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Gaming & iGaming trends for 2021

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Gaming and iGaming industries exploded in 2020 as the pandemic has only reinforced the new edge entertainment trend. In times of massive uncertainty, the world turned to simulate reality games as a new way to connect and unwind.

According to Statista, today there are already more than 2.7 billion video gamers worldwide. The entire video gaming market is expected to be worth over $200 bln by 2023. As to iGaming, around 1.6 billion people gamble throughout the year, while the global online gambling market is anticipated to be valued at more than $92.9 bln by 2023.

Here we’re going to explore the impact of the pandemic in these domains, uncover new trends within the booming industries and learn what to expect for 2021.

Changes in the industries in the COVID times

Lloyd Richman, CEO of iBet Digital, thinks that since COVID-19 first hit, a lot of sportsbook bettors, who used to bet on a daily basis, started to look out for new things to bet on. “For sure, they were very unhappy, because almost all sports competitions had stopped at that moment. And this is why virtual sports have uplifted, as well as eSports”.

Lloyd briefly explained the difference between virtual sports and eSports.

“Virtual sports are predetermined or pre-recorded games architected by computer software. It’s very much a virtual video, that’s played out and then people can bet on that in real-time. Whereas in eSports people are competing against each other playing the likes of Counter-Strike or FIFA whether they’re playing individually or as teams. It’s streamed in real-time and viewers are able to bet on it the same way they do with sports.”

Will Mercer, venture director at Zag, a founder and CEO of Umaya Village, pointed out his favourite stats about eSports: “The entire of tennis as a sport can only support 300 full-time professional players, whereas League of Legends, which is just one of the many eSports, can support a thousand.”

At the end of 2020 Esports entertainment group acquired Lucky Dino for $30 mln, an online casino operator with its own proprietary casino platform. “You’ll probably see a lot more eSports levelling up with Sportsbook in 2021 because there’s a lot of money in that business”, says Lloyd Richman.

Poker also saw huge growth, in spite of the fact that just a few years ago, it was considered as a dying out product. Today poker products started to boom again across the whole industry. “People had time to kill while being stuck at home, sleeping patterns were changed and they were able to invest into things like 6-hours tournaments as opposed to quick Sit & Go games”, says Richman.

But all of this might change very quickly. “When poker was huge five years ago, eSports wasn’t really around. But today we’re seeing that virtual games are getting pushed a lot more. The same appeals to live casinos that boomed in the last few years. But all of it probably will go back into decline again, because the real sports are back”, noticed Lloyd.

From a technological perspective, there are several trends just coupling all together in an interesting way.

There’s a tremendous growth of the social media component in gaming. It became really important both in games and in-gaming infrastructure like Discord. “Gaming acts as the niche to hanging out and talking in comfort with your own communities and friends”, adds Vlad Beck, founder of Black Snow Games & co-founder of Sigma Software Group.

At the same time streaming has shown enormous growth compared to pre-pandemic. Twitch jumped from 9 billion hours watched in 2019 all the way to 17 billion in 2020. This is also accompanied by 5G getting up and running.

Casino in GTA V and the future of in-game experience

GTA V has sold over 110 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time, generating over $6 bln worth of revenue. In 2019 Rockstar released its Diamond Casino & Resort update, which lets players use real money to play its games. The casino’s chips can be purchased with in-game currency at a $1 to 1 chip ratio.

Richman believes that the full-time merging between online computer games and online casinos is happening right now. “It’s been happening, but very slowly. Rockstar released their Casino update six years after they released the original game.”

“In that week after they released the casino update, it was the most anticipated downloadable content (DLC) ever across PlayStation. They had more players playing GTA than they had in the previous six years”, emphasised Lloyd.

The audience wants to come on and play slots, walk up to blackjack people and watch virtual sports on horse racing. Rockstar merged into the casino and into gambling via creating slot games on an RPG computer game level. This is the accelerated change in gaming, and in the next 10-15 years merges like this are going to happen on a regular basis.

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Flexion adds Hero Wars: Alliance from Nexters to alternative store portfolio

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Flexion (NASDAQ: FLEXM) has partnered with Nexters Global, part of GDEV, to expand the reach of its flagship title, Hero Wars: Alliance, across alternative app stores. The mid-core RPG is set to launch on platforms including the Amazon Appstore, Samsung Galaxy Store, Samsung Instant Play, Xiaomi GetApps, Epic Games Store, and ONE store during Q2 2026.

