Second Esports Report on the German Esports Industry

Business

G+ Recruiting & Employer Branding: Gaming and Esports in HR

To attract new skilled workers and make companies more appealing to applicants, HR departments are turning to gaming and esports, beyond mere gamification. This serves as an effective employer branding strategy, as demonstrated by the following projects and initiatives.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 15 min read

Business

Global Esports Industry Week 2026 in Cologne

Global Esports Industry Week 2026 will take place in Cologne this year, coinciding with IEM Cologne. Over 400 attendees and more than 75 speakers are expected. The Global Esports Industry Week debuted last year in Austin, Texas.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read

Esports

Offline Finals of the R6 Central Combine at Ubisoft Düsseldorf

Emerging Rainbow Six Siege esports talents from Europe and the MENA region have the opportunity to showcase their abilities in the upcoming EML Challenger Circuit 2026 series, where they can secure a spot in the offline finals on 25 July at Ubisoft Düsseldorf.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read

Products

Ubisoft Releases Second CDLC for Anno 117

The second CDLC has been released for Anno 117: Pax Romana. The Blooming Cities Pack only includes cosmetic additions, while the team at Ubisoft Mainz continues to work on the next two DLCs for the game: The Hippodrome and Dawn of the Delta.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read

GamesMarket Exclusive

Azerbaijan as an Emerging Games Market

Azerbaijan is one of the emerging markets in the games sector that doesn't receive much attention. This interview with Shahin Aliyev, co-founder and CEO of Dynamic Box, and Anatoly Strutinsky, SVP of Government & Industry Relations, EMEA at Xsolla, offers a glimpse into this market.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 6 min read

Campus

Game Studies Watchlist 2026 #24

The Game Studies Watchlist newsletter, curated by Professor Rudolf Inderst, is published weekly on GamesMarket. This week's topics include what it takes to become a ludologist, Xbox and talks with James Bentley and Alexander Vandewalle.

By Rudolf Inderst • 5 min read

People

Pokémon International's North American Champions Crowned in New Orleans

At the 2026 North American Pokémon International Championships, several EU players won the pot as well. Tournaments were held in Pokémon Go, Unite, the TCG as well as the classic Pokémon video games, although fought in Pokémon Champions.

By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read

Development

Unreal Engine 5.8 Is Now Available; Unreal Engine 6 Is Still Years Away

At Unreal Fest Chicago 2026, Epic Games released Unreal Engine 5.8, which is likely to be the final significant update to the engine. The company plans to launch Unreal Engine 6 in Early Access in late 2027.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read

Products

Godot 4.7 Director's Cut Out Now

The new Godot version 4.7, titles Director's Cut, is all about lighting: With AreaLight3D, HDR output support and more. A new asset store is also in the mix.

By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read