GamesMarket Daily - 30 September 2026: CPC Network, Steam Charts & Changes, Coffee Stain Showcase, Womenize! & more

The EU isn't showing a united front in regards to gaming regulations, dear readers,

and maybe that's not a bad thing. While the EU Commission has stressed the self-regulation successes of the games industry in regards to youth protection, the consumer protection network of the EU is now targeting the industry from another direction, going after dark patterns in ingame currency, and stating that they are not convinced self-regulation will be enough here. I can see the argument here that these are in fact two different issues, and different procedures might be in order, depending on the severity of what the EU deems needed.

My colleague Stephan Steininger however sees things a bit differently. I recommend you take a look at his opinion about how the two prongs of the commission seem to be rather unorganised. Let us know what you think, afterwards.

Here are the news of the day!

Your Pascal Wagner

Comment: The EC is the Carrot, the CPC Network is the Stick

How does the EU intend to regulate games? Whilst the Commission praised games industry’s self-regulation when it unveiled the EU Kids Act, consumer protection groups in Brussels have launched a new action against the industry. A well-thought-out plan looks rather different, says Stephan Steininger.
(Read more...)

by Stephan Steininger

More on This Topic:
European Consumer Protection Agencies Take Action Game Companies With Ingame Purchases

Weekly Steam Charts: How Well Do EA Sports FC 27, Control and Transport Fever 3 Resonate?

EA Sports FC 27 tops the weekly Steam charts, but it is considerably less popular than its predecessor. Interestingly, however, the popularity of Control Resonant, Ace Combat 8 and Transport Fever 3 differs in Germany compared to the global market.
(Read more...)

by Marcel Kleffmann

This is How Much Germany Paid for the German Computer Game Awards

Out of an answer of the Federal Government to a parliamentary question, we now know how much the German Computer Game Award (Deutscher Computerspielpreis, DCP) has cost since 2019. We have compiled all numbers here.
(Read more...)

by Pascal Wagner

More News of the Day...

Steam: Changes to Discounts and Events in Early 2027

In early 2027, Valve Software is planning to change how some promotions work on Steam. They intend to move away from a manual, calendar-based approach to something that is more dynamic and personalised for each customer.
(Read more...)

Total War Warhmmer III - Lords of the End Times

Lords of the End Times for Total War: Warhammer III and its four Legendary Lords, inspired by the apocalyptic End Times, is the largest DLC in the series’ 10-year history. The main game has also been shaken up.

GamesMarketMarcel Kleffmann

Everything Revealed at Coffee Stain's The Big Break Showcase

Coffee Stain's first Big Break Showcase featured over 40 games. Highlights included announcements about Satisfactory and Deep Rock Galactic, as well as reveals from Hypetrain Digital, Raw Fury, and other indie studios.
(Read more...)

Next Star Trek Game: Jumpgates GameXcite Signs Licensing Agreement with Paramount Games

The co-production announced in early September between Jumpgate’s subsidiary gameXcite and Daedalic as publisher will be another Star Trek game. A corresponding licence agreement has now been revealed.
(Read more...)

Rokaplay and Mipumi Announce A Game About Digging A Hole Together

As a multiplayer follow-up of the surprise hit, A Game About Digging A Hole Together will release this year from rokaplay and Mipumi Games.
(Read more...)

Jaqueline Martin Joins Womenize! as Project Manager

Booster Space has brought on board a new member of staff for the Womenize! platform. With immediate effect, Jaqueline “Jacky” Martin will take on the role of Project Manager and will focus in particular the new Masterclasses project.
(Read more...)

Dinolords (Preview)

Dinolords from Northplay and Ghost Ship Publishing is an RTS and action RPG that blends medieval and Jurassic elements. It will not only feature a single-player mode, but also a multiplayer component with both co-operative and competitive options.

GamesMarketMarcel Kleffmann

Exhibitions & Events

02.10. - 04.10.2026: Hero Fest (Bern)
03.10.2026: IAM Gaming Expo (Moray)
04.10. - 11.10.2026: New York Games Week (New York)
07.10. - 08.10.2026: Mobidictum (Istanbul)
08.10. - 09.10.2026: Gamespace Conference (Zürich)
09.10. - 11.10.2026: Polaris (Hamburg)
09.10. - 11.10.2026: SAGA Barcelona Game Fest (Barcelona)
09.10. - 11.10.2026: PAX Aus (Melbourne)
13.10.2026: More Than Just a Game Legal Conference (Brussels)
16.10. - 18.10.2026: SimRacing Expo (Frankfurt)
18.10.2026: GameOn! Games & Gründung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Ludwigslust)
20.10. - 21.10.2026: Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics (Helsinki)
21.10. - 24.10.2026: Games Industry Conference (Poznan)
21.10. - 24.10.2026: EVA 2026 – Argentine Video Game Expo (Buenos Aires)
22.10. - 25.10.2026: Paris Games Week (Paris)
23.10.2026: German Esports Summit (Cologne)
23.10. - 25.10.2026: FrankenLAN (Bayreuth)
22.10. - 25.10.2026: Spiel Essen (Essen)
29.10. - 01.11.2026: gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show (Bangkok)

Find more events in our GamesMarket calendar.