enGEN3, a participatory storytelling platform, has formed a strategic partnership with Web3 anime brand Oni Force to develop “Oni Hunter X” as one of the first story worlds built on enGEN3’s infrastructure for licensed fan co-creation, distribution and revenue sharing, the companies announced.
The partnership comes as enGEN3 joins the GK Labs ecosystem as one of its inaugural flagship projects, with GK Labs making an undisclosed seed investment into enGEN3’s current funding round.
“Oni Hunter X” was originally created by IMCMPLX and incubated by the Oni Force community. The series, which stars Oni Force anti-hero Joji, has been brought to life by Eisner Award-winning writer Paul Jenkins, whose credits include Marvel’s “Inhumans,” “Wolverine: Origin” and “The Sentry,” a character he created who now appears in Marvel’s “Thunderbolts.” The series was first previewed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2023, with full release planned for 2026 as part of a larger multimedia initiative.
“The future lies not with Artificial Intelligence alone, but with the Joint Intelligence of creator and AI combined,” Jenkins said. “enGEN3 moves us ever closer to an ethically sourced, powerful AI tool that supports creatives across disciplines, rather than appropriating their work without permission.”
Jordan Bayne, founder and CEO of The Squad and enGEN3, added: “‘Oni Hunter X’ is an incredible project. Oni Force and Paul Jenkins are the perfect creative partners to show what’s possible when a legendary IP architect works with infrastructure designed for fan participation. We are also delighted to join GK Labs and work closely with Henry as we launch enGEN3 publicly in Q1 and turn the $100-300 billion economic value that fan-driven and derivative creation generates today into a structured, monetizable layer of the creative economy.”
Henry Finn, CEO of Oni Force, said: “The future of entertainment is going to be built on IP that can scale with its audience. enGEN3 gives ‘Oni Hunter X’ the infrastructure to do that properly, where fans can contribute to the world we’re building and share in the value they help create. That’s not how traditional studios work. That’s what makes this a game changer.”
As part of the collaboration, independent entertainment group Goldfinch and production company The Squad will support Oni Force in the development, packaging and production of “Oni Hunter X.”
enGEN3, jointly owned by The Squad and Goldfinch, combines storytelling and creative tools with licensed fan participation. The platform has strengthened its advisory board with Finn, who joins from the Oni Force/GK Labs ecosystem, alongside Alanna LaForet, formerly in leadership roles at ConsenSys, Google and Condé Nast, and Mike Gamble, whose career spans SEGA, Microsoft, THQ and Epic Games, with credits on over 42 titles and current work with Bastion. HaZ Dulull, filmmaker behind “2036: Origin Unknown” and cinematics director for “Dune: Awakening,” also serves as an advisor.
enGEN3 is currently onboarding an initial cohort of creators, IP owners and partners to launch its Creator Partner Programme in February, ahead of a wider platform rollout to early access users in March.
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