Timeline dedicated to Michael Waddell, MetaZoo Games Founder.
Let’s go for a stroll scroll down memory lane… 🙂
MetaZoo Games is Founded
MetaZoo Games LLC is founded by Michael Alexander Waddell in May of 2020 out of New York City, New York, United States. – Source
MetaZoo TCG Kickstarter Launches
Michael Waddell launches the first MetaZoo Games Kickstarter project. – Source
With the launch of this Kickstarter, MetaZoo Games has made clear that it has decided that the company’s core product will be a trading card game. One of the product’s main catching points was its 4th Wall effects, a first of its kind in the trading card game industry.
In the months and years to follow, that core TCG product will prove to be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of product verticals and possibilities for this new brand and IP.
MetaZoo TCG Kickstarter Fully Funded
Not but 10 days after having being launched, the MetaZoo Games Kickstarter campaign is fully funded on August 9th, 2020.
It ended successfully on August 30th, 2020 with a total of $18,249 pledged by 255 backers. – Source
MetaZoo Sample Cards Made Available
MetaZoo trading card game sample cards are first made available for purchase to the public.
There were 96 sample cards with 100 copies of each printed and distributed. – Source
Halloween 2020 Holiday Promo Packs
The first promo cards/packs to be released by MetaZoo Games are made available in early October, and ship out to buyers on October 9th, 2020.
These would be the final cards to have black borders, and from hereon out the borders would be changed to red after some discussion with the community at the time.
Christmas 2020 Holiday Promo Packs
These Holiday Promo cards would be the first red-border cards to reach the hands of its buyers.
They are single-card packs wrapped in clear cellophane, released in tandem with a “New Years New Beginnings” promo card, and would be priced at USD$0.99. The 0/5 front card is included in all packs.
Only 500 of these promo packs were created; and as such, ~100 copies of each card in the mini set.
Customers Start Receiving Their Kickstarter Product
Roughly six months after the Kickstarter had been successfully funded and finalized, backers of the project would start receiving their pledged products in the mail.
The fulfilment, shipment and arrival of product to customers homes would continue into the month of March 2021.
The print-run sizes for Kickstarter product was 2,500 per SKU (with some exceptions).
MetaZoo Mints its First NFTs, Genesis
MetaZoo’s first venture into NFTs is known as Genesis 2021. The Genesis NFTs were all minted on March 16, 2021.
Genesis had 17 different Cryptids available in really cool 16-bit style graphics, and had many varying multiples of minted copies available for each one, ranging from as little as 10 for some, to as many as 100 for others. – Source
MetaZoo Attends its First Collect-A-Con
A portion of the MetaZoo Games team attended their first Collect-A-Con in June of 2021. It was the Frisco Collect-A-Con located in Frisco, Texas, United States.
The MetaZoo Games team would go on to attend at least 10 events and conventions across the United States throughout the rest of the 2021 year.
Cryptid Nation 1st Edition is Released
Cryptid Nation: Base Set 1st Edition went on sale to the public in July 2021.
This would be a reprint of the Kickstarter set, but with the “K” and the QR code removed from the layout, along with other visual changes and issues resolved. It is the first of a few sets that would be based out of the Cryptid Nation block.
The print-run sizes for Cryptid Nation 1st Edition product was 10x that of Kickstarter, at 25,000 per SKU (with some exceptions).
Steve Aoki & Shaw Mead Join MetaZoo Games Team
In late July of 2021, it was announced that Steve Aoki has joined MetaZoo Games as a full equity partner, and becomes a co-founder of the company.
Shaw Mead, who is the founder of Game Kastle, joins MetaZoo Games as its new COO (Chief Operating Officer).
Premiere Pin Club x MetaZoo Product Releases
The Cryptid Nation Pin Club 1st Edition set was initially released on September 17th, 2021 and started shipping out to customers in November 2021.
This would be the first of many Pin Club collaborations to come. – Source
Topps x MetaZoo Series 0 Releases
Topps x MetaZoo Cryptid Nation: Series 0 cards were made available for purchase from the official Topps website on September 30, 2021, and were to be available for sale until October 14, 2021; a total of 15 days.
