© IGF Business Side Events and 40 Games On-site at 6th Indie Game Fest For the sixth time, the indie scene will gather in Cologne in mid-July for the Indie Game Fest. The organisers from Indie Hub are once again putting together a business area and various side events. The Indie Game Fest is one of the largest meeting places for indie developers besides By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Bandai Namco Products Bandai Namco Unveils New My Hero Academia Game at Summer Showcase At its Summer Showcase, Bandai Namco revealed news about more than a dozen games, mostly content updates. The biggest new announcement was My Hero Academia: All's Justice. Namco Bandai announced My Hero Academia: All's Justice with a video from producer Aoba Miyazaki, who presented the first By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Film- und Medienstiftung NRW Business NRW Funds 3 Games Against Fake News and Hate Speech Online With €277,000 The Film- and Medien Stiftung NRW has published the first results of its funding programme for games aimed at preventing disinformation and radicalisation. Three projects will receive a combined total of just over half of the budget available for 2025. NRW has earmarked a total of €500,000 for the By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Hendrik Wüst at gamescom 2024 and Dorothee Bär at the German Computer Game Awards 2025 © Koelnmesse and Franziska Krug/ DCP via Getty Images People Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär will Give Opening Adress at Gamescom In addition to Federal Minister Dorothee Bär, Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, has also confirmed his participation in the political opening of gamescom. Both will also take part in the tour of the exhibition. When Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz appointed Dorothee Bär as Federal Minister for Research, Technology By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Is leaving ZeniMax Online Studios: Matt Firor © (GamesMarkt archive picture) People Matt Firor Hands Over ZeniMax Online Studios to Jo Burba, Susan Kat and Rich Lambert After almost 20 years, ZeniMax Online Studios President Matt Firor has announced his resignation, effective later this month. Although his social media post does not mention the recent mass layoffs at Microsoft, the timing is striking. After almost 20 years, ZeniMax Online Studios President Matt Firor has announced his resignation, By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Keleops CEO and co-founder: Jean-Guillaume Kleis © Keleops Business Swiss Keleops AG Acquires Kotaku and Strengthens its US Presence Keleops has announced that it has completed the full acquisition of Kotaku from G/O Media. One year after acquiring Gizmodo, the company is strengthening its US presence. No details have been disclosed about the purchase price paid by Kotaku. Keleops merely stated that it was an all-cash asset deal. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Knights Peak Business Knights Peak Relies on Numerous Sales Partners in Both the East and West The publishing label Knights Peak has announced numerous distribution partnerships for many regions around the world. German company Flashpoint will handle physical distribution in Europe and the USA. Other partners include Green Man Gaming, Nuuvem, Metaboli/Gamesplanet, Epicsoft, Rokky, 4Divinity and Beep Japan. Knights Peak launched as an independent premium By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
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
