Project O is a brand new trading card game (TCG) launched by Koin Games, quietly developed over the past two years by a small focused team that has now grown to 34 people. CEO Timothy Jooste is a South African entrepreneur with over $3 billion in tech sales experience.
Joining him is Kevin Lambert, a veteran game developer with nearly 30 years of experience, who co-founded Microsoft's casual gaming division.
The team is not chasing the web3 token trend but is focused on building a competitive strategy game that can compete with the best traditional games, using blockchain only where it can genuinely enhance the player experience.
Project O will launch later this year on mobile and PC platforms, reimagining classic characters like Winnie the Pooh and Robin Hood, creating a fast-paced card collecting battle game with matches lasting 7 to 9 minutes, featuring both strategy and spectator appeal.
In this Q&A, we spoke with Jooste, Lambert, and Koin's marketing and web3 strategy head Alex Horvath to understand how the team abandoned their first game, rebuilt from scratch, and ultimately designed what they hope will be the first truly digital trading card economy.
Note: This record has been edited for length and clarity.
OpenSea: Before Project O became a refined card game with a growing player community, it was originally a rough experiment initiated by a handful of believers. How did a veteran game developer and a tech salesperson curious about Web3 find common ground?
Timothy Jooste: I spent nearly twenty years building large sales teams, starting from direct sales at Verizon to becoming a top producer nationwide, eventually building a team of 600 at Vivint that generated over $3 billion in revenue, but I have always loved gaming.
Around 2021, when people started launching NFT projects and games, Kevin reached out to me, asking if I was assembling a game team. Shortly after, we launched NFTs, which sold out within minutes.
At that time, there was not a single game studio employee on my payroll - just a creative director, a few artists, a blockchain engineer, and a front-end/back-end developer, that’s it. I was responsible for marketing, actively promoting the product on Discord, and my brother and some friends helped with modding.
Kevin Lambert: I have been in game production for nearly 30 years, and I found my purpose early on, where passion, skill, market demand, and revenue could align perfectly. At Microsoft, I co-founded a casual games studio and contributed to the development of games like (solitaire) and (minesweeper), which generated billions in revenue and nine-figure incomes.
I could have stayed, but in 2017, I became obsessed with what blockchain could bring to gaming, not just speculation, but creating new experiences. The question was, why was no one in the traditional gaming industry willing to touch blockchain? The kind of studio I envisioned hadn’t existed at the time.
OpenSea: I encountered Web3 through personal finance writing. As a writer, I instantly saw the potential of blockchain in areas like intellectual property protection, crowdsourcing, and transparency, but I was surprised by the polarization of the concept - because for me, the value of blockchain is so clear.
Kevin Lambert: Early rejection of blockchain by gamers was due to technology and finance leading the way - developers flaunting technology, then financiers pushing monetization and play-to-earn. Gamers, who for decades never expected to profit, felt this was a betrayal, and the space was filled with scams.
I wanted to create an excellent experience, but by 2021, every founder I met was pushing NFTs without the product-first mentality. They felt like finance bros making two-way bets. Then I met Tim, whose sales pitch was refreshingly honest: 'We haven't succeeded yet; we will build it with the community.' This wasn't hype; it was sincere, and at that moment, I knew we could do something great.
OpenSea: Thank you for your background information, Alex. How did you join this team?
Alex Horvath: I am not a founder, but more of a supporting role. I have been working in Web3 for many years and previously created two successful startups outside of gaming. I met Tim in Neo Tokyo, and we have been friends for about three years. In December 2023, when I played the first prototype, I saw its potential, and then I officially joined. My responsibilities include marketing, Web3 strategy, and business development.
OpenSea: From fans to players to team members, this is truly an exciting lifecycle. So, for new players in Koin Games, what is Project O? How is it different from previous trading card games?
Kevin Lambert: Our goal is to create a game that can compete with the best in traditional gaming - and to give ownership where it adds value. Our goal is not to create the best Web3 game, but to create a top TCG game that just happens to use blockchain technology.
Initially, we tried an auto-battler game: suitable for mobile, easy to learn, but challenging to master. However, a year later, we found it was not popular - especially for viewers. The game played well, but the viewing experience was lacking.
Thus, we turned to trading card games, which are very suitable for player ownership, and the visual effects are also easier to understand. We added synchronized turns, bold visuals, and audience-centered features to create a fast-paced, strategic, and fun game - a truly digital trading card game designed for players and fans.
OpenSea: This is interesting - I have been reporting on Web3 for many years, and TCG has always been seen as the most obvious model to connect collectors with gameplay, but I am curious - why did you start with auto-battler games? Is blockchain technology inherently better suited for certain game modes rather than others?
Timothy Jooste: At that time, auto-battler made sense to us, the mid-core mobile games were popular, and we found a gap: players in their 30s still craved competitive and engaging gameplay experiences, rather than games that required quick reflexes.
Moreover, emerging markets are increasingly focusing on mobile. After abandoning auto-battler, we went through four months of 'creative desert', exploring various games from RAID clones to grid-based games, but we always adhered to the core goal: a highly strategic, mobile-first, competitive game with depth in collecting.
Ultimately, we believe trading card games (TCG) are the best match for blockchain. Physical cards have always been tradable; we are just bringing that magic online.
Kevin Lambert: We have believed from day one that if blockchain does not bring something unique, it does not belong to us. Tim calls this principle 'use blockchain only when necessary.' That's right, ownership allows you to resell items, but that's not the most exciting part; ownership can bring experiences that traditional games cannot provide.