Due to heavy demand, the Topps website ended up crashing on several occasions throughout the first hour of its launch. All 50,000 boxes were sold within that first hour of release, despite all of the website issues.
Nightfall 1st Edition is Released
Cryptid Nation: Nightfall 1st Edition went on sale to the public in October 2021.
This is the first Cryptid Nation expansion set, and the second set entirely to be released by MetaZoo Games.
The print-run sizes for Nightfall 1st Edition product was 2x that of Cryptid Nation 1st Edition, at 50,000 per SKU (with some exceptions).
MetaZoo Releases its First 1-of-1 NFT
The premiere MetaZoo Games 1-of-1 NFT project was a collaboration between MetaZoo Games business partner Steve Aoki, and famous artist & 3D animator Gal Yosef.
The winning bidder would go on to be the owner of the Mothman NFT, along with 100 Nightfall 1st Edition booster boxes, and a matching 1-of-1 Mothman NFT promo card. The NFT ended up selling for USD$214,200. – Source
MetaZoo Games Releases its Token NFTs
There was a total of 5,000 Token NFTs ready to be presented during the November 29-December 2, 2021 Dutch auction, with a total of ten different 16-bit styled spinning coin Tokens; some more rare than others.
A total of 2,305 MetaZoo Token NFTs have sold (or been given away). Any Tokens that did not sell or get given away were burned. – Source
Cryptid Nation 2nd Edition is Released
Cryptid Nation: Base Set 2nd Edition went on sale to the public on December 31st, 2021 to those who are owners of a MetaZoo Token NFT.
Purchasing capabilities would open up to the general public on New Year’s Day; January 1st, 2022.
The print-run sizes for Cryptid Nation 2nd Edition product is estimated to be 3x that of Cryptid Nation 1st Edition, at 75,000 per SKU (with some exceptions).
MetaZoo TCG Reserved List Announced
The MetaZoo trading card game’s Reserved List was officially announced to the public on January 22nd, 2022.
The initial launch of the Reserved List consisted of at least 75 different cards from Cryptid Nation: Base Set and Nightfall, along-side a multitude of promo cards.
MetaZoo Hits Walmart Shelves
In early February of 2022, the first Walmart product, which was also a Walmart exclusive, hit over 4,000 store shelves across the United States.
The product was a Cryptid Nation 2nd Edition 3-booster pack & Piasa Bird promo card box.
Walmart put in their second order of MetaZoo Games product on day one of its premiere product being available for sale. It was a huge success, with Walmart’s selling out across the nation in its first week of release. — Source
Wilderness 1st Edition is Released
Cryptid Nation: Wilderness 1st Edition was released to the public on or around March 31st, 2021.
MetaZoo introduced Bronze, Silver & Golden Tickets (seen above) as secret rares into the set. It was not known that these tickets existed until product began getting opened by purchasers. These tickets would prove to be valuable, and potentially as rare as single-digit copies in existence.
MetaZoo also introduced its first main set serialized secret rare card; Green Man, with this set.
The print-run sizes for Wilderness 1st Edition product is 2x that of Nightfall 1st Edition, at 100,000 per SKU (with some exceptions).
MetaZoo Reserved List Updated for First Time
The MetaZoo TCG’s Reserved List was updated for the first time on November 1st, 2022, with hundreds of new cards being added from the Wilderness, UFO & Seance sets. This is the first time that the list is added to since it was initially created in late January 2022.
MetaZoo HQ is Gifted a MetaZoo Crafter Medal
On the morning of November 12, 2022, Jody Mitoma; the founder and webmaster of MetaZoo HQ, was rewarded one of the coveted MetaZoo Crafter Medals for his work on the metazoohq.com website. This announcement comes in shortly after MetaZoo HQ celebrates its first year anniversary. — Discord
This would be the 7th MetaZoo Crafter Medal, with a total print run of 100, to be rewarded to members of the community. It has been 18 months since the first one was rewarded. — Source
Mike, thank you again, from the bottom of my heart for acknowledging the work that this website requires to upkeep, and for showing your appreciation in one of the best ways that you could.