Irish developer Vela Games has raised $3.1 million to create 'player first' multiplayer online co-operative games. 

The cash was raised through a seed investment round led by London Venture Partners (LVP), and will be used to acclerate production on the studio's debut title. As part of the deal, LVP partner Are Mack Growen will also join Vela's board of directors.  

"Our goal is to reimagine what multiplayer co-operative gaming looks like with a player first mentality in everything we do," commented Vela co-founder Newon George.

"Co-operative gaming hasn’t yet been developed to its full potential. We want to create a new genre of game that will enable us to unite both PvP and PvE players from all over the world."

Vela was quietly established by a group of former Riot Games and EA developers in 2018, who said they wanted to create "engaging, co-operative games that put players at the heart of the development process."

The Dublin-based studio had already raised $3.82 million to expand its development team with "international talent."