London, United Kingdom, 16th July 2025, Chainwire
Over 110 LANDs and 220 avatars go live in the metaverse’s most IP-rich auction to date, all powered by GBM’s Win-Win protocol.
The Sandbox, the leading social gaming metaverse, is partnering exclusively once again, with GBM Auctions to launch its largest set of auctions for LAND to date. The drop includes 110 LANDs (including 4 Estates exclusive to this sale) and 220 branded avatars across 22 IPs, all distributed via GBM Auctions’ Win-Win auction protocol.
In a first for The Sandbox, auctions will precede its own platform sale, highlighting a shift in how LAND is brought to market and underscoring GBM’s role as the auction layer for Web3-native asset distribution.
A Fairer and More Transparent Way to Buy LAND
Traditional NFT sales often reward speed or capital, using first-come-first-serve mechanics or gas wars. GBM’s Win-Win model changes the experience by rewarding every participant rather than just the final buyer.
With GBM’s Win-Win auction model, even outbid participants are rewarded. Every bid:
- Is fully refunded if outbid
- Comes with an incentive reward based on auction mechanics
- Contributes to true, onchain price discovery
The Win-Win model flips the typical auction dynamic on its head. Instead of punishing latecomers or smaller bidders, it turns participation itself into a value-generating act, transforming auctions from winner-takes-all battles into high-engagement, trustless events where every bid matters and every bidder benefits.
“We’re thrilled to bring this expanded LAND auction to our community for the Training Grounds LAND sale through GBM. Their Win-Win Auction model offers a new, gamified way for people to enter the ecosystem and build the metaverse with us. ”
– Cédric Neumann, The Sandbox NFT Sales Director
“This is the biggest LAND and avatar sale we’ve hosted with The Sandbox, and a blueprint for how branded assets should be distributed in the open metaverse.”
– Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM
What’s in the Drop
The auction will feature 80 regular LANDs, 26 premium LANDs, and four estates, including three 3×3 plots and one 6×6 estate; the estates are exclusively available through GBM and not sold on The Sandbox’s platform. In addition to the LAND, this drop includes 220 avatars from 22 different brands, with 10 avatars per brand available via auction. Participating IPs include well-known names like Cirque du Soleil, with more to be revealed during the campaign.
Timeline and Activation
The Sandbox and GBM kicked off proceedings by co-host a live X Space on 14 July, featuring NFT Sales Director Cédric Neumann, Stream Product Owner PandaPops, and GBM Co-Founder Hugo McDonaugh, who discussed the drop and how the Win-Win auction model works. Users can check out the recording of the Spaces here.
The X Space was followed by The Sandbox’s blog post and email campaign to its whole community base.
The auctions officially went live on 15 July at 2:00 PM UTC and is running for seven days, closing on 22 July. All auctions are primary listings only; assets aren’t available through open marketplaces or secondary resale during this campaign.
Why This Drop Matters
This is the first time The Sandbox is leading with auctions before launching the public sale on its own platform, a shift from its typical sales sequence. Estates included in this drop are also exclusively available via GBM, making them inaccessible through any other marketplace or channel. With avatars and LANDs from more than 20 brands, this is one of the most multi-dimensional and IP-rich activations to date. Powered by GBM’s protocol-native incentive system, the drop ensures every bidder receives value, not just the final winner.
How to Join the Auction
To view and participate in the auctions, once live, users can visit:
All auctions will use GBM’s Win-Win model, ensuring every bid counts, and every participant receives value, even if they’re outbid.
About GBM Auctions
GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3. GBM has powered over $200M in volume and distributed more than $6M in rewards to date.
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 more. 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 as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Attack on Titan, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more. For more information, users can visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on Twitter, Medium, and Discord.
Disclaimer – The GBM token is a utility token for participation in the GBM ecosystem. It is not an investment, security, or financial product. Participation in the GBM IDO does not guarantee profits or returns.
Contact
Head of Marketing
Jake Scott
GBM Auctions
jake@gbm.auction
