Those Beyond
Those Beyond is a UK-based videogame publisher that builds and deploys immersive, social gaming experiences tied to major entertainment franchises (including SpongeBob, Fallout, Valorant, and Invincible) directly on Discord, Reddit, Twitch, and Snapchat, using its proprietary ARISE Engine to serve fan communities and entertainment IP holders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBath, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Those Beyond does
Those Beyond (legal entity: Those Beyond Studios Limited) is a UK-based videogame publisher founded in 2021, headquartered in London with a registered office in Bath. The company designs and publishes immersive social gaming experiences tied to major entertainment franchises, deploying them as native applications on platforms where fan communities already congregate — most prominently Discord, with additional integrations into Reddit, Twitch, and Snapchat. Its published portfolio includes SpongeBob: The Big Guy Challenge, Fallout Season Two: The Pip-Boy, Black Phone 2, Mission: Impossible, Valorant Champions Paris: Pick 'Ems, Invincible Season Two, SCP: Afterworld, and an upcoming War of the Worlds activation.
The company's core technical asset is the proprietary ARISE Engine, which powers a Mass Community Play system designed for rapid build and global deployment of time-bound franchise activations. Distribution is anchored on Discord, where games are discoverable through Discord's app discovery feature, bypassing traditional mobile app store channels. Strategic IP partnerships are concentrated at the "core" tier with Paramount, Amazon MGM, Riot Games, Skybound, Universal Pictures, and Blumhouse, indicating a co-development and licensing model with major entertainment IP holders.
Commercially, Those Beyond generates revenue through videogame publishing (one-time license) and branded/IP experience activations (licensing royalties). The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, targeting highly engaged fan bases during franchise releases and tournaments. The company is privately held and venture-backed by Seedcamp, Cherry Ventures, Playfair Capital, Acurio Ventures, CASSIUS, Common Magic, and IQC, with a $1.6M funding round recorded in September 2025 and Will Kassoy serving as Chairman.
Those Beyond firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Those Beyond
- Legal name
- Those Beyond Studios Limited
- Website
- https://thosebeyond.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Those Beyond is a UK-based videogame publisher that builds and deploys immersive, social gaming experiences tied to major entertainment franchises (including SpongeBob, Fallout, Valorant, and Invincible) directly on Discord, Reddit, Twitch, and Snapchat, using its proprietary ARISE Engine to serve fan communities and entertainment IP holders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Those Beyond industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Gaming
- akta.pro primary industry
- Roleplay Communities & Frameworks (GTA RP, FiveM-like ecosystems) (MPAFAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Game Distribution Platforms & Storefronts (PC/Mobile/Console) (MPAFABAB)
Keywords
Where Those Beyond is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bath
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Those Beyond business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Video Game Publishing: Those Beyond is described as a videogame publisher that creates games and experiences for fans of entertainment franchises. Revenue is generated through game publishing, likely including transactional game sales and in-experience monetization. The company integrates with platforms like Discord where games are made available directly to users.
- Branded/IP Experience Activations: The company builds branded immersive experiences for entertainment franchises (Spongebob, Fallout, Mission: Impossible, Valorant, Invincible, SCP, War of the Worlds, Black Phone 2). These activations serve both as entertainment products and marketing tools for IP holders, creating revenue through licensing and co-development arrangements.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Those Beyond product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Those Beyond is a videogame publisher that designs, builds, and distributes immersive social gaming experiences tied to major entertainment franchises. Its games—including Spongebob: The Big Guy Challenge, Fallout Season Two: The Pip-Boy, Black Phone 2, Mission: Impossible, Valorant Champions Paris: Pick 'Ems, Invincible Season Two, and SCP: Afterworld—are deployed directly inside fan platforms (primarily Discord, plus Reddit, Twitch, and Snapchat) using the proprietary ARISE Engine and a Mass Community Play system, both licensed IP-based branded activations and co-developed consumer games.
Product overview
Those Beyond operates as a videogame publisher offering an integrated platform-plus-games architecture. The core technology is the proprietary ARISE Engine, which powers their Mass Community Play system for rapidly building and deploying immersive social gaming experiences globally. Their portfolio consists of licensed IP-based games deployed as Discord applications, including SpongeBob: The Big Guy Challenge, Fallout Season Two: The Pip-Boy, Black Phone 2, Mission: Impossible, Valorant Champions Paris: Pick 'Ems, Invincible Season Two, SCP: Afterworld, and the upcoming War of the Worlds. The platform integrates directly into existing fan communities on Discord, Reddit, Twitch, and Snapchat rather than building standalone destinations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ARISE Engine: Proprietary engine powering the company's Mass Community Play system, enabling rapid build and deployment of immersive experiences at global scale
Products and services
- Spongebob: The Big Guy Challenge Interactive Discord-based social game featuring the SpongeBob SquarePants intellectual property, deployed as a Discord application discoverable through Discord's app discovery system, targeting SpongeBob franchise fans for community engagement and play.
- Fallout Season Two: The Pip-Boy Interactive immersive experience tied to the Fallout television series, featuring Pip-Boy interface elements and fan engagement mechanics, deployed via Discord for Fallout fans.
- Black Phone 2 Interactive social experience based on the Black Phone 2 film, enabling horror franchise fan engagement through Discord-distributed gameplay.
- Mission: Impossible Interactive immersive experience based on the Mission: Impossible franchise, deployed as a Discord application for fan engagement around the property.
