Dieter Schoeller and Ronald Kaulbach People Ronald Kaulbach Joins Headup as Head of MarComs Dieter Schoeller is further expanding Headup’s marketing and communications team and has appointed Ronald Kaulbach as Head of MarComs. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Esports ThinkGameful! Releases Strategy Paper on Saudi Arabia’s Role in Esports The think tank ThinkGameful!, founded by Timo Schöber, has published a comprehensive, critical strategy paper on Saudi Arabia’s role in esports. Whilst the economic benefits for those involved in esports are real, the paper argues that these cannot compensate for the ethical concerns. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Thalita Malagò, Director General of IIDEA (Picture IIDEA) Politics IIDEA Takes a Stand in Italy on PEGI and USK At a hearing of the Senate’s 14th Standing Committee on EU Policies on the EU Kids Act, Italy’s IIDEA emphasised the industry’s support for and commitment to the protection of minors, whilst also highlighting the importance of measures being proportionate and tailored to the industry. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Picture: Pexels/Antonio Sáez; AEVI, DEV Politics Ahead of Election: Spain’s Games Associations Issue a Joint Call to Politicians With one month to go before the general election, the two Spanish industry associations, AEVI and DEV, are joining forces and setting out five joint demands. Among other things, they are calling for tax incentives and a Spain Video Games Hub. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Picture by GIC Events GIC Strengthens Its Position, Attracts More Exhibitors and Support from Polish Politicians The Games Industry Conference in Poznań has made further progress in many areas, including setting a new record for the number of exhibitors. The total number of visitors fell compared with last year, though this could be due to various reasons and by no means reflects negatively on the conference. By Stephan Steininger • 3 min read
Products Pokémon Unite is to be Discontinued in March 2027 The Pokémon Company has decided to discontinue the MOBA Pokémon Unite, developed by TiMi Studio Group. Details of the wind-down process leading up to the game’s complete discontinuation on 23 March 2027 have been published on the website. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Awards Corsair Cove Tops List of Nominees for Deutscher Entwicklerpreis The expert juries have met and selected the nominees for 13 of the 14 categories of the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis (DEP; German Developer Award). The nominees for Studio of the Year are Stray Fawn, Quad Head and Limbic Entertainment, whose game, Corsair Cove, has received the most nominations. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Marta Cienkowska, Minister for Culture and National Heritage, during the CEEGA (Picture: Screenshot of livestream) Politics Marta Cienkowska Announces Support Programme for Devs and Changes to Copyright Act The Polish Minister for Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska, took to the stage at the CEEGAs awards ceremony to reaffirm her support for the industry. The Ministry regards video game developers as artists who promote culture. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Sad Cat Studios won a total of three CEEGAs, including the main category, Best Game (Photo: Screenshot from the livestream) Awards Three CEEGAs for Sad Cat Studios and Replaced With six nominations for its game Replaced, Limassol-based Sad Cat Studios went into the Central & Eastern European Game Awards as the clear favourite. In the end, it walked away with three trophies, including the Best Game award. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Nerds at Rave (Picture: Rainer Keuenhof/Nerds at Rave) Events Nerds at Rave is Creating a Party Atmosphere at MAG-C After the trade fair comes the party: the MAG-C community trade fair is once again organising an evening programme on the first day of the event in 2027. Nerds at Rave is once again in charge of the music and entertainment programme. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Business GameRecruit Supports Career Guidance With ‘Next’ GameRecruit has launched ‘Next’, another tool aimed at schools, training organisations and relevant professional bodies, which can use it to help young people with career guidance using playful tasks. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
People Xbox COO Helen Chiang has Reportedly Stepped Down After just a few months as COO of Xbox at Microsoft, Helen Chiang is leaving the company. This was reported by The Verge, citing an internal message from Xbox head Asha Sharma. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
