Big Time Studios
Big Time Studios develops Big Time, a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG with blockchain-based asset ownership, alongside the Open Loot Web3 gaming marketplace for trading NFTs and $BIGTIME tokens. It serves 1.5 million registered gamers globally through a player-driven cosmetic economy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Big Time Studios does
Big Time Studios is a Web3 gaming company founded in April 2020 by Ari Meilich and incorporated in the Cayman Islands (Big Time Studios, Ltd.), with a US operating subsidiary (Open Loot LLC) and a fully distributed global team of 11–50 employees. Its flagship product is Big Time, a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG for Windows PC that combines time-travel narrative, procedural dungeon generation, and a player-owned economy built on blockchain-based digital assets. The studio's core technological platform is Open Loot, a marketplace and back-end infrastructure that handles NFT trading, $BIGTIME token management, KYC/AML compliance, payment processing (crypto, cards, bank transfers), and fraud prevention for gaming partners.
The company's product architecture centers on an interlocking set of tokenized systems: $BIGTIME (a fair-launch token with 5 billion max supply, no team/investor allocation), SPACE (player-owned personal metaverse land in varying rarities), Workshops — Forge, Armory, and Time Warden (utility NFTs for crafting weapons, armor, and Hourglasses), Hourglasses (token-generating artifacts), and Pocket Watches (class-switching devices). Players earn $BIGTIME through gameplay with equipped Hourglasses and spend it on crafting, upgrading, and accessing Prestige Portals. Cosmetics are crafted via player-controlled recipes that the studio supplies as 3D models, with the company taking a 5% fee on all marketplace transactions calculated in USDC. Transcendent-tier NFT items start at $9,666 with capped supply of 100.
Big Time Studios monetizes through marketplace commissions (5%), direct NFT sales, and token-related activity. Its go-to-market is community-led and product-led, anchored by a Discord community and a 1.5 million-player base, supplemented by organic social across X, YouTube, Twitch, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook. In December 2025 the company announced a strategic shift away from third-party game partnerships to concentrate on internally developed titles, including a new mobile pet-collecting adventure and a competitive strategy game. Previously, the $150 million Open Loot Fund (announced February 2025) had been positioned to back third-party developers integrating blockchain. The company is venture-backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Framework Ventures, FBG Capital, Digital Currency Group, OKX Ventures, and others, and was previously known as BTS (Time and Space Ltd.).
Big Time Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Time Studios
- Legal name
- Big Time Studios, Ltd.
- Website
- https://bigtime.gg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Time Studios develops Big Time, a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG with blockchain-based asset ownership, alongside the Open Loot Web3 gaming marketplace for trading NFTs and $BIGTIME tokens. It serves 1.5 million registered gamers globally through a player-driven cosmetic economy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Time Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blockchain Gaming Platform
- NAICS
- Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Web3/Blockchain Game Studios (MPAFAAAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Blockchain Game Studios & Game Development (FSAPAGAC), Digital Game Marketplaces & Item Economies (NFT/Skins/Trading) (BPAMAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Big Time Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big Time Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Marketplace Transaction Fees: Open Loot marketplace facilitates buying, selling, and trading of NFTs and digital assets. Company earns 5% marketplace fee on all transactions calculated using USDC value.
- In-Game Token Purchases: Players purchase $BIGTIME tokens for crafting, upgrading, and accessing special game areas. Tokens can be earned through gameplay or purchased.
- NFT Sales: Direct sales of NFTs including Cosmetic Collectibles, Utility Collectibles (Workshops), and SPACE. Transactions subject to Gas Fees on Ethereum network.
- Third-Party Game Support: Open Loot platform supports multiple third-party games with integrated analytics, NFT management, and marketplace services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with cosmetic economy |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | NFT Collectibles with various price points |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Marketplace fee on all secondary sales |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Big Time Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Time Studios develops and operates Big Time, a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG for PC that combines time-travel narrative with cosmetic-driven, player-owned economy mechanics. The company also operates Open Loot, a blockchain gaming marketplace and platform that handles NFT/token management, payments (crypto, cards, bank transfers), KYC/AML compliance, and fraud prevention for both its own game and third-party Web3 game developers.
Product overview
Big Time Studios operates a platform-plus-game architecture consisting of Big Time (the flagship free-to-play action RPG) and Open Loot (the underlying blockchain gaming platform and marketplace). Big Time is a PC-based multiplayer RPG where players explore time and space through dungeons, craft cosmetic collectibles, and participate in a player-driven economy. The Open Loot platform powers all blockchain and marketplace functionality, handling NFT trading, token management, and payment processing. The game economy is centered on $BIGTIME tokens (earned through gameplay with equipped Hourglasses), cosmetic collectibles (craftable via Forges and Armories), and SPACE (player-owned digital land). Time Wardens enable crafting and recharging of Hourglasses, completing the crafting ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Open Loot: A Web3 gaming platform and marketplace that helps game developers create and manage in-game economies where players can buy, sell, and trade digital assets. Operates marketplace with integrated AML/KYC solutions, credit card support, fraud prevention, and marketing services.
