Creative agency Koto has partnered with Marblex, the Web3 gaming ecosystem developed by Netmarble in South Korea, to launch a comprehensive brand evolution designed to shift the platform’s focus from complex mechanics to experience, emotion, and play.
Founded in 2022, Marblex was created to lead in blockchain gaming. However, as technical development accelerated, the brand became deeply rooted in Web3 elements like token exchanges, NFT trading, and infrastructure. The rebrand refocuses on the core idea that gaming should be fun.
Koto’s strategy for Marblex is anchored in the concept of “Playgrounds for the Imagination,” repositioning the brand as a space where blockchain enables freedom, curiosity, and possibility. The studio framed Marblex as a connected ecosystem unifying gaming experiences, enabling players to earn, trade, and use digital assets across games while preserving the joy of gameplay.
The brand strategy is supported by two key pillars: “Playgrounds,” representing fun, community, and learning, and “Imagination,” emphasizing exploration and creativity within the Web3 environment. Together, they reinforce Marblex as a platform that stimulates both playful and educational experiences.
To solidify the repositioning, Koto introduced the tagline “Fun comes first.”
Koto also developed a new verbal identity influenced by Marblex’s Goblin spirit—described as playful, mischievous, and action-oriented. This voice is designed to be clear and engaging, appealing across audiences including gamers, publishers, and blockchain enthusiasts, while remaining true to the Marblex brand.
“The challenge was making a complex ecosystem feel joyful without dumbing it down,” said Alexis Waller, Creative Director at Koto.
“Goby became the key. He allowed the brand to express freedom, indulgence, and curiosity in a way that feels instantly familiar to gamers. Every design decision, from the logo to the token to the illustrations, was about turning complexity into something you want to explore.”
“What impressed us most about working with Koto was how quickly and deeply they grasped the nuances of our Web3 technology and the challenges we faced as a tech-forward brand,” said Hannah King, Marblex’s Head of Marketing.
“They not only understood our pain points, but translated them into a sharp, cohesive strategy and brand identity that truly sets us apart from the category. The result is bold and distinctive, putting ‘fun’ at the forefront — exactly what we needed to move confidently into our next chapter.”
A design system built for fun
According to Koto, the new identity is designed to turn complexity into play. Across every touchpoint, the system brings MARBLEX’s world to life, making the ecosystem feel engaging, approachable, and easy to navigate.
Koto provided the following summary of the work:
A familiar figure from fantasy and gaming held the answer: the Goblin. Koto introduced Goby, a mischievous character obsessed with loot, as the unexpected but perfectly suited face of a complex Web3 ecosystem. Goby embodies the freedom, joy, and indulgence of gaming, making Marblex’s shift from mechanics to emotion immediately tangible.
To keep Goby a lovable rogue rather than a sinister villain, Koto defined a framework that balances mischief with approachability. His signature grin ensures he remains cheekily positive, providing the perfect canvas for a wardrobe that evolves with his latest “acquired” treasures. This flexibility doesn’t just allow for new outfits; it enables a wide range of expressive gestures that showcase all the excitement and play to be had through Marblex.
Marblex’s crypto token was redesigned with Goby’s grin as its inspiration, optimised for token formats and expressed across icon, extruded icon, and coin forms.
The logo has a playful, bubbly appearance inspired by the thought (or imagination) bubbles in comics and manga, whilst also incorporating smiling details that allude to the mascots signature grin. It exists as a full logo and abbreviation, rendered in black, off-white, and green, and can interact directly with Goby and the token to inject moments of fun.
The core palette is built from four Goblin-inspired colours: Goblin Green, Off-White, Black, and Grey, supported by tints and shades for UI and infographic use. Typography is anchored by GT Maru, rooted in the anime and manga culture that much of Marblex’s game catalogue is drawn from, and supported by Inter for long-form text at smaller sizes. An expressive type mode adds another layer of play, using extruded letterforms in short phrases to create punchy, characterful moments.
Illustration and iconography complete the system with a flexible toolkit spanning UI icons, illustrative icons, objects, graphic bursts, spot illustrations, and fully realised illustrative worlds.
Across every touchpoint, Goby turns blockchain into exploration. He sneaks through platforms, collects tokens, and reframes the ecosystem as a playground. The system is unmistakably fun, easy to implement, and built to scale, guided throughout by a mischievous Goblin spirit.
“Marblex didn’t need another Web3 brand that explained how the technology works,” said G Torto, Strategy Director at Koto.
“It needed a reason to care. Playgrounds for the Imagination shifted the brand from mechanics to meaning, putting play, emotion, and community at the centre. That strategic pivot gave Marblex a clear role in the category and a voice that invites people in rather than pushing them away.”
