Steve Papoutsis, previously CEO of Striking Distance Studios, was appointed as CEO of Unknown Worlds © Krafton Blog People Krafton Appoints Steve Papoutsis as CEO of Unknown Worlds Krafton has announced a change at the top of Unknown Worlds, which is working on Subnautica 2. Steve Papoutsis, previously CEO of Striking Distance Studios, is replacing the previous leadership trio of Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, with immediate effect. Even though the announcement of the change at By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© BRANDmate GmbH / Foto: Ingmar Wein Business Brandmate Increases Visitor Numbers After Relocation and Plans Rebranding BrandMate attracted around 900 participants at the end of June for its first event since moving to Essen, 100 more than last year. A date has already been set for 2026, again in Essen, but under a new name: Brandmania. BrandMate attracted around 900 participants at the end of June By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Faktor 3 Business Faktor 3 Takes Over Press Relations for Activision Blizzard in GSA The Hamburg-based agency Faktor 3 is taking over communications for the entire Activision Blizzard portfolio in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (GSA) with immediate effect. The move was not entirely unexpected, as Faktor 3 also manages PR for Microsoft Xbox in the region. With the new mandate, Faktor 3 will handle By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The ‘OGame’ cruiser as a 3D model is usually given to Gameforge employees on their 10th anniversary with the company. KIT SC eSports was also presented with a copy at a joint barbecue. © Gameforge Business Gameforge Congratulates Karlsruhe University Esports Team As a main sponsor from the very beginning, Gameforge congratulated the successful university esports team KIT SC eSports on its tenth anniversary. Both sides benefit from the partnership, not least because many former esports players now work at Gameforge. Why would a publisher support an esports team that plays another By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© ESA Business ESA Still Loves Games and is Co-Initiator of Spaceship Game Jam At the end of August, Finnish Game Jam and the European Space Agency are hosting the first Spaceship Game Jam. Developers outside Finland are invited to participate digitally. Game development is not rocket science, but the passion with which people work in both worlds certainly has parallels. Perhaps this is By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Plaion Products Plaion Lets Players Sing on Switch 2 Plaion has confirmed that it will release an updated version of its karaoke software Let's Sing this year. Although there will be no dedicated Switch 2 version, the Switch version will be compatible with the new console. In terms of content, Let's Sing 2026 once again By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Leif Lindner, CEO IFA Management GmbH © IFA Berlin Business IFA with Creator and Beauty Hub and Webedia and Games Ground as Partners The consumer electronics trade fair IFA unveiled initial details about the further development of the trade fair at a kick-off event. Content creators play a major role. This is one of the reasons why IFA is cooperating with Webedia. And when it comes to games, Games Ground comes into play. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender and Alain Corre, Chief Publishing Officer at Ubisoft © Hooded Horse/Ubisoft Business Ubisoft Hands Over Publishing to Hooded Horse Ubisoft and the studio Unfrozen have entered into a partnership agreement with Hooded Horse. Although Ubisoft is one of the largest publishers worldwide, Hooded Horse will take over publishing for the French Major, but only for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era. It is quite surprising that a major By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Racing Unleashed's new Flagship Racing Lounge in Zurich © Racing Unleashed AG Business Racing Unleashed Opens Flagship Lounge and Plans Global Expansion On 1 July, Swiss company Racing Unleashed opened its flagship racing lounge, offering a combination of high-quality cuisine and racing simulation. The location is also intended to serve as a blueprint for global expansion, which will also take place through a franchise system. Racing Unleashed itself speaks of a new By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
In 2024, the Indie Booth Arena was one of the main attractions for many visitors to gamescom. © Indie Arena Booth 2024, Rolf Otzipka Products Indie Arena Booth Announces Line-Up for Gamescom 2025 More than 200 studios from 39 countries will be represented at the Indie Arena Booth at gamescom in 2025. The 2,037.5 square metres have been filled with the help of numerous partners, sponsors and publishers Publishers such as Neowiz, Raw Fury, PM Studios and ESDigital will be using By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Pro Helvetia Business Pro Helvetia Opens Calls for Funding, Delegations and Mentorship Programmes On 1 July, Pro Helvetia will begin accepting submissions for Work Grants, the Swiss funding programme for game studios. The deadline is 1 September, which is also the closing date for applications for the She Got Game and SwissGames Showcase mentorship programmes, as well as the participation to the GDC By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
StarVaders © Pengonauts, Playworks and Joystick Ventures Products StarVaders With so many roguelike deck-building games out there, it's hard for a game in this genre to stand out. However, StarVaders achieves this with its clever design, variety, and colourful presentation. It offers a wild mix of mecha roguelike deck-building and tactical shoot-'em-up. In StarVaders, players By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
