Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, Smobler launch virtual Universal Peace Sanctuary
Metaverse experience to enable global connections and harmonious coexistence through gamification
24 September 2024
Animoca Brands, the company driving digital property rights via NFTs and gaming to help build the open metaverse, its subsidiary The Sandbox, the popular decentralized virtual world platform, and Smobler, a pioneering metaverse architect, have launched the Universal Peace Sanctuary, an innovative and immersive open gaming experience available in The Sandbox metaverse. The new experience is the digital counterpart to the Universal Peace Sanctuary physical centre; both the new experience and the physical centre aim to promote peace, unity, and cultural understanding across the globe.
The Universal Peace Sanctuary metaverse experience is available to players of all ages at this link. Watch the game trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXzF__yjInA. 
The Universal Peace Sanctuary, presently under construction in Lumbini, Nepal, was conceived by Dzogchen master and teacher His Eminence Shyalpa Rinpoche. The virtual Sanctuary launched in The Sandbox is a digital destination where users from all backgrounds can come together to explore interactive experiences focused on global harmony. Set within The Sandbox's expansive virtual universe, the Universal Peace Sanctuary experience leverages decentralized technology and creative storytelling to educate and inspire players in line with H. Em. Rinpoche's vision to "make peace more fashionable than war."
H. Em. Rinpoche said: "Unconditional love is the true source of peace in the world. And while it is great to build temples on pilgrimage sites such as Lumbini, we all need to build temples of tolerance and peace within our own hearts. In today’s world of ceaseless conflict, environmental degradation, and widespread lust for wealth and power, it is time for all people to join together on a mission of universal peace. The Universal Peace Sanctuary in The Sandbox provides a neutral, digital space for everyone, including world leaders and diplomats seeking peaceful resolutions to global conflict."
He added: "The Universal Peace Sanctuary will welcome people from all walks of life and all spiritual traditions, serving as a radiant beacon for tolerance, cooperation, and reconciliation. The Sanctuary will honor Queen Mayadevi, the blessed birth mother of Siddartha Gautama Buddha, as well as all mothers of the past, present, and future, who exemplify selfless and unconditional love – the true source of peace in the world."
As players navigate the virtual Universal Peace Sanctuary, each location reveals a new layer of its rich history and its profound significance. Players will gain new knowledge through an exploration of the impact of major conflicts in human history and its consequences. Every step in the experience provides new insights and guiding lessons towards achieving world peace through inner peace.
Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, commented: "We are very excited to work with Smobler and His Eminence Rinpoche on the digital version of the Universal Peace Sanctuary, a project that promotes inclusive and harmonious spaces in both the real and virtual realms. The new virtual sanctuary in The Sandbox leverages Web3 to create an immersive experience and promote peace, tolerance, and understanding, and we believe that initiatives like this can drive meaningful engagement and contribute to positive change both in the real world and in the open metaverse."
While the action-packed world of gaming may not at first sight appear complementary to the tranquility of the Sanctuary, Loretta Chen, the founder and CEO of Smobler, noted: "We had the privilege of working on the Bhutan-Verse for the Kingdom of Bhutan, so the Universal Peace Sanctuary was familiar territory for us. I strive for peace and balance in spiritual teachings, and I also appreciate the power of play in consciously designed, intentional spaces. Whether you are solving a puzzle, deep in reflection or actively engaged in meditation, the digital version of the Universal Peace Sanctuary in The Sandbox will offer a unique blend of serenity, education, wellness and purpose-fueled adventure."
Sebastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, said, "My hope is for players to enter the Universal Peace Sanctuary in The Sandbox and open themselves to discovery by exploring new cultures, conversing with others, making offerings and donations, and embracing a global message of peace. The Sanctuary is a place of acceptance, remembrance and engagement. Our actions in the social and virtual space should matter as much as they do in the physical world. While the physical Universal Peace Sanctuary is still being constructed, right now people from all around the world can rally and contribute to the cause of peace through the Sanctuary's various events and activities inside the metaverse."
Borget continued: "The Universal Peace Sanctuary will stand out not just for its architecture but also for its admirable mission to make peace more fashionable than war. It will serve as a timeless reminder that we are all equal partners in our quest for enduring peace, fulfillment and unconditional care for the well-being of all sentient life, which as His Eminence Rinpoche teaches, form the fundamental basis for compassionate living and achieving peaceful resolutions to global conflict."
About The Sandbox
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an immersive metaverse platform in which users play, create, and monetize unique experiences alongside their favorite brands, IPs, and celebrities across gaming, entertainment, music, art, and other aspects of culture. The Sandbox leverages Web3 technologies to fully enable end-user creation and creator economies, disrupting existing platforms by providing both players and creators with true ownership of their assets, creations, and rewards in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, Attack on Titan, The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more.
About Universal Peace Sanctuary
The Universal Peace Sanctuary is a nonprofit charitable organization on a mission to build a sanctuary for peace on earth. Founded by His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, its vision is to create inner peace that leads to outer harmony. The Universal Peace Sanctuary empowers people to find peace within themselves through unconditional love and compassion for all sentient beings. To learn more visit https://peacesanctuary.org.
About Smobler
Smobler is a leading metaverse architect and a portfolio company of Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, and Brinc, and supported by Enterprise Singapore, IMDA Singapore, and Plug and Play. Smobler has created a suite of world firsts including a phygital wedding, the Tools of Rock concert venue, a disability-led accessibility park, and BhutanVerse. Working with major brands including Airbus, BMW, DBS, GoPro, Mahindra and Meta, Smobler is behind innovative projects such as Metaverse for Good and has been featured by Forbes, Vogue, Channel News Asia and other media. Smobler initiated the inaugural cross-chain project with Clay Nation, Cardano and Polygon, and curated a series of proprietary GameFi IPs including Ichorium, Cobbleland as well as the signature event NOVA. The company has been acknowledged as a top tech startup at SelectUSA, Inventures Canada and VIVATech Paris, and is a proud alumni of ScaleUp inBrazil and Plug and Play’s Global Innovation Alliance. Loretta Chen, the founder and CEO of Smobler, has been awarded numerous Top Female Founder Awards from UBS, AWS, Forbes among others. For more, log on to smobler.io.
About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands (ACN: 122 921 813), a Deloitte Tech Fast winner, a Fortune Crypto 40 company, one of the Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2024, and one of the Financial Times’ High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2023, is a Web3 leader that leverages blockchain to deliver digital property rights to consumers around the world to help to establish the open metaverse. The company develops and publishes a broad portfolio of products including original games such as Anichess, The Sandbox, PHANTOM GALAXIES™, Life Beyond, and Crazy Defense Heroes, and products utilizing popular intellectual properties from the worlds of sports and entertainment, such as The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Formula E. It has multiple subsidiaries, including The Sandbox, Blowfish Studios, Quidd, GAMEE, nWay, Pixowl, Forj, Lympo, Animoca Brands Japan, Grease Monkey Games, Eden Games, Darewise Entertainment, Notre Game, TinyTap, SPORTPASS, PIXELYNX, WePlay Media, Gryfyn, and Azarus. Animoca Brands is one of the most active investors in Web3, with a portfolio of over 540 Web3 investments, both directly and through Animoca Ventures, including Yuga Labs, Axie Infinity, Polygon, Consensys, Magic Eden, OpenSea, Dapper Labs, Yield Guild Games, and many more. 
Source: Animoca Brands Press Release
