Hisashi Koinuma (below) takes over the tasks of Keiko and Yoichi Erikawa © Pictures: Koei Tecmo Website Business Koei Tecmo Appoints Hisashi Koinuma as President and CEO Japanese publisher Koei Tecmo is preparing for a leadership transition and has announced a series of personnel and structural changes set to take effect in April and June. Hisashi Koinuma will take over key responsibilities from Keiko and Yoichi Erikawa, marking a significant shift at the top of the company. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal and IOC President Thomas Bach met in Riyadh © IOC/Greg Martin Esports IOC and SOPC Confirm First Olympic Esports Games for 2027 The rumours have been confirmed: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the first Olympic Esports Games will take place in 2027 in Riyadh. The event will be organised in collaboration with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), with the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) on board as By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© rcp Business Frederik Hammes Joins rcp as Studio Partner Frederik Hammes is the new studio partner at rcp – remote control productions. Hammes joins the company from Travian Games. Frederik Hammes has now taken on a role at the Munich-based rcp – remote control productions as studio manager. With extensive experience in the industry, Hammes was responsible for the day-to-day operations By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Emergo Entertainment Development German Indie Team Emergo Entertainment Announces Train Jumble Emergo Entertainment, based in Bayreuth, has officially announced Train Jumble as its second game project and is launching a playtest on Steam. The studio’s debut game, Fireside, amassed 10,000 wishlist entries within just 24 hours on Steam. The next few hours and days will reveal whether Emergo Entertainment By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Epic Games Development Epic Games Modifies Its Funding Programme Starting 12 February, developers worldwide can once again apply for an Epic Games MegaGrant, provided they are developing—or planning to develop—their game using Unreal Engine. However, Epic Games has announced a fundamental change to its funding programme for 2025. Instead of maintaining an open application system throughout the By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Alex Suarez, CEO Youre Family © Youre Family Business Youre Family and Youre Games File for Bankruptcy Protection Youre Family, the company behind the cryptocurrency GamesCoin, has filed for bankruptcy at the district court in Berlin-Charlottenburg. The same applies to Youre Games. Shortly before, a critical article about GamesCoin had appeared in "Wirtschaftswoche". The GamesCoin project is being further developed. Youre Family and Youre Games are By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© IMAGO / SOPA Images Development Valve Rules Out Paid Advertising as a Business Model for Games on Steam According to media reports, Valve has updated its developer guidelines regarding advertising in games distributed on Steam, clarifying what is and isn’t allowed on the platform. In particular, paid ads as a core business model for a game are not permitted. However, this change could also impact publishing services. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Group photo of the Press Start scholarship recipients at the kick-off meeting © Picture: Klara Yoon Business Coaching and Networking Kick-Off for Press Start Scholarship Holders Many of the 132 scholarship holders of the Press Start programme gathered in Berlin on 9 February at the invitation of game and the Stiftung Digitale Spielkultur. This event provided an opportunity for them to meet for the first time and exchange ideas with their coaches. With the selection process By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The winners of the cosplay competition at MAG-C © Robert Vogel/Messe Erfurt Business MAG-C Attracts More Visitors and Announces Plans for 2026 This year’s MAG-C in Erfurt welcomed 12,300 visitors, marking another successful Community Convention for both exhibitors and Messe Erfurt. With a slight date adjustment, Messe Erfurt is already preparing for 2026. For the first time, the MAG-C programme was held in Halls 1 and 2 of the Messe By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
At the Games Summit in November, NRW Media Minister Nathanael Liminksi, seen here next to Walid Nakschbandi of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW (2nd from left), announced additional funding. The call for funding applications has now been launched. © (Archive image) Robin Teller Development NRW Launches Funding for Games Tackling Fake News, Hate, and Extremism The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW has issued an additional call for funding for games and interactive media that, among other things, focus on the prevention of extremism, particularly Islamism. The funding comes from a special budget, with potential grants exceeding those available for standard game prototypes. In November, North Rhine-Westphalian By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Richard Iwaniuk, James Batchelor and Richard Iggo Join Digital Bandidos (from left) © Pictures: Digital Bandidos Business Richard Iwaniuk, James Batchelor and Richard Iggo Join Digital Bandidos The young US publisher Digital Bandidos has strengthened its management team with a trio of experienced executives. Richard Iwaniuk will head up finance, Richard Iggo will lead marketing and James Batchelor will be responsible for communications. Six months after Steve Escalante and Lance James announced the founding of Digital Bandidos, By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Sports Interactive Publishing Sports Interactive has Cancelled Football Manager 25 First postponed, now cancelled, the development of Football Manager 25 was ill-fated from the outset. Sports Interactive apologizes publicly, announces pre-orders will be refunded and focuses on the next "era for Football Manager". With a message on the website and corresponding social media posts, Sports Interactive has announced By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