OpenSea: For example? Are there any interesting ideas in the community?
Kevin Lambert: The most exciting ideas come from creating virtual collecting experiences that only make sense when you truly own the digital version of the items, like betting cards in battles - this was a feature proposed by our early community, or recording highlights of matches directly onto the cards, making them living memories.
Years later, you can relive these exciting moments in high definition, just like owning a physical collectible with a backstory. However, in digital form, not only can you tell the story, but you can also showcase it.
OpenSea: This idea is really crazy, it’s quite interesting to think about, and the shift to mobile-first also makes a lot of sense. Has anyone developed a truly native mobile trading card game yet?
Timothy Jooste: Not entirely, Marvel Snap is the closest, but it is a bit too casual for hardcore trading card game (TCG) players; for example, Magic: The Gathering players might not feel at ease there.
We saw the gap; no one had built a truly mobile-native trading card game with competitive depth, which is our opportunity. Our plan has always been to first create a world-class Web2 game and then naturally lead Web2 players to discover the value of ownership in the game.
OpenSea: Clever, so how do you avoid a backlash when Web2 players encounter blockchain features?
Kevin Lambert: We take a dual approach; first, the blockchain part is invisible and frictionless. For example, when you 'rate' a digital card (just like in physical trading card games), it automatically goes on-chain, and most players won’t even realize it is Web3.
Secondly, we acknowledge this skeptical attitude, and we agree: there is too much fraud, too many 'trust us bro' projects. We are here to showcase a better way.
Alex Horvath: In addition, we are building a truly collectible, creator-driven ecosystem where players will eventually be able to use a Reddit-like upvote system to recommend, test, and co-create cards. If the community players like it, it might be integrated into the game.
Timothy Jooste: User-generated content will be launched after the core version is released. Our roadmap follows the model of (Fortnite): stabilize first, then expand, and finally open creation tools for players to use. The first phase will include a card creation sandbox with AI opponents - perfect for composing and testing cards.
Kevin Lambert: For example, the commander mode of (Magic: The Gathering) was created by the community. We want to embrace this creativity from the start, so why not equip players with the same tools we have?
OpenSea: Let's talk about your deployment, when did you officially launch on web3?
Timothy Jooste: Our first NFT series - Dev Squad - launched in 2021. It was more about community building than gameplay. Since then, we have been working hard, and the main asset tied to the game is called blueprints.
It combines the card collection style of Magic: The Gathering, IP ownership style of Pudgy Penguins, and economic functions. Blueprints are limited editions, with each set containing 100 copies, offering partial IP rights, game rewards, and revenue sharing for specific actions.
OpenSea: When can players get them?
Timothy Jooste: We are currently conducting a private presale, only for qualified investors and non-U.S. participants. These tokens will become the ultimate chase items for players to earn or unlock within the game over the next five years.
OpenSea: What about the game itself? When will it be released?
Timothy Jooste: A soft launch will begin in December in select regions, with a global release expected in mid-2026. We are currently conducting closed testing with the community.
Kevin Lambert: It's like a typical 'game as a service' model - starting with Alpha testing, then Beta testing, and finally launching, we build the game together with players throughout the process.
OpenSea: One last thing: your intellectual property, is Little Red Riding Hood really in the game? How does the copyright for artworks from the public domain work?
Timothy Jooste: Yes, we built our own universe using myths from the public domain - the Origin World, we reshaped these characters from scratch, like Winnie the Pooh, who is still lively and loves napping, but he is also the cage fighting champion of our world.
Alex Horvath: Our IP blends Western and global myths - including legends from China, Japan, the Middle East, and other regions.
OpenSea: Are you exploring collaborations with existing IPs, or does Project O's design exist entirely within its own world?
Timothy Jooste: We are building our own original IP, but we are also loyal fans of brands like Pudgy Penguins - Luca and their team have made outstanding contributions. However, our focus is on Web2 gamers, so our first partners are likely to be traditional IP holders, and we have had initial talks with some companies, especially in the anime space.
Many anime series do not yet have their own card games, and our game background draws from global myths, so they align well with our worldview. Outside of the Western market dominated by Snap, there is still no clear leader in the mobile competitive trading card game space, which is a huge opportunity - especially if we can establish strong partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.
OpenSea: You mentioned before that you have been testing the game with the community. How is the feedback so far?
Kevin Lambert: At the Game Developers Conference, we held an offline tournament using a pre-alpha demo. This was actually the first gameplay experience outside the team. We built several starter decks for players to delve into, and we streamed the whole thing on OpenSea, with live commentators explaining the gameplay.
The tension of the game has reached an optimal state; even in the early versions, you can truly feel how players are captivated by the strategy and rhythm of the game. This reassures us that we are on the right path and helps us refine some mechanics as we prepare for the release.
OpenSea: I really like this. If I want to start training and improve my competitiveness now, how can I get involved?
Timothy Jooste: Join Discord, it is the best way to communicate.
Kevin Lambert: Please visit our X page for the latest updates, but Discord is where the real action is.
OpenSea: Last question, ten years from now, Koin Games will be...
Timothy Jooste: ...proving that Web3 can enhance the games that Web2 players truly love. We will be known for reintroducing true collectability to digital trading card games (TCG), or as someone once said: we brought the 'T' back to the essence of trading card games (TCG).
OpenSea: I love it, thank you so much! I can't wait to see your results.
Timothy Jooste: Megan, thank you for your time, goodbye.
Content from OpenSea that you care about
Browse | Create | Buy | Sell | Auction
Collect and follow the OpenSea Binance channel
Stay updated