Hypersonic Laboratories, a game studio, has raised $7 million in funding to develop Helix, a multiplayer role-playing sandbox platform for user-generated content (UGC). The platform aims to empower creators and players by allowing them to create their own games and virtual worlds. With Helix, modders can create games with triple-A graphics and real-life cityscape scale. The funding round was led by Play Ventures, with participation from other investors. This brings Hypersonic’s total funding to $11 million. The funds will be used to expand the team and prepare for Helix’s closed alpha launch later this year.
CEO Jack Kim, who grew up modding open-world games like GTA, saw an opportunity to create a dedicated platform for modding. He wanted to provide a safe environment for modders, who have often been on the fringes of the industry. Helix, built on Unreal Engine 5, allows users to create virtual worlds that can be games, simulations, or art showcases. The platform offers professional tooling for modding, solving the problem of unstable third-party tools often used by modders.
The goal of Helix is to provide a home for modders and encourage creativity. The platform will have default maps, including one that resembles New York City, but the majority of content will be created by other artists. The team believes that using Unreal Engine 5 will result in more realistic creations that appeal to older players and developers. Helix will support a variety of environments and enable the creation of different types of games.
Despite the popularity of role-playing mods, the industry has provided little support to this community. Hypersonic aims to change that by building the ultimate moddable game with Helix. The company is led by a team of veterans from various gaming companies and has already gained credibility and recognition within the RP developer circle. The platform has attracted attention from developers who enjoy Garry’s Mod, and Hypersonic has hired some of those community members to join its team.
The company plans to be in closed alpha testing this year and is confident in its ability to execute its ambitious vision. The funding received during the downturn shows investors’ confidence in the progress made so far. Hypersonic aims to fill the gap in the underserved RP space and create a platform that empowers creators and players alike.
