Asia
GEG Title-Sponsors the “Alphabets & Friends” Literary and Cultural Festival
Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) has been actively supporting cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and advancing the establishment of Macau as “a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”. Spanning over 30 activities from April 4 to May 6, the “Galaxy Entertainment Group Presents: Literary and Cultural Festival for Parents and Children ‘Alphabet & Friends’ 2025” (the Festival) was jointly organised by the Portuguese Institute of the Orient (IPOR) and the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong and title-sponsored by GEG. As part of the Festival, GEG hosted an exclusive parent-child story creation session at the Galaxy Kidz Edutainment Centre, inviting over 30 local children and parents from the Associação Promotora da Instrução dos Macaenses to participate. Together, they created and read Portuguese-language stories, deepening their understanding and interest in Portuguese culture through relaxed and interesting interactions. Since its inception in 2021, GEG has supported the Festival for five consecutive years, facilitating cultural exchanges within Macau’s Chinese-Portuguese community. Including this year’s activities, the Festival has drawn participation from 40 local schools and institutions, totaling over 10,000 participants.
During the parent-child story creation session at the Galaxy Kidz Edutainment Centre, Ms. Catarina Mesquita, founder of Macau’s first trilingual children’s book publishing company, Mandarina Books, inspired the creativity of children in an educational and entertaining way, guiding them to use different Portuguese phrases and vocabularies to create unique stories based on everyday life. Portuguese cartoonist, Mr. Rodrigo de Matos, also attended the event and vividly illustrated the children’s ingenious ideas on canvas. The children and their parents added colorful stickers to their works afterwards in a warm and lively atmosphere. Additionally, Ms. Mesquita brought her books, published in Chinese, English and Portuguese, for the participating families to read together, allowing them to experience the joy of cross-cultural communication.
Mr. Mário Herculano Fernandes Estorninho, a representative from the Associação Promotora da Instrução dos Macaenses, said: “We sincerely thank GEG and all the organizers for providing this rich cultural experience. The event not only sparked children’s creativity and imagination through engaging activities, but also fostered their interest in storytelling, improved their expression and comprehension skills in the Portuguese language, and deepened their understanding of Portuguese culture.”
For the first time, the series of activities in this year’s Festival were the “reading points” of the “Reading Month in the City of Macao 2025” organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macau SAR Government (ICM). The Festival was linked to a number of related initiatives, such as International Children’s Book Day, World Book Day and World Portuguese Language Day, with various activities ranging from concerts, theater performances, parent-child workshops, children’s book fairs and book launches around the theme of “Artificial Intelligence in Education – The Robot and I” held to the enthusiastic response of different sectors. Furthermore, at the “Mini Library”, one of the key events of the Festival, IPOR, the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong and GEG jointly donated a collection of nearly 400 books by Portuguese-language authors, including some bilingual editions released during the Festival, to nearly 40 non-tertiary local schools that include Portuguese in their curriculum in hopes of enhancing local youth’s interest in reading and deepening their understanding of the Portuguese culture through high-quality bilingual learning materials.
Over the years, GEG has upheld its philosophy of “What is taken from the community is to be used for the good of the community” by supporting Chinese-Portuguese cultural and artistic events in Macau through diverse ways, hoping to enrich the city’s multicultural landscape. In this March, GEG sponsored the Macau Literary Festival for the 11th time, providing a platform for literary exchange between cultural and artistic advocates from China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Last year, GEG supported the “GEG Lusofonia Festival” for the second consecutive year, serving as one of its organisers for the first time alongside ICM. Since 2021, GEG has partnered with ICM to launch a variety of initiatives under the “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, including supporting the “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community” held at Galaxy Macau integrated resort for two consecutive years. Additionally, GEG has supported the “China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival” for four consecutive years, co-hosting it twice and providing outdoor screenings at GEG’s revitalisation project – the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards during this past edition.
The post GEG Title-Sponsors the “Alphabets & Friends” Literary and Cultural Festival appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
Insurgence Gaming Company Introduces La Imperia, a Community-First All-Female VALORANT Tournament
La Imperia, a new all-female esports IP by The Insurgence Gaming Company, will make its competitive debut this month with an online VALORANT invitational tournament running from December 19 to 21, 2025. Designed as a visibility-first platform for women competitors, the event brings together four invited Indian teams for a three-day broadcast competition.
La Imperia marks the inaugural tournament by the Insurgence Gaming Company, a newly founded esports company led by Jasper Shabin, who previously served as a poject manager at Skyesports. Positioning itself as a community-first tournament operator, the Insurgence Gaming Company aims to refocus attention on grassroots competition and long-term ecosystem building at a time when entry-level and women-led esports pathways remain limited.
The tournament will be played in VALORANT and feature a round-robin group stage followed by single-elimination playoffs, culminating in a BO5 Grand Final. All matches across the three days will be broadcast live on YouTube, along with additional watch-parties.
The four invited teams competing at La Imperia include Huntrix, Sin Sisters, Plushie Gang and MyKil. All teams feature all-female rosters, aligning with La Imperia’s positioning as a dedicated women’s esports IP.
