This builds on an initial £100k loan provided in January 2025 and will support two key hires ahead of the company’s product launch.

Play XD, founded by Phil Goddard in 2019, is currently developing Primal Rumble^®, a mixed reality game for the Meta Quest platform. The company was ‘greenlit’ by tech giant Meta in July 2024, securing part-funding for development to bring the family-friendly game to market.

With the VR and mixed reality games market continuing to expand rapidly – and with Meta Quest leading the sector – Play XD and its free-to-play model for Primal Rumble^® maximises its player base and drives revenue through in-game character purchases. This positions the company to capitalise on a high-growth market. Play XD plans to expand to other platforms including PSVR2, PC VR, Mobile and Steam, and yet-to-be announced hardware by Google and Apple.

Phil Goddard, Founder and Creative Director of Play XD, said: “River Capital has been instrumental in helping us navigate the challenging development phase of Primal Rumble^®. This additional funding arrived at a crucial time as we were just weeks away from our March development milestone with Meta. The support allows us to bring in the expertise we need to maximise our launch potential and build a strong community around Primal Rumble^®.”

Jonathan Nelson, Investment Manager at River Capital, commented: “We’ve worked closely with Phil and the Play XD team since early 2025, and have been impressed by their commitment, technical expertise, and ability to deliver against Meta’s development milestones. This is a talented team working in an exciting growth sector, and we’re delighted to provide this follow-on support as they approach launch. Phil has demonstrated exactly the kind of relationship-focused partnership approach we value at River Capital.”

Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “Play XD is a great example of the innovation we’re seeing across the North West’s thriving tech and creative sectors. It’s exciting to see a studio from Lancashire securing international partnerships and developing cutting-edge mixed reality content for household names. Through NPIF II, we’re supporting ambitious businesses like this, helping them access the funding they need to scale, create skilled jobs, and contribute to the region’s growing cluster of digital and innovative companies.”

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.

ENDS