Hero Wars: Alliance continues to rank among the top 60 highest-grossing titles on Google Play, further strengthening Flexion’s portfolio of globally successful games.

Jens Lauritzson, CEO of Flexion, said: “Nexters has a proven hit with Hero Wars: Alliance. Our role is to take that existing success and generate more revenue by reaching users in the alternative stores. We don’t just handle updates and marketing; we provide the full infrastructure and services to ensure a game performs at its peak on every platform.”

Olga Egoshina, Director of Business Development at Nexters, added: “We built this game to last. If you limit yourself to one or two big stores, you miss out on a massive audience using other markets. Flexion lets us expand into those spaces without the typical upfront costs or effort. It is a low-risk way to quickly grow our revenue and player base while Flexion handles the messy technical work.”

Flexion manages the full process of bringing games to alternative distribution channels, offering a combination of proprietary technology and operational services. On average, the company delivers more than 10% in additional revenue for its partners, with a portfolio that includes 35 top-grossing titles, four of which rank in the global top 10.

Its service offering includes full integration and platform management, tailored marketing strategies, technical support with rapid updates, and access to curated store placements. As developers increasingly seek higher margins and diversified revenue streams, Flexion’s model allows studios to unlock additional income without the typical operational burden.

Hero Wars: Alliance is a free-to-play mobile strategy RPG set in the fantasy world of Dominion, where players collect and upgrade heroes, build team synergies, and compete across campaign missions, PvP arenas, and large-scale guild wars.

The post Flexion adds Hero Wars: Alliance from Nexters to alternative store portfolio appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Trophy Hunter introduces Night Hunt – a new nighttime hunting experience

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Trophy Hunter has unveiled Night Hunt, a new feature that transforms familiar hunting arenas into high-stakes environments after dark. The latest update introduces a weekly cycle of nighttime events, exclusive nocturnal animals, and fresh gameplay conditions designed to challenge players to rethink their strategies.

“Night Hunt is an important step in the development of Trophy Hunter. By transforming familiar hunting arenas into challenging nighttime environments, the feature introduces a new gameplay layer and effectively expands the game with additional hunting grounds and competitive opportunities,” said Jakub Noganowicz, Product Owner of Trophy Hunter and Hunting Clash. “Players enjoy club-based competition, but individual achievements are equally important. Night Hunt gives players new ways to challenge themselves, earn recognition, and test their hunting skills in a completely new environment.”

Weekly events bring a new competitive rhythm

Night Hunt introduces a structured schedule of limited-time weekly events. The mode unlocks for players who have progressed through the early stages and completed duels across the first five arenas, ensuring they are fully familiar with core mechanics before taking on the challenge.

Access to Night Hunt is based on a ticket system. Players receive three free tickets daily, with an additional ticket available via a rewarded video ad. More tickets can be purchased, allowing unlimited participation while supporting the game’s live-ops and monetisation systems.

Each week, a different arena becomes the setting for nighttime hunts. Reduced visibility and increased difficulty significantly alter gameplay dynamics, while exclusive night-only animals add variety. To help players adapt, epic weapons are enhanced with a thermal vision trait, improving precision in low-light conditions.

These recurring events create a steady loop of challenges and rewards, encouraging regular engagement while expanding the game’s live-ops layer.

Achievement badges reward top performers

The update also strengthens Trophy Hunter’s competitive edge with new achievement-based rewards. During Night Hunt events, players compete in duels, earn event currency, and unlock rewards by reaching key milestones.

Multiple rankings track performance across metrics such as highest score, shot accuracy, and winning streaks. Top-performing players are awarded exclusive badges, which become permanent additions to their profiles and can be showcased to others.

Continuing to expand the game world

Since its global launch, Trophy Hunter has continued to evolve with regular content updates. New arenas are introduced at least once a month, bringing fresh environments and tactical challenges. The latest addition, released on February 27, brings the total number of arenas to 18.

Alongside new locations, the game continues to develop both social and individual gameplay experiences. Features like Club Race enhance team-based competition, while Night Hunt adds a new layer focused on individual skill, progression, and personal achievement—encouraging players to revisit familiar locations under more demanding conditions and driving deeper engagement.

