Roblox, the maker of user-generated games and other content, said it has acquired the startup Guilded, a maker of platform for connecting gaming communities.
Roblox didn’t disclose the purchase price. The deal feels like one more step in service of Roblox’s goal of creating the metaverse, the universe of virtual worlds that are all interconnected, like in novels such as Snow Crash and Ready Player One. It also puts it in step with competitors like Discord and Epic Games’ Houseparty app for gamer chat. Doing chat right in a metaverse setting is essential, since socializing is likely to be just as important as playing in the metaverse.
Since launching in 2017, Guilded has built a platform with the intention to connect gaming communities, including tools and features such as tiered voice chat, video chat, integrated calendars, scheduling tools and more. In March, the company launched its bot application programming interface (API) to simplify bot development, allowing users with little or no programming experience to easily create bots.
Guilded will continue to operate as an independent product group, which is headed by Guilded CEO Eli Brown. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati served as legal counsel to Roblox in the transaction.