Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated Producer BloodPop Launches Innovative Game Studio Alongside Industry Veterans

Genpop Interactive’s First Title, a Unique and Pioneering Take on the Shooter Genre, in Development by Seasoned Game-industry Experts and Influential Cultural Connectors

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Grammy-winning songwriter and producer BloodPop, while working on projects for artists like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, has founded and launched Genpop Interactive alongside former DeNA and BANDAI NAMCO executive Aubrey Tennant. Genpop Interactive is a game development studio building original AAA games that will drive forward the next-gen of music, fashion and gaming culture. The studio comprises more than 25 developers, drawing from decades of experience in the production, AI, design and development of dozens of top-grossing and critically acclaimed titles including League of Legends, Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk, Red Dead Redemption II, The Sims and many more.

Genpop’s first project is an ambitious third person shooter with novel movement and combat mechanics. “At a time when low risk tolerance among established studios has resulted in predictable re-releases capitalizing on millennial nostalgia, Gen-Z is eager for new IP that speaks to them, and has a long legacy that defines their generation. Major studios have become complacent, relying on giving the Weekend at Bernie’s treatment to their old IP with their publicly traded necromancy. We aren’t just on a mission to create the next great game, but nurture the next generation of popular culture,” said BloodPop, CEO and game director, Genpop.

Genpop recently raised $6.5M in seed funding, led by Makers Fund, with participation from Xbox co-creator Ed Fries’ 1Up Ventures and Good Smile Company, creators of collectible figure lines Nendoroid and POP UP PARADE, and animation company Studio TRIGGER (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, KILL la KILL, Promare).

“It’s a serendipitous partnership with Makers Fund, Good Smile Company and 1Up, with each investor uniquely positioned to help us create the absolute best gamer content for audiences around the world,” said Aubrey Tennant, co-founder and COO, Genpop. “We believe that we are uniquely positioned to change the shooter genre with a layered social world that changes based on feedback from the community. We can’t wait to share it with more people in the coming months.”

“The team at Genpop, led by BloodPop and Aubrey, have created an incredible game world, shaped by players and that expertly blends the best game, music, and pop culture,” said Andrew Willson, Makers Fund. “Genpop is building a cross-media experience with a new IP that will give players the ability to shape the social elements of their favorite game. It will be a destination for the next generation for years to come.”

To learn more about Genpop, please visit genpopinteractive.com. Genpop is currently hiring a UI Designer and Brand Manager.

About Genpop Interactive

Genpop Interactive is an independent game studio on a mission to create the best places for players to play together. Led by Grammy Award-winning producer and game developer BloodPop and former DeNA and BANDAI NAMCO monetization designer and live-ops producer Aubrey Tennant, Genpop was founded in 2020 to build immersive, dynamic game worlds. Genpop is a fully remote studio, with roots in 21 cities and 5 countries. To learn more, please visit genpopinteractive.com.

About Makers Fund

Makers Fund is a global interactive entertainment venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments. Makers is dedicated to furthering growth and innovation in the interactive entertainment industry. With more than 90 portfolio companies to date, Makers provides founders strategic value that is deeply catered to companies across the value chain in the industry. For more information, visit makersfund.com.

About Good Smile Company

Good Smile Company (GSC) was founded by Takanori Aki in 2001 and is a Japanese manufacturer of high quality collectible figures, such as scale figures and the Nendoroid and POP UP PARADE lines as well as the figma brand by Max Factory. In addition to production and manufacturing, Good Smile Company is involved in the designing, marketing and distributing of their products. Not only are they involved in figure-making, GSC also produces animation and films under its associated holding company, Ultra Super Pictures. In the world of race cars, GSC owns its own professional team, Good Smile Racing, which competes in the Super GT GT300 race class. Aside from the main headquarters in Akihabara, Tokyo numerous GSC offices operate all over the world including the US and China. To learn more about Good Smile Company, visit goodsmileus.com.

Contacts

Sibel Sunar

fortyseven communications for Makers Fund

makersfund@fortyseven.com