In a world where mobile gaming often serves as an entertaining escape, World Reborn has emerged as a bridge between gaming and real-world activism. The company has raised $3.5M in a seed round led by Riot Games and Oregon Venture Fund, totaling $4.6 million in funding.
Founded by Jess Murrey and Alicia Clifton, World Reborn empowers American teens by harnessing their passion for societal issues.
“American teens care very deeply about the planet, equality and mental health, but the problems often feel so big it’s paralyzing. We wanted to activate them to take whatever the world throws at them, and the best way to do that was with games,” said Murrey.
With a decade in nonprofit youth activism, Murrey identified a gap in the conventional approach to training young activists. With this offering, she tackles the challenge of staying connected with the young leaders she trains.
Source: Wicked Games
World Reborn combines storytelling with AR, where in-game choices affect players’ energy levels. The catch? To recharge, players must perform real-world acts of kindness like leaving uplifting notes or joining community cleanups.
Interestingly, Wicked Saints doesn’t stop at mere gameplay. It nurtures a community where players share real-world actions via brief videos, fostering camaraderie and meaningful engagement.
In a landscape where women-led startups received 1.9% of venture capital in 2022 and Black founders just 1%, Wicked Saints drives change. It is the first company to emerge from Niantic’s Black Developers Initiative, an incubator supporting Black game creators.
Notably, the company aims to monetize through corporate and nonprofit partnerships to sponsor in-game missions, avoiding intrusive ads. Moreover, it plans a U.S. teaser launch of “World Reborn” next year, with a full release within 18 months.