- $BIGTIME
Products and services
- Big Time Big Time is a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG for PC (Windows) that combines fast-action combat with a time-travel adventure narrative. Players explore procedurally generated dungeons, craft and trade cosmetic collectibles, and own in-game assets via blockchain/NFTs through the Open Loot platform.
- Open Loot Open Loot is a blockchain gaming marketplace and platform operated by Big Time Studios that enables players and game developers to buy, sell, and trade digital assets (NFTs and tokens). It handles all NFT/token management, integrated payments (crypto, cards, bank transfers), KYC/AML compliance, and fraud prevention.
- $BIGTIME Token $BIGTIME is the primary cryptocurrency token driving Big Time's in-game economy. With a maximum supply of 5 billion and fair-launch distribution, it is earned by players through gameplay with equipped Hourglasses and used for crafting, upgrading collectibles, and accessing Prestige Portals.
Quantifiable outcome
- $443 million marketplace volume in single month (November 2024 Preseason)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Time Studios
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Big Time Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Big Time Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Affected Third-Party Games (Boss Fighters, Shatterpoint, The Desolation, Kokodi)minorStrategic shift away from third-party partnerships to concentrate on internally developed titles. $2.9 million discount credit program launched for players affected by discontinuation of support for these titles.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Time Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Immutable: Immutable operates a Web3 gaming platform and NFT marketplace (Immutable zkEVM, Immutable X) with its own game studio titles. Directly comparable as a multi-tenant blockchain gaming infrastructure provider competing for the same third-party developers and player communities as Open Loot.
- The Sandbox: The Sandbox is a Web3 voxel-based metaverse game with player-owned LAND (analogous to Big Time's SPACE), a SAND token economy, and an NFT marketplace for in-game assets. Directly comparable as a blockchain-native game with digital land, cosmetic economy, and token-based player rewards.
- Sky Mavis (Axie Infinity): Sky Mavis operates Axie Infinity, a play-to-earn Web3 RPG with NFT-based characters and a marketplace. Highly comparable as a flagship Web3 RPG with token-driven player economy, NFT trading, and marketplace revenue.
- Gala Games: Gala Games is a Web3 gaming platform publishing multiple game titles under a shared GALA token economy and NFT marketplace. Comparable as a multi-game Web3 platform with token-based player rewards and digital asset trading.
- Mythical Games: Mythical Games operates Blankos Block Party and the Mythos Chain, a Web3 gaming platform serving multiple third-party titles with NFT economies. Comparable as a blockchain-native multi-game platform with marketplace infrastructure and ecosystem fund support.
- Magic Eden: Magic Eden is a leading NFT marketplace that has expanded into gaming NFTs and Web3 gaming verticals. Directly comparable as a marketplace operator competing with Open Loot for NFT trading volume and game developer integrations.
- Decentraland: Decentraland is a Web3 virtual world with player-owned LAND, a MANA token, and an in-world NFT marketplace. Comparable as a blockchain-based metaverse game with digital land ownership and a token-driven player economy.
- Enjin: Enjin provides blockchain gaming infrastructure (Enjin Blockchain, Efinity) and tools for NFT-based game economies. Comparable as a Web3 gaming platform offering developer infrastructure and token/NFT integration.
Broad incumbents
- Animoca Brands: Animoca Brands is a large Web3 gaming conglomerate with investments across 100+ blockchain games and platforms (including The Sandbox, Axie Infinity, Decentraland). Comparable as a broad incumbent in the Web3 gaming ecosystem with overlapping portfolio companies and ecosystem investment activity similar to Open Loot Fund.
Emerging players
- Stardust: Stardust provides Web3 gaming infrastructure including wallet integration, NFT marketplace, and player account systems for game developers. Comparable as an emerging platform enabling blockchain gaming integrations and competing for third-party developer relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big Time Studios social profiles
Digital presenceBig Time Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Time Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Big Time Studios subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Big Time Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Time Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Time Studios
What does Big Time Studios do?
Big Time Studios develops and operates Big Time, a free-to-play multiplayer action RPG for PC that combines time-travel narrative with cosmetic-driven, player-owned economy mechanics. The company also operates Open Loot, a blockchain gaming marketplace and platform that handles NFT/token management, payments (crypto, cards, bank transfers), KYC/AML compliance, and fraud prevention for both its own game and third-party Web3 game developers.
Is Big Time Studios a public or private company?
Big Time Studios is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Big Time Studios founded?
Big Time Studios was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Time Studios based?
Big Time Studios is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Time Studios make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Marketplace Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are in-Game Token Purchases, NFT Sales and third-Party Game Support.
Who are Big Time Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Immutable, The Sandbox, Sky Mavis (Axie Infinity), Gala Games, Mythical Games, Magic Eden, Decentraland and Enjin. Animoca Brands is listed as a broad incumbent. Stardust is listed as an emerging player.
Does Big Time Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Time Studios.
What industry is Big Time Studios in?
Big Time Studios's product category is Blockchain Gaming Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAO, Web3/Blockchain Game Studios, with a secondary code of FSAPAGAC, Blockchain Game Studios & Game Development. Its NAICS code is 7131 and its SIC code is 7990.