Broadcast production for the event will be handled by Momentum Gaming, serving as the official Broadcast Partner. The on-air talent lineup includes Star Tania, Nekroz, Odawg, and Hikari Jane, who will guide viewers through the tournament across all three days.
Beyond competition, La Imperia is also placing emphasis on player well-being. Sattva by Pallavi joins the tournament as the Mental Health Partner, integrating conversations around mental health and holistic wellness into the event’s broadcast and content output. The partnership reflects a growing recognition of sustainability and mental resilience within competitive gaming environments.
Speaking on the launch, Jasper Shabin, Founder of The Insurgence Gaming Company, said: “La Imperia is built to be a visibility platform first. There is no shortage of talent in the women’s VALORANT scene, but there are very few consistent stages where that talent can be seen, supported, and taken seriously. With the Insurgence Gaming Company, we want to return focus to grassroots competition and create formats that players can grow with, not just compete in once.”
The tournament carries an INR 15,000 prize pool, with the primary focus placed on competitive exposure, broadcast quality, and long-term ecosystem value rather than one-off incentives.
With its inaugural edition, La Imperia sets the foundation for a new women-led esports property in India—one that combines structured competition, professional broadcast standards, and a community-first philosophy.
The post Insurgence Gaming Company Introduces La Imperia, a Community-First All-Female VALORANT Tournament appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
The World Esports Championship 2025 (WEC25) is officially open in Kuala Lumpur, welcoming athletes, fans, and delegations from around the globe. With 19 nations taking part in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), this year’s event stands as the most internationally diverse MLBB competition in IESF history.
After a year filled with national and regional qualifiers and preparations from teams around the world, the world’s top esports athletes have arrived in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The opening ceremony set the tone for the days ahead, offering fans a first glimpse of the excitement and atmosphere surrounding this year’s championship.
“WEC25 reflects the continued growth of esports as a space for connection, competition, and shared passion,” said IESF General Secretary Boban Totovski. “Bringing together 19 nations for MLBB is a milestone not just for the title, but for the entire esports ecosystem. We are proud to bring this edition of the championship to Kuala Lumpur.”
As the competition officially kicks off, the schedule is fully packed with exciting match-ups among Nations, competing for their flag and country. The best from all over the world will have the unique opportunity to become the MLBB World Champion.
IESF extends its gratitude to the Malaysian government and the Ministry for Youth and Sports, partners, athletes, and global supporters who continue to elevate the championship’s reach and impact.
The post IESF Officially Opens the World Esports Championship 2025 in Kuala Lumpur appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
Pacific Online-backed Buenas PH Inks Partnership with YGS Live’s Battle of the Streamers to Support Ethical iGaming
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Buenas PH, the licensed e-casino operator under HHR Philippines Inc (HHRPI), has been named the presenting partner of YGS Live’s Battle of the Streamers. The partnership builds on the strong momentum created during the recent launch of YGS Live, a next-generation iGaming broadcast platform founded by esports pioneer Julius “Banoobs” Mariano.
Buenas PH is backed by strong corporate leadership that firmly establishes its position in the iGaming and entertainment industry. HHR Philippines is venture-backed by publicly listed Pacific Online Systems Corporation (POSC), led by Willy N. Ocier, who serves as Chairman of Belle Corporation. Belle Corporation is SM Investment’s major developer of leisure and tourism destinations built to support the growth of PAGCOR’s Entertainment City. This corporate foundation strengthens Buenas PH’s credibility and long-term direction as it grows in the regulated iGaming sector.
The Battle of the Streamers is the flagship program of YGS Live. Powered by Pragmatic Play and streamed through the soon-to-be-launched Loco Live platform, the event brings together the country’s top iGaming creators in a weekly competition featuring an eleven-million-peso prize pool. As one of the first major events to debut on Loco Live, the program showcases the platform’s commitment to high-quality, responsible, and community-driven iGaming content. It also reinforces YGS Live’s advocacy for responsible iGaming by discouraging creators from promoting unlicensed or scam platforms.
“Through this partnership, Buenas PH supports a mission that elevates Philippine iGaming to a safer and more responsible environment,” said Julius “Banoobs” Mariano, Founder of YGS Live. “Our creators have influence. We want that influence to help shape a healthier culture for fans and players.”
Industry reports have highlighted Pacific Online’s active participation in the growth of regulated online gaming in the Philippines, including its involvement in HHR Philippines and the Buenas operator. These developments strengthen confidence in the company’s long-term direction as a regulated and ethical player in the e-casino sector.
As the presenting partner, Buenas PH takes a central role throughout the Battle of the Streamers program, which runs every Saturday and culminates in a grand finals event on January 18, 2026, at City of Dreams Manila. The event combines high-stakes matches with interactive community segments, along with three million pesos in community giveaways for fans and viewers.
YGS Live continues to position itself as a broadcast network dedicated to responsible, community-driven iGaming content. With Buenas PH as a lead partner, the platform aims to set a new benchmark for safe, creator-focused, and credible iGaming entertainment in the Philippines.
For updates, visit the official YGS Live Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YGSLive.
The post Pacific Online-backed Buenas PH Inks Partnership with YGS Live’s Battle of the Streamers to Support Ethical iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
