FEED Spring 2022 Web

A new metaverse-ready start-up combines video game universes with real-life fighters

ust when you thought the spectacle of sports and gaming couldn’t be pushed any further, along comes the United Battle League!

Billed as “a new and disruptive martial arts experience”, the UBL is a unique start-up, combining the unpredictable physicality of competitive combat sports with the thrilling drama and fantastic narratives of video gaming. It could very well be the first major sports hit of the metaverse. “The market for fighting series and sports leagues is huge,” says UBL CMO Steffen Kellner. “It’s a multi-billion-dollar market, but all the companies involved have a very similar position. People watch it for the combat and the violence, and we thought there must be room for new entries and innovation. Since our background is in technology, we decided our differentiation should be tech-based.” One essential component of the UBL is the outfits worn by the competitors, created by UBL partner 2020 Armor. These vests, developed by 2020 Armor CEO Ali Ghafour (also formerly part of Canada’s national taekwondo team), were originally designed to assist training and scoring for martial arts. The vests can digitally record various types of impact, which in the UBL metaverse environment

may then be converted into data immediately, for point-scoring and triggering any number of graphics and rich media moments. A GAMING VISION The UBL is designed to appeal to a younger audience who grew up with gaming, offering a sweet spot between esports and martial arts. It livestreams bouts between top-end professional fighters, challenging each other in immersive environments. Using LED video wall technology, combined with graphics

tech, this puts real human combat into a dynamic fantasy setting. Kellner was previously at Red Bull, and knows a thing or two about cultivating action brands – as well as developing events that reach global audiences. “When I was at Red Bull, our strongest return on events was never with the in-person part – it was always the media product that we distributed afterwards. And focusing on this final media product allows us to be much more radical with our gaming vision.”

FACE-OFF Sohwon Kim of the Heemang Dragons takes on Yunus Sari of the Gen Town Thunder in the Alley arena

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