eMense to continue IGN Germany with Manuel Fritsch as editor-in-chief

The IGN licence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is being transferred from Webedia to eMense, which is setting up a new subsidiary. Editor-in-chief remains "Insert Moin" icon Manuel Fritsch.

The Dutch media group eMense Group, which operates IGN Benelux and IGN Nordic, is entering the German-speaking market with a new subsidiary: eMense Deutschland will revitalise the German-language IGN site. The subsidiary has been established for this purpose.

Camiel Slingerland, Managing Director of eMense: "Germany is the logical next step in our strategy. Gaming and entertainment are extremely popular in Germany and it is no coincidence that the world's largest gaming show is held here. We look forward to developing the content and solutions that will take IGN Germany to the next level.

The IGN sites are operated under a licensing model. Licensor is Ziff Davis, while the German version was most recently run on an interim basis by presenter, journalist and podcaster Manuel Fritsch, who will now continue as editor-in-chief under eMense. Fritsch said: "I'm delighted that IGN Germany has found a new home with such an experienced powerhouse as eMense.

The licence was previously held by Webedia, the parent company of GameStar and GamePro among others. eMense will now take over the licence, which has been held by France's Webedia since 2015, renting the IGN name directly from Ziff Davis.

Adam Doree, Vice President, Global Partners at Ziff Davis, said: "We are delighted to extend our partnership with eMense, one of IGN's longest-standing operators, which has demonstrated its innovation and expertise in entertainment media with IGN for over 10 years. The European markets are some of the most competitive in the world and eMense is the right partner to lead the next chapter of IGN Germany.