Gardens Interactive raises over US$35 million for shared-world fantasy game
Gardens Interactive has raised more than US$35 million to build its debut game, a shared-world fantasy adventure the team calls a "strandbox".
The Series B round, a larger private investment typically used to expand staff and accelerate production, was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Total outside funding for the studio now exceeds US$70 million, according to Video Games Chronicle. That figure combines the new money with earlier backing.
The studio, which is organised around co-founder and chief executive Stephen Bell, announced the funding from Los Angeles, California on 7 October 2026, according to Gardens Interactive. Bell leads day-to-day operations and sets the creative direction. The Los Angeles base puts the team among a dense cluster of game developers and technology investors.
The latest round drew a long list of backers. Zenith Capital, Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Accel, Innovation Endeavors and Bayshore all took part, alongside former Slack chief executive Stewart Butterfield. A list that long is common for a Series B. Different firms often bring different contacts for hiring, publishing and future fundraising.
One returning backer carries a well-known name in games. The family office of Hiroshi Yamauchi, the late former Nintendo president, reinvested in Gardens. A family office manages the wealth of a wealthy family and makes investments on its behalf. The Yamauchi office had also backed the studio's earlier Series A round.
Gardens is holding back most detail on the game itself. The studio describes it as a shared fantasy adventure through shapeshifting wilds, inspired by memories of crossing paths with strangers in online games, according to Gardens Interactive. A shared world means many players explore the same online space. They can meet by chance, even when they are not in a party together.
The Series B follows a US$31.3 million Series A announced on 11 July 2023, according to Gardens Interactive. That round helped establish the studio and start full production. The new money extends its runway for hiring and development.
What makes this stand out is the timeline. Building a persistent online world takes years and a large team. This raise gives Gardens more room to keep building before it has to show more.
