Campus Game Studies Watchlist #49 The Game Studies Watchlist newsletter, curated by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Inderst, is published weekly on GamesMarkt. This week's topics include the forsaken world of N64, a mapping of game mechanics and new YouTube research channels. By Rudolf Inderst • 3 min read
The unveiling of Divinity included the mysterious statue in the desert. © Larian Studios Awards The Game Awards 2025 – All Announcements The flood of announcements at The Game Awards 2025 included new Star Wars, Tomb Raider and Dungeons & Dragons games. Divinity, Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Control Resonant and Ace Combat 8 were also unveiled, along with many more titles. By Marcel Kleffmann • 11 min read
Business The Rise of "Friendslop": Why Low-Fidelity Social Chaos is Shaking Up the Games Industry In 'Zoran's Update', experienced games manager Zoran Roso comments on current industry topics on LinkedIn, speaking from the heart for many in the industry. GamesMarkt is now republishing the update with Zoran's consent. This time's topic: The Rise of 'Friendslop'. By Zoran Roso • 6 min read
John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, which will be released on March 12, 2026, is the first game that Plaion will distribute physically worldwide under the new contract for Focus Business Plaion and Focus Entertainment Expand Partnership With New Distribution Agreement Austrian distributor Plaion is further expanding its partnership with French publisher Focus Entertainment. Thanks to a new contract, Plaion will take over worldwide physical distribution of Focus' new releases, starting with John Carpenter's Toxic Commando. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Swept the Board at the Game Awards 2025 © TGA Business The Game Awards 2025 -The Winners Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the most nominated game in TGA history, receiving a total of nine awards. This game by Sandfall and Kepler Interactive was the big winner of the evening. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
Bavarian Digital Minister Fabian Mehring announcing the secured funding for the Gamerei until 2028 (Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Digitales) Munich's Gamerei Lease Secured Until 2028 at Least At Games/Bavaria's Christmas party, Bavarian Digital Minister Mehring had presents in store. One of them: The Munich games hub Gamerei will be securely funded as long as he is Minister, so at least until mid 2028. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Dirk Ringe, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, Envision Entertainment Business G+ Dirk Ringe: "We Are Proud to Have a Large German Player Base, Which Is No Surprise Considering Our Roots." Today is the day that Pioneers of Pagonia leaves Early Access after two years. We spoke to Dirk Ringe, CEO and co-founder of Envision Entertainment, about their experiences with Early Access, the growing competition in the market and Germany's position as a games location. By Marcel Kleffmann • 8 min read
Frank Sagnier, Interim Executive Chair of everplay Business Everplay and Hiro Games Support Bulkhead in Its Separation From Tencent Everplay and Hiro Capital have acquired minority stakes in the new gaming company Super Media Group (SMG), which purchased Bulkhead from Tencent. SMG is backed by managers from Bulkhead. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Pictures by Chris Dreyer (Left), Fabian Arens (both in the Middle), Laura Scholzen (Right) Business Play! Con Confirms 5th Edition in November 2026 Next year, Play! Con 2026 will take place on November 7 and 8 at Messepark Trier. The organizer is planning further growth for the fifth edition. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The winners of the Africa Games Week Awards 2025 (AGW) Africa Games Week Sees Political Moves for Games in South Africa With 500 B2B guests, 1.500 people on the exhibition floor and the first Award show, the Africa Games Week 2025 was a full success. More importantly: The South African Government announced a big change to their handling of games in with a new committee. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Business FFF Bayern Funds Six XR Projects With a Total of €300,000 FFF Bayern's extended reality (XR) funding committee met yesterday and recommended six projects for funding totalling €300,000: four productions and two developments. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Business Xsolla Unveils New Brand Identity Xsolla is accompanying The Game Awards, including its side events, with a series of activities. The company itself is using the opportunity to present its new brand identity to the industry. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
