Electronic Arts and Saudi Arabia are the key talking points today. The EU has given the green light to the takeover, whilst EA has revealed the cover stars and release date for FC 27. And we take a look back at a panel from last year’s gamescom dev. Topic: The games industry in Saudi Arabia.
The EU is often criticised for its decisions, dear readers,
yet today’s events show that the Commission is, above all, one thing: consistent. Both the fine running into the millions – not to say ‘almost billions’ – imposed on Google is simply a consistent follow-through on the threat that has long been levelled at US tech giants. And at the same time, the decision to approve the planned takeover of Electronic Arts by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF is also entirely consistent, as there is no risk of excessive market concentration from a competition law perspective. It may well be understandable that one or two people in Brussels have moral reservations, but a competition law assessment is simply that and nothing else.
Here are the news of the day!
Your Stephan Steininger
Under the EU Merger Regulation, the EU Commission has no objections to the planned takeover of Electronic Arts by the Public Investment Fund (‘PIF’) of Saudi Arabia. The deal raises no competition concerns.
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by Pascal Wagner
Advertorial | Video game monetization has changed significantly over the past two decades, moving beyond one-time purchases to include downloadable content (DLC), battle passes, subscriptions, and microtransactions. Visit Xsolla at Gamescom to learn more.
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by Xsolla
Not sure what sort of talks to expect at gamescom dev? Together with gamescom dev, we’re taking a look back at selected talks from 2025. The panellists are studio leads from the first wave of Saudi game developers and will provide an insight into the emerging MENA region.
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by Marcel Kleffmann
The selection panel has chosen five projects from the submissions for this year’s Level Up Incubator programme run by Gamecity Hamburg. As well as a small grant of 15,000 euros, the teams and developers involved will, above all, receive coaching, expert support and access to a experienced network.
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One year on from its launch, the UK games industry and policymakers have given an initial positive assessment of the Games Growth Package. UKIE chief Nick Poole has called for continuity. The successes achieved are a cause for optimism, but are still fragile.
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Electronic Arts has lifted the veil and revealed the global release date for EA Sports FC 2027. England star Jude Bellingham will also feature on the cover alongside Kilian Mbappé.
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With five weeks to go before the trade fair and following the release of the exhibitor directory, reports about games and exhibitors at gamescom are increasing. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we’ve summarised the key line-ups. Today’s round-up features ESDigital, Konami and Toplitz Productions.
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From emergency contacts to party guides, tips for traveling in Cologne and information for trade visitors and exhibitors: Learn everything there is to know about being at gamescom on our big service portal.
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