PlayChange Announces "Round One" for National Video Game Day, Marking Next Phase of Athlete-Owned Gaming

Coordinated Launch Includes August Demo Release, CryptoBoxers Roadmap, Community Memberships, Online Store, Independent Artist Initiative, and Community Funding Campaign

ATLANTA, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Video Game Day, PlayChange.io has announced Round One, a major launch event introducing the next phase of its athlete-owned gaming ecosystem.

Founded by CEO Andrew Gilliam, PlayChange.io merges sports, blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital commerce, and community engagement into one futuristic platform. Rather than launching a single game, Round One activates the first phase of a broader ecosystem designed to connect athletes, creators, musicians, and gamers in the future of sports entertainment.

As part of Round One, PlayChange announced that its first public playable demo will be released in August, giving players their first opportunity to experience the PlayChange platform and begin exploring the growing CryptoBoxers universe. Round One also marks the activation of several core features that represent the beginning of PlayChange's long-term business model.

Beginning this month, PlayChange will officially launch Community Memberships, the official PlayChange and Professional Athlete Merchandise Store, partnering with an ad agency for monetization of the platform, and a community funding campaign with an initial goal of $100,000 to support development, athlete onboarding, platform expansion, and future sports titles.

As part of the National Video Game Day celebration, every new PlayChange subscriber during the Round One campaign will receive an exclusive digital Founder Pack containing behind-the-scenes development content, concept artwork, early previews of future titles, exclusive digital collectibles, and priority access to upcoming announcements.

PlayChange also announced the opening of its Independent Artist Initiative, inviting musicians worldwide to submit original music for consideration in CryptoBoxers, future PlayChange games, official trailers, and curated soundtrack releases.

"Starting this company from nothing and reaching the point where we're activating our first internal revenue streams is incredibly rewarding," said Tanya Hughes, Chief Financial Officer of PlayChange.io. "Round One represents much more than launching features. It represents the beginning of a scalable business we've built from the ground up. As we continue executing our roadmap, we look forward to working alongside strategic angel investors and partners who believe in building long-term value. The systems we've created are designed to expand beyond one title and support multiple athlete-owned characters and games in the years ahead."

Artificial intelligence continues to play a significant role in PlayChange's development strategy, allowing the company to accelerate production while continually improving player experiences.

"The August demo is the ground floor of what we're building," notes Syed Taha Rizvi, Head of AI Technology at PlayChange.io. "Our initial release is being built in Unity, allowing us to rapidly test gameplay systems, online services, and community features with real users. As our technology roadmap advances, we intend to transition future development toward Unreal Engine to support the premium-quality visual and gameplay experiences we envision. Alongside the demo, players will be able to explore our online store, support professional athletes through merchandise purchases, connect within our growing community, and preview many of the systems already under development."

The company's flagship title, CryptoBoxers: Round 1, remains on schedule for release during the fourth quarter of 2026. CryptoBoxers is PlayChange's original sports gaming title and the first major proof point for the company's athlete-owned gaming model.

Originally conceived by Gilliam as an early blockchain-based boxing game prototype in 2019, CryptoBoxers has evolved into an immersive fantasy boxing experience designed to connect gamers, professional athletes, digital collectibles, artificial intelligence, and community participation within one interactive ecosystem. The game shifts the traditional sports gaming model by positioning athletes as long-term participants in the value they help create, while giving players new ways to engage, compete, collect, and participate in the expanding PlayChange platform.

"Our vision has never been to simply build another boxing game," cites Andrew Gilliam, Founder and CEO of PlayChange.io. "We're building an infrastructure that allows athletes to own more of the value they create while giving fans entirely new ways to participate. CryptoBoxers is our first proof point, but the long-term vision is a platform supporting multiple sports, communities, and creators under one ecosystem."

PlayChange believes Round One is not simply the launch of new features. It is the beginning of a new chapter where athletes, creators, investors, and gamers collectively help shape the future of sports gaming.

To register for the upcoming demo, access premium features, or learn more about Round One, visit https://playchange.io/signup.

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SOURCE PlayChange.io