GameSquare is venturing into the metaverse. The gaming firm backed by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has announced Moonlight Studios, a division that will build custom experiences in game worlds like Roblox, Fortnite, and Grand Theft Auto.
Moonlight has been operating in stealth for six months. The unit is led by Head of Studio Kyle Rapozo, a former Fortnite pro who is known as Kaz on his social channels. Rapozo played Fortnite on the team run by FaZe Clan; GameSquare acquired FaZe in an October 2023 deal that united two esports power players.
Rapozo’s team of developers is working alongside Zoned, the GameSquare-owned creative agency that has worked with brands like Cash App, Amazon, Epic Games, and Jack in The Box. Moonlight will leverage Zoned’s capabilities to bring experiential campaigns into the metaverse.
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“Over the past 12 months we have seen accelerating demand for our world-building services and the launch of Moonlight Studios follows highly successful campaigns we have created for our brand clients,” said GameSquare CEO Justin Kenna in a statement. “Our success is a direct result of our deep understanding of gaming community trends and a commitment to innovation, which is further amplified with Kaz at the helm.”
GameSquare is not the only media company thinking about the marketing potential of Roblox and Fortnite. Those games have become the most common way that consumers experience the once-buzzy metaverse. Fortnite publisher Epic Games made waves last year when — in response to the proliferation of custom Roblox worlds — it launched a creation tool called Unreal Editor. That venture has been praised for its creator-friendly economics.
Another gaming firm, Misfits, looked to capitalize on the popularity of Roblox worlds when it teamed up with Karl Jacobs and KreekCraft to establish a game creation platform called Pixel Playground. Like Moonlight, Pixel Playground is creator-led and powered by its parent company’s strategic resources.
Brands that recently launched experiential campaigns in Roblox include Hilton and Lionsgate.
