10M first investment cohort, Wildcard brings not only an action-packed gameplay experience, but also a proven founding team–Paul Bettner (Words With Friends, Age of Empires) and Katy Drake Bettner–to the Arbitrum network.

The Wildcard team will kick off this Next Level session with a live intro and Q&A on their Discord, followed by a 60-minute private playtest exclusively for DAO members.


:admission_tickets: How to Join the Next Level: Wildcard Playtest

  1. RSVP by answering this poll:
  • I’m ready for the Next Level - send me a Wildcard access code via Private Message!
  • I can’t make it this time.
0 voters
  1. Use your access code to download the Wildcard Playtest client on Steam (Here’s a quick guide if you need help).

  2. Join the Wildcard Discord server for event kickoff, Q&A, and community chat on 2025-07-10T17:00:00Z.

  3. Launch the Wildcard Playtest client and start playing!


Minimum PC Specs:

  • Windows 10/11
  • Intel i5 (or equivalent) CPU
  • 16 GB RAM
  • NVIDIA GTX 1080 (or better) GPU
  • Broadband internet connection

Whether you’re an avid gamer, a De-Fi maxi, or just here for the DAO vibes, all are welcome. This is your chance to connect directly with the games and builders shaping the next era of entertainment on Arbitrum.

:joystick: Add Wildcard to your Steam wishlist

:bird: Follow @PlayWildcard on X

:video_game: We’ll See You On the Next Level

2 Likes

Super excited about this one and it’s great we are finally seeing this on the forum.

The logistics for the playtest are not that straightforward. The TG group with key members of the OFC, AF, AGV and WildCard (the game) came together to make this a reality. My role how is to convince DAO members (delegates) to join and actively participate. :sweat_smile:

The key message when I posted a topic about Gaming on Arbitrum - A Guide for DAO Members - #5 by Tekr0x.eth was that we get more involved in the AGV.

Some delegates already expressed they are willing to participate. Will tag them here as a reminder: @cp0x @ZER8 @Zeptimus @SEEDGov @GozmanGonzalez

I really hope to see many of us there.

5 Likes

Is the game planned to be played on a MacBook?
I think many people choose this laptop for work

The playtest build is only available on Windows 10/11; if you’re wondering about future platform availability, the Wildcard team has no near-term plans to port their game to Mac OS.

The Wildcard playtest starts in an hour! If you would like to join but don’t have a code yet, PM us and we’ll get you taken care of.

1 Like

Hi everyone,

We kicked off the Next Level series on 11 July 2025 by bringing together more than a dozen DAO members together for a private playtest of Wildcard. The Discord server was full of energetic banter between DAO members and the Wildcard development team, and some truly epic battles were fought! Here’s a recap of the experience, captured in moments–not metrics.

Are You Not Entertained?!

As soon as the private server opened, they were filled with delegates eager to get some action. The Wildcard team ran through a brief tutorial, then everyone opened a few card packs, chose their heroes, and crafted their decks. Then it was off to the arena, where epic 2v2 battles raged for nearly an hour.

Early Highlights

  • Unholy Entrance – One delegate discovered the Morta + shield combo and promptly ignited the first sudden-death comeback.
    Watch Here

  • Overtime Thriller – A best-of-three set spilled into a three-minute overtime, punctuated by a last-second lane-wide summon that sealed the win and sparked an impromptu victory lap in Discord.
    Watch Here

  • Spontaneous Shout-Casting – By match five, players weren’t just fighting—they were narrating each other’s games. Wildcard’s camera work and VFX proved stream-ready without any production help.
    Watch Here

Delegate Impressions

“Tutorial to PvP in five minutes. The curve is flat; the ceiling feels high.”

“Deck-building’s deeper than I expected—already plotting my main.”

“Wildcard looks good on a screen share. Community tourneys feel inevitable.”

Even the lone point of friction—a mid-match wallet confirmation—turned into constructive discussion rather than frustration. The development team has already queued a smoother handshake, as well as additional updates, in the next build:

  • Patch v0.9.4 (mid-August): The Wildcard team is working on UI polish, balance tuning, and that cleaner wallet flow.

What’s Next

Our goals with the Next Level playtest series are to build community, foster a growing gaming culture on Arbitrum, and give DAO members a first look at AGV-backed titles. By supporting these events, you’re also supporting a vibrant Arbitrum ecosystem, so a big thank you goes out to all the DAO members who joined us to experience Wildcard for the first time! If you missed this session, don’t fret–Level 2 is coming in Q3, so stay tuned for the reveal.

Want to play more Wildcard? Anyone who received a playtest code can continue to access the Wildcard Playtest client on Steam–the Wildcard team typically runs 1-2 playtest sessions per week, so check their Discord for updates if you’d like to join. Additionally, remember to add Wildcard to your Steam wishlist–this simple action can make a big difference in boosting the game’s visibility on Steam.

1 Like