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Politics

What the Games Industry Can Do About Extremism in Gaming — Dr Linda Schlegel is one of the authors of the Gaming & Extremism Study for two Bavarian state entities. She and her team have presented the study in December in Munich. (PRIF / modus zad)

Business

What the Games Industry Can Do About Extremism in Gaming

A new Bavarian study charts the influences of right-wing extremism in online games and platforms. Study author Dr. Linda Schlegel of PRIF lays out the results for us in English and offers recommendations for the games industry to effectively work against these influences.

By Linda Schlegel • 8 min read

Update Non-Profit-Status for Esports : Tax Law Amendment Passes Bundesrat — Christopher Flato (left, ESBD) and Felix Falk (game) approve of the non-profit status for esports that is to come.

Esports

Update Non-Profit-Status for Esports : Tax Law Amendment Passes Bundesrat

As expected, the tax change decided by the Federal Council was also passed by the Federal Council today. This clears the last formal hurdle to the recognition of esports as a non-profit status in Germany.

By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read

Game Award Saar 2025 Presented — Elena Yorgova-Ramanauskas, State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy © Oliver Dietze

Awards

Game Award Saar 2025 Presented

On 10 December, the Game Award Saar 2025 was presented under the motto 'Spielräume der Zukunft' (Playing Fields of the Future), with a total prize fund of €80,000. Shaded Sun Productions won the Founder's Award. Roof Cut Media received the award for the best game.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read

Gaming Minds, gameXcite, Paintbucket, and Ubisoft Receive Federal Funding — El Presidente (Tropico franchise) receives funding from the German government © Kalypso Media

Business

Gaming Minds, gameXcite, Paintbucket, and Ubisoft Receive Federal Funding

Federal funding for games: Gaming Minds Studios in Gütersloh has received an impressive €1.26 million for the Tropico 7 Season Pass. Meanwhile, Paintbucket in Berlin is getting just over €250,000. Funding is also being provided for games projects from Ubisoft and gameXcite.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read

Sweden: Cross-Party Working Group Presents Knowledge Report on Games — Picture: Melker Dahlstrand/Swedish Parliament

Business

Sweden: Cross-Party Working Group Presents Knowledge Report on Games

A working group of the Swedish Parliament's Culture Committee has now presented a nearly 200-page knowledge report on games and board games. Among other things, the authors call for games to be recognized as a cultural sector and for a national strategy for the games industry to be developed.

By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read

Africa Games Week Sees Political Moves for Games in South Africa — 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

BLM and Bavarian Family Ministry Present Gaming Extremism Study — From left: Constantin Winkler and Lars Wiegold of PRIF and Vivienne Ohlenforst of modus zad presenting the study results at the Bavarian Family Ministry (modus zad)

BLM and Bavarian Family Ministry Present Gaming Extremism Study

Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien and the Bavarian Family Ministry have commissioned a study about extremism in gaming. The results, presented at the Ministry by researchers from PRIF and modus zad today: Right-wing extremism is most prevalent, and most online games don't do enough.

By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read

German Esports Summit Underlined Digital Culture as a Unifying Element for Millions — German Esports Summit - Torsten Burmester (Mayor of Cologne, SPD), Nathanael Liminski (Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, CDU), and Christopher Flato (E-Sport-Bund Deutschland e.V. President) © Alina Ehmann Fotografie

Esports

German Esports Summit Underlined Digital Culture as a Unifying Element for Millions

Shortly after DEP 2025, the German Esports Summit took place in Cologne. Around 120 industry, political and societal representatives took part in the annual conference of the German esports industry. There, the granting of non-profit status was highlighted as a start of a new era for esports.

By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read

Bisalina Speedruns Raises €16k, Breaking Annual Record

Business

Bisalina Speedruns Raises €16k, Breaking Annual Record

More than 16,000 euros for Amnesty International in one evening: The Bisalina Speedruns event on 22 November has raised more than the full event series collected over the course of 2024. Now organiser Lucina Hum is poised for the future.

By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read

How Policymakers Are Researching The Environmental Potential of Games — (Elisabeth Lena Aubrecht / Umweltbundesamt)

Business

How Policymakers Are Researching The Environmental Potential of Games

Sustainable game development is no mere PR issue for the industry. Increasingly, the public recognises the need for one of the biggest, fastest growing industry and culture sectors to become greener. The basis for this is extensive research that could benefit the industry greatly.

By Pascal Wagner • 3 min read

Bavaria Finances Its Own Games Location Study — (from left) Annette Kümmel, Managing Director of Medien.Bayern GmbH; Felix Locke, Member of the Bavarian Parliament; Dr. Fabian Mehring, Member of the Bavarian Parliament, Bavarian Minister of State for Digital Affairs; Robin Rottmann, Team Lead Games/Bavaria

Business

Bavaria Finances Its Own Games Location Study

Bavarian Digital Minister Mehring is awarding 42,000 euros additional funding to Games/Bavaria for a game location study about the state, as basis for coming funding strategies. Results are expected in 2026. The study will be outsourced to Goldmedia.

By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read

Video Games Europe and USK Respond to EU Consultation on Digital Fairness Act

Business

Video Games Europe and USK Respond to EU Consultation on Digital Fairness Act

The Digital Fairness Act could bring about lasting change to the gaming business, particularly in the free-to-play segment. This is another reason why it is important for the industry to get involved in the legislative process, as Video Games Europe and USK have done.

By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read