E-Sport am Scheideweg: Wenn Geld und Image ins Spiel kommen Stephan Steininger July 05, 2023 – 3 min read Share this post Bei der ersten Olympic E-Sport Week wurden nur Games gespielt, die anerkannte Sportarten simulieren © IOC/ Lionel Ng (From left to right): Christopher Flato (ESBD), Mayor Maria Helmis-Arend (Cologne), Katrin Lögering (Green Party Member of the State Parliament for North Rhine-Westphalia) and Florian Weber (Cologne District Association) (c) Viola Schuldner/ESBD Esports German Esports Summit 2026 & German Esports Award The German Esports Summit 2026 brought together representatives from the worlds of esports, politics, business, education, and industry associations at the Xperion in Cologne. During the event, the inaugural German Esports Award was presented. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read Picture: GameRecruit GbR Business GameRecruit Launches Online Academy to Educate HR About Gaming and Esports The recently founded GameRecruit has launched its online academy, GameRecruit Learning. The aim is to offer smaller training organisations easy access to the use of gaming and esports in HR. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read 2027 Qualifier Programme (c) EWC Esports EWC Is Opening Its Global Platform to More Organisers The Esports World Cup (EWC) has announced its 2027 Qualifier Programme, which is designed to enable tournament organisers and local esports communities to run official qualifying competitions as part of the Road to EWC. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read Dan Ayoub is the New President of Wizards of the Coast & Hasbro Digital Games (Hasbro/Charlotte Rainville Photography) People Dan Ayoub is the New President of Wizards of the Coast & Hasbro Digital Games Dan Ayoub, currently Senior Vice President of Dungeons & Dragons, will become the new President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games come 2 November. His predecessor John Hight stepped down in July. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Products Pokémon Unite is to be Discontinued in March 2027 The Pokémon Company has decided to discontinue the MOBA Pokémon Unite, developed by TiMi Studio Group. Details of the wind-down process leading up to the game’s complete discontinuation on 23 March 2027 have been published on the website. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Matt Hall, Executive Vice President of Atari Mobile © Atari People Atari Names Matt Hall EVP of Mobile Matt Hall has been appointed Executive Vice President of Atari Mobile. In this role, he will oversee the company's mobile gaming business. He will report directly to Wade Rosen, Atari's Chairman and CEO. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Awards Corsair Cove Tops List of Nominees for Deutscher Entwicklerpreis The expert juries have met and selected the nominees for 13 of the 14 categories of the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis (DEP; German Developer Award). The nominees for Studio of the Year are Stray Fawn, Quad Head and Limbic Entertainment, whose game, Corsair Cove, has received the most nominations. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read Marta Cienkowska, Minister for Culture and National Heritage, during the CEEGA (Picture: Screenshot of livestream) Politics Marta Cienkowska Announces Support Programme for Devs and Changes to Copyright Act The Polish Minister for Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska, took to the stage at the CEEGAs awards ceremony to reaffirm her support for the industry. The Ministry regards video game developers as artists who promote culture. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Sad Cat Studios won a total of three CEEGAs, including the main category, Best Game (Photo: Screenshot from the livestream) Awards Three CEEGAs for Sad Cat Studios and Replaced With six nominations for its game Replaced, Limassol-based Sad Cat Studios went into the Central & Eastern European Game Awards as the clear favourite. In the end, it walked away with three trophies, including the Best Game award. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
(From left to right): Christopher Flato (ESBD), Mayor Maria Helmis-Arend (Cologne), Katrin Lögering (Green Party Member of the State Parliament for North Rhine-Westphalia) and Florian Weber (Cologne District Association) (c) Viola Schuldner/ESBD Esports German Esports Summit 2026 & German Esports Award The German Esports Summit 2026 brought together representatives from the worlds of esports, politics, business, education, and industry associations at the Xperion in Cologne. During the event, the inaugural German Esports Award was presented. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Picture: GameRecruit GbR Business GameRecruit Launches Online Academy to Educate HR About Gaming and Esports The recently founded GameRecruit has launched its online academy, GameRecruit Learning. The aim is to offer smaller training organisations easy access to the use of gaming and esports in HR. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
2027 Qualifier Programme (c) EWC Esports EWC Is Opening Its Global Platform to More Organisers The Esports World Cup (EWC) has announced its 2027 Qualifier Programme, which is designed to enable tournament organisers and local esports communities to run official qualifying competitions as part of the Road to EWC. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Dan Ayoub is the New President of Wizards of the Coast & Hasbro Digital Games (Hasbro/Charlotte Rainville Photography) People Dan Ayoub is the New President of Wizards of the Coast & Hasbro Digital Games Dan Ayoub, currently Senior Vice President of Dungeons & Dragons, will become the new President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games come 2 November. His predecessor John Hight stepped down in July. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Products Pokémon Unite is to be Discontinued in March 2027 The Pokémon Company has decided to discontinue the MOBA Pokémon Unite, developed by TiMi Studio Group. Details of the wind-down process leading up to the game’s complete discontinuation on 23 March 2027 have been published on the website. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Matt Hall, Executive Vice President of Atari Mobile © Atari People Atari Names Matt Hall EVP of Mobile Matt Hall has been appointed Executive Vice President of Atari Mobile. In this role, he will oversee the company's mobile gaming business. He will report directly to Wade Rosen, Atari's Chairman and CEO. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Awards Corsair Cove Tops List of Nominees for Deutscher Entwicklerpreis The expert juries have met and selected the nominees for 13 of the 14 categories of the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis (DEP; German Developer Award). The nominees for Studio of the Year are Stray Fawn, Quad Head and Limbic Entertainment, whose game, Corsair Cove, has received the most nominations. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Marta Cienkowska, Minister for Culture and National Heritage, during the CEEGA (Picture: Screenshot of livestream) Politics Marta Cienkowska Announces Support Programme for Devs and Changes to Copyright Act The Polish Minister for Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska, took to the stage at the CEEGAs awards ceremony to reaffirm her support for the industry. The Ministry regards video game developers as artists who promote culture. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Sad Cat Studios won a total of three CEEGAs, including the main category, Best Game (Photo: Screenshot from the livestream) Awards Three CEEGAs for Sad Cat Studios and Replaced With six nominations for its game Replaced, Limassol-based Sad Cat Studios went into the Central & Eastern European Game Awards as the clear favourite. In the end, it walked away with three trophies, including the Best Game award. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