- Valorant Champions Paris: Pick 'Ems Prediction-based social game built around the Valorant Champions tournament in Paris, featuring esports pick'em fan engagement mechanics for Riot Games' Valorant audience.
- Invincible Season Two Interactive experience based on the Invincible animated series, including location-based gameplay elements that allow fans to engage with the franchise.
- SCP: Afterworld Interactive social experience built on the SCP Foundation creative-fiction universe, featuring selector mechanics and fan community engagement.
Companies that use Those Beyond
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Those Beyond technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Those Beyond partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DiscordcorePrimary platform for distributing Those Beyond's games and experiences. Games are published as Discord applications, discoverable through Discord's application discovery system, and playable directly within Discord. This is a core distribution and engagement platform.
- ParamountcoreEntertainment IP holder providing intellectual property for branded immersive experiences. Featured in the portfolio of experiences including Spongebob-related content.
- Amazon MGMcoreEntertainment IP holder providing intellectual property for branded immersive experiences. Featured in the portfolio with Prime/MGM branding.
- Riot GamescoreEntertainment IP holder providing intellectual property for branded immersive experiences. Featured in the portfolio with Valorant Champions Paris activations.
- SkyboundcoreEntertainment IP holder providing intellectual property for branded immersive experiences. Featured in the portfolio with Invincible Season Two content.
- Universal PicturescoreEntertainment IP holder providing intellectual property for branded immersive experiences. Featured in the portfolio with War of the Worlds content.
- Blumhouse ProductionscoreEntertainment IP holder providing intellectual property for branded immersive experiences. Featured in the portfolio with Black Phone 2 content.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Those Beyond competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Supersocial: Supersocial is a Roblox and Discord game studio that builds branded virtual worlds and experiences for entertainment and consumer brands. Highly comparable to Those Beyond's branded-IP, platform-native activation model.
- Melon: Melon is a Discord-native gaming platform that hosts and publishes social games within Discord servers. Direct peer in Discord-native distribution and social-game publishing, with similar target users (Discord-resident communities).
- Gamefam: Gamefam develops and operates branded immersive games and live experiences on platforms like Roblox and Discord for major entertainment IP holders. Closely comparable to Those Beyond's model of building licensed-IP social games on third-party fan platforms.
- The Gang (Vermillion): Amsterdam-based game studio building multiplayer social games on Discord and other platforms with branded and IP-driven experiences. Closely comparable GTM of platform-native, community-led social games.
Others
- Overwolf: Overwolf provides in-game apps, mods, and creator monetization infrastructure for PC games. Comparable in enabling creator/developer-built experiences layered on top of gaming platforms, adjacent to Those Beyond's platform-integration approach.
Broad incumbents
- Roblox: Roblox is the dominant UGC social gaming platform and a primary venue where branded entertainment experiences are built (e.g., by Gamefam, Supersocial). Those Beyond's branded IP-games strategy competes for the same entertainment-fan wallet share.
- Rec Room: Rec Room is a cross-platform UGC social gaming platform with branded IP collaborations and community rooms. Comparable in delivering UGC, social, and IP-driven multiplayer experiences, though on its own platform rather than Discord.
- Fandom: Fandom operates the largest network of fan wikis and entertainment community properties, monetizing via advertising and commerce around entertainment IP. Comparable audience (franchise fans) and adjacent value proposition (community-driven franchise engagement).
- Zynga: Zynga is a major social and mobile games publisher with extensive experience in branded/licensed IP games (e.g., Star Wars, Harry Potter). Comparable as an established publisher of IP-driven social games, though traditionally mobile/app-store rather than Discord-native.
- Manticore Games: Manticore operates Core, a UGC game-creation and publishing platform with social multiplayer games. Comparable in delivering social/UGC game experiences, but operates its own platform rather than integrating into existing fan communities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Those Beyond social profiles
Digital presenceThose Beyond financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Those Beyond leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Those Beyond funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Those Beyond M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Those Beyond
What does Those Beyond do?
Those Beyond is a videogame publisher that designs, builds, and distributes immersive social gaming experiences tied to major entertainment franchises. Its games—including Spongebob: The Big Guy Challenge, Fallout Season Two: The Pip-Boy, Black Phone 2, Mission: Impossible, Valorant Champions Paris: Pick 'Ems, Invincible Season Two, and SCP: Afterworld—are deployed directly inside fan platforms (primarily Discord, plus Reddit, Twitch, and Snapchat) using the proprietary ARISE Engine and a Mass Community Play system, both licensed IP-based branded activations and co-developed consumer games.
Is Those Beyond a public or private company?
Those Beyond is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Those Beyond founded?
Those Beyond was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Those Beyond based?
Those Beyond is headquartered in Bath, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Those Beyond make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Video Game Publishing is the primary driver. The others are branded/IP Experience Activations.
Who are Those Beyond's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Supersocial, Melon, Gamefam and The Gang (Vermillion). Overwolf is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Roblox, Rec Room, Fandom, Zynga and Manticore Games.
Does Those Beyond have an API?
No public API is recorded for Those Beyond.
What industry is Those Beyond in?
Those Beyond's product category is Social Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAIAH, Roleplay Communities & Frameworks (GTA RP, FiveM-like ecosystems), with a secondary code of MPAFABAB, Digital Game Distribution Platforms & Storefronts (PC/Mobile/Console).