The post Trophy Hunter introduces Night Hunt – a new nighttime hunting experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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OUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile

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  • Prime Rush is now live in Brazil on Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS
  • Features a dual win condition through survival or Cosmium extraction, new Brazilian heroes, and tactical abilities
  • Launches with Ranked Season 1, Battle Pass Season 1: Street Legends, and multiple limited-time modes

Prime Rush, a new mobile shooter combining battle royale survival with extraction-style gameplay, has officially launched in Brazil on the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS. Developed by SuperGaming in partnership with Spacecaps, the parent company of LOUD, the game has been built with direct feedback from Brazilian players and creators during its Closed Beta and Early Access phases.

Prime Rush introduces a unique twist to the traditional battle royale format. In addition to surviving until the end of the match, squads can secure an early victory by extracting Cosmium, a rare resource that spawns during the final circle. This dual win condition creates a match environment where squads must decide whether to outlast opponents in a final-circle finish or take a more tactical route to win through Cosmium extraction.

The game also features a flexible tactical ability system built for high-tempo mobile combat. Active Abilities such as DeadEye, Shield Dome, Super Speed, and Hunter’s Instinct allow players to approach matches through precision, defence, mobility, and intel respectively.

Speaking on this development Bruno Bittencourt, CEO of LOUD said, “Brazil has one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world, yet we’ve spent years playing games that weren’t built with us in mind. Prime Rush is a game created for Brazilian players, shaped daily by the communities we’ve built over the past decade. We’ve been listening to them every single day. It’s a game that finally feels like home.”

Brazil has one of the most competitive mobile shooter audiences that we have seen, and from the start we wanted Prime Rush to be both authentic and accessible,” said Roby John, CEO and Co-founder of SuperGaming. “For us, that meant building a game that feels true to Brazil while also making sure it runs smoothly across a broad range of devices so more players can experience it the way it was meant to be played.”

The battle takes place on the island of Maré, the setting for Prime Rush’s battle royale extraction experience. Prime Rush also includes a Mini TDM mode (Favela). This is a quick 4v4 mode designed for shorter, high-intensity firefights on the go.

At launch, the game introduces a lineup of new Brazilian heroes including Juliana, Rafael, Miguel, Rogério, Dos Santos, Julia, and Gustavo, with character customization allowing players to personalize their experience. Players can also customize their weapon experience with the new Evo-X skins. These are upgradeable gun skins featuring three switchable Chromas, enhanced visuals and VFX, unique inspect and reload animations, custom fire SFX, unique kill feed treatment, and distinct muzzle and tracer effects.

Prime Rush goes live with multiple limited-time modes including DeadEye Rush, Pants in the Air, and Weapon Roulette, offering players shorter duration matches for quick jump-in and jump-out between sessions beyond its core battle royale extraction gameplay.

The game launches with its first Ranked Season, allowing players to climb through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Champion, Legend, and Cosmic.

Check out the launch trailer right here: youtube.com/watch?v=Op5KreKoLmY

Prime Rush is now available to download in Brazil on the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS.

Season 1 Battle Pass: Street Legends

The Season 1 Battle Pass: Street Legends is also here, bringing a new lineup of rewards for players as they progress through the season. These include:

  • New Avatars: Laura, Juliana, Rafael
  • Weapon Skins: Subliminar, Grafitada, Suavidade, Firmeza, Raiz, Brabo, AK-BR7
  • Melee Weapon: Chinela (Slipper)
  • Vehicle Skin: Lenda Urbana
  • Additional Rewards: Stickers, Dive Trails, Emotes, and Portraits

Prime Rush System Requirements

Powered by SuperPlatform, SuperGaming’s in-house tech-stack, Prime Rush currently supports Android 7 and above with 4GB RAM, as well as iOS 15 and above. Based on Early Access performance reports, the game delivers a stable 40 FPS on lower-end devices with recommended graphics settings, while mid to high-end devices can achieve up to 60 FPS.

This makes Prime Rush playable across a wide range of mobile devices, helping ensure that more players in Brazil can access the game on both Android and iOS.

SuperGaming is continuously optimizing Prime Rush to support more devices over time. Performance and visual fidelity may vary depending on hardware and user-selected graphics settings.

For more information follow Prime Rush on Instagram and TikTok.

The post OUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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