Gaming

gamescom 2021 focuses on the societal potential of games for the post-pandemic era

Published

4 years ago

July 16, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

‘Games: The New Normal’ is the central theme of gamescom 2021
gamescom trends 2021: ‘more games for less money’ and ‘live streaming’
Debatt(l)e Royale with the secretaries general of the political parties will be live-streamed on 27 August starting at 12.30 p.m.

Currently, 6 out of 10 Germans play games on a regular basis, as do more than 2.2 billion people worldwide – and there is no denying the huge potential of games. Computer and video games make millions of people happy every day, especially in difficult times like the pandemic, and they have long been used in companies, schools, retirement homes and museums. This year’s gamescom aims to highlight the enormous potential of games with its central theme ‘Games: The New Normal’. After all, the pandemic has clearly demonstrated once again the importance of games in society and the potential that still needs to be developed.

‘Games are a natural part of everyday life for billions of people around the world – for entertainment, work and education. Today, no one is surprised to see concerts, election campaigns and even church services set in computer and video games. This shows the potential of games, which we have only just begun to explore. Likewise, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the more digital and networked world will rely more than ever on games and their technologies,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘This makes it all the more important now, also politically, to have a clear plan for how we can tap the tremendous potential of games even better in the future. With the recently introduced games strategy, we now have a strong concept at the national level. Now it is up to the next federal government to put concrete measures in place. This is something we also want to talk about at the political opening of gamescom and the Debatt(l)e Royale with the leading representatives of the political parties in Germany.’

Trend: ‘more games for less money’

Never before have so many games been available to play completely free of charge. On PCs, consoles and smartphones, millions of players use a wide variety of games in all genres free of charge – alone or with their friends. Still, many fans like to invest money in their free-to-play games, for instance to customise their gaming experience. And even full-price games can now be played as a standard feature of increasingly comprehensive subscription services that are available for just a few euros a month. So, despite a sharp rise in production costs in recent years, it has never been as affordable to play such a wide variety of games as it is today.

Trend: ‘live streaming’

Live streaming on platforms like Facebook Gaming, Twitch and YouTube has been one of the fastest-growing phenomena in games culture in recent years. Live streaming events with gaming communities have long since become the campfire of the digital age. This is where today’s creative talents meet their fans for a unique exchange of ideas. Increasingly, the unparalleled combination of live streaming and a community is also being used outside the gaming world, for example for music and sports events, and this is gradually blurring the boundary between creators and audiences. gamescom also relies on the phenomenon of live streaming to delight millions of fans worldwide with shows like gamescom: Opening Night Live and the formats of its many partners.

In recent years, gamescom has emerged as an important platform for political exchange. This year again, there will be several events for this purpose with the political opening of gamescom, the gamescom congress and the Debatt(l)e Royale. These special events will kick off with the political opening on 26 August from 10 a.m. On the same day, the gamescom congress starts, Europe’s leading event devoted to the potential of computer games in a digitalised world. Finally, on 27 August, the Debatt(l)e Royale will take place at 12.30 p.m. The round-table discussion of the secretaries general of the political parties will be live-streamed from the federal state representation of North Rhine-Westphalia in Berlin. This year’s host is German creator LeFloid. In addition to discussing the best games policy for Germany, the focus will be on the community’s questions about the German federal elections. With this initiative, gamescom organisers hope to send a clear message to the community underscoring the importance of taking part in the elections in September.

About gamescom

gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games, as well as Europe’s largest business platform for the games industry. In 2021, gamescom will be an exclusively digital event from Wednesday, 25 August, to Friday, 27 August. Events will not take place on-site in Cologne this year. gamescom is jointly organised by Koelnmesse and game – the German Games Industry Association.

game – the German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the best games location.

Arena Racing Company

Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2025

Wladimir P.

arena-racing-company-awarded-united-arab-emirates-gaming-related-vendor-license

Arena Racing Company (ARC) has been granted a Gaming-Related Vendor license from the United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities.

The license, operational with immediate effect, affords ARC the opportunity to provide its products and services to licensed operators in the region. Notably, the Racing1 Markets service, an all-in-one horse and greyhound racing solution delivered in conjunction with Racing1 alliance media rights partners at 1/ST CONTENT, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and Tabcorp, alongside technical partner Pythia Sports. ARC has been added to the list of licensed vendors as per the GCGRA website.

Jack Whitaker