Shasta Ventures led the round with additional funding secured from GSR Ventures and Pioneer Square Labs Ventures. Jacob Mullins, a partner at Shasta Ventures, joined the board of directors. BigBox VR has raised a total of $6.45 million in funding to date.

The BigBox VR co-founders, Chia Chin Lee and Gabe Brown, are game industry entrepreneurs who led successful exits and launched top-grossing live service products at Valve, Disney, Sony, and Microsoft. Through their experience in building online game businesses, they see an opportunity to create platform-defining VR content that becomes the center of a thriving esport ecosystem.

"We're excited to team up with partners who believe in accelerating VR online games and esports," said Chia Chin Lee, BigBox VR's CEO and co-founder. "It takes boldness to build products and communities that define emerging platforms, and we have the perfect team and investors to bring that vision to life."

Building upon the success of its first VR game, Smashbox Arena which has a 95% positive rating on Steam, BigBox VR plans to redefine the VR multiplayer experience with its upcoming battle royale action game POPULATION: ONE.

Through POPULATION: ONE (now in private beta), BigBox VR will elevate the VR multiplayer experience in three key ways:

Content only possible in VR using FreeMotion - Climb, fly and build with up to 24 players simultaneously in a round. POPULATION: ONE will launch with cross-play compatibility (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality with more platforms to come), and live services featuring ongoing events and new content drops.

Community-driven - Play and spectate with people all over the world, feeling like you are physically in the same space. Players can wave to each other, high five after a great kill, and use body language in a way that makes social interactions come to life. Post launch, players will contribute user generated content (UGC) available in a live marketplace.

Esports appeal - With built in broadcast and tournament tools, POPULATION: ONE has the potential to be one of the biggest VR games on the competitive event circuit. Stay tuned for competitive event and partner news.

"It was an easy choice to back the BigBox VR team, who have a history of success in key technology platform shifts," said Jacob Mullins, partner at Shasta Ventures. "They are taking a true, native VR approach to product and user interaction for their upcoming game, POPULATION: ONE, which epitomizes the future of social engagement in virtual digital worlds. More than just a game in the broadest sense, it can evolve into a community that exists beyond the game environment."

About BigBox VR

BigBox VR is a startup based in Seattle creating the future of online VR multiplayer games. Its mission is to combine platform-defining games, social communities, and competitive play to create a VR esport ecosystem. Founded in 2016 by game industry entrepreneurs who led successful exits and launched top-grossing live service products at Valve, Disney, Sony, and Microsoft. The VC-backed company will launch the first FreeMotion battle royale VR game, POPULATION: ONE in 2019. FreeMotion gives players the freedom to climb anything and fly anywhere in VR. Request a spot in the private beta at http://www.populationonevr.com. Visit us on the web at www.bigboxvr.com.