GamesMarket Daily - 9 September 2026: Frontier, EU Key Markets, Zero Company, Wanderburg, Bulgaria x EGDF, Play26 & more

We are entering post-gamescom normality, dear readers,

as can be seen by today's news selection. We have several events showing off their topics, and programs; German charts and product releases, as well a lot of reveals (best embodied by the two Nintendo Directs from yesterday and today, of course). And quite a bit of association news, with TIGA entering its 2026 award phase and CreaTech from Bulgaria joining EGDF. After all, there is not a lot of time before Tokyo Game Show comes around and the event schedule picks up again in October.

Here are the news of the day!

Your Pascal Wagner

Lars Janssen on the European Games Industry - GamesMarket Industry Leaders Survey 2026

How do gaming executives rate Europe's position in the global market? And what key challenges and trends are currently affecting the industry? We spoke to Lars Janssen, CEO Deck 13 Interactive (Germany), to find out.
(Read more...)

by Marcel Kleffmann

How Did the European Key Markets Perform in 2025?

Having consolidated in 2024, how did Europe's major gaming markets perform? Here is an overview of the key figures, insights and facts from the five main European markets: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
(Read more...)

by Marcel Kleffmann, Stephan Steininger

Kerzoven and Metaroot From Switzerland Show If Red Then Stop

The prototype started as a university learning tool for engineers, now it's a game with a demo: Programming title If Red Then Stop by Kerzoven and Metaroot, both from Switzerland, has a demo now.
(Read more...)

by Pascal Wagner

More News of the Day...

Star Wars Zero Company Stormed the German Games Charts in August

In August 2026, Star Wars Zero Company fought its way to the top of the German charts by game. Further down the list, however, there are some surprises, with Ubisoft having a total of four titles in the top 10 - two of which have re-entered the charts at surprisingly high positions.
(Read more...)

Nintendo Reveals New Kirby and Metroid Titles

New 3D game Kirby and the World Beyond, new 2D Metroid Ravenous and an exclusive Bloober Team title: Along with Switch 2 updates for several games and the return of Dragon Quest Heroes: Torneko’s Mystery Dungeon, today’s Nintendo Direct was packed.

GamesMarketPascal Wagner

Baltic Games Fest 2027 Opens Application for Free Expo Slots

60 teams can get a free exhibition slot at the Baltic Games Fest 2027 in Neumünster, with the application opening right now. All teams are also enrolled into the Awards automatically.
(Read more...)

Roblox Innovation Awards 2026 Celebrate the Platform's 20th Anniversary

At the Roblox Innovation Awards on 12 September, the platform will show what is has planned for its 20th anniversary. Until then, players can active a retro UI option for the launcher.
(Read more...)

Wanderburg

The Berlin-based duo Randwerk and Sidekick Publishing have launched Wanderburg in Early Access. In this survival-like/rogue-like game, players control a mobile fortress that devours and destroys everything in its path, growing in size as it goes.

GamesMarketMarcel Kleffmann

Plaion Replai Postpones NeoGeo AES+ Until September 2027

The release of the Retro video game console NeoGeo AES+ has been postponed by almost a year to 16 September 2027. Plaion Replai commits to increased manufacturing and more physical game releases.
(Read more...)

Astragon Launched Bus Simulator 27: More Buses, Longer Journeys

Bus Simulator 27 has been released by astragon Entertainment and developer Simteract for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The latest instalment in this popular series features new brands, coach buses and long-distance journeys.
(Read more...)

More Than Just a Game Legal Conference in Brussels

On 13 October 2026, More Than Just a Game (MTJG) will hold its first legal conference in Brussels in collaboration with Video Games Europe. The event will take place at the Landesvertretung NRW and is supported by MEP Axel Voss.
(Read more...)

Firaxis Lays Out Earthrise Addon and Plans for Civilization VII's Future

Firaxis and 2K leave the defensive with the coming content in Sid Meier's Civilization VII: A fourth age will come as a free update in 2027, and the first major expansion takes the stars into focus.
(Read more...)

TIGA Reveals 2026 Awards Shortlist

UK trade association TIGA has revealed the extensive shortlists for their Games Industry Awards show on 18 November in London.
(Read more...)

Jo Cooke: “FY26 Was a Landmark Year for Frontier Developments”

Frontier Developments has reported a record year. Chief Executive Officer Jo Cooke said, “FY26 was a landmark year for Frontier.” The UK-based company plans to release one creative simulation game per year; the next is Planet Zoo 2.

GamesMarketMarcel Kleffmann

CreaTech Bulgaria Joins EGDF

The Bulgarian creative cluster CreaTech joins EGDF as the 27th member of the association.
(Read more...)

Play26 Festival Focuses Music from 18-21 November

Hey, Listen! From 18-21 November, the topic for this years Play26 festival in Hamburg will be music. An extended schedule is offered for school classes and a youth team is co-curating the festival.
(Read more...)

Dave the Diver Surpasses 10 Million Sales

Mintrocket has announced that Dave the Diver has sold over 10 million copies across all platforms since its Early Access launch in October 2022. The game’s In the Jungle expansion has also been successful, and the soft launch of the upcoming mobile version in China was promising.

GamesMarketMarcel Kleffmann

Exhibitions & Events

18.09. - 20.09.2026: Gaming Istanbul (GIST) (Istanbul)
18.09. - 20.09.2026: Nexus Nerd Rock Festival (Leipzig)
21.09. - 23.09.2026: D.I.C.E. Europe (Athens)
22.09. - 25.09.2026: Game Devs of Color Expo (online)
23.09.2026: Open Stage Games BW (Suttgart)
23.09. - 25.09.2026: Northern Games Summit (Kajaani)
26.09. - 27.09.2026: Zurich Pop Con Game & Show (Zurich)
29.09. - 30.09.2026: DevGamm x FTW! (Belgrade)

Find more events in our GamesMarket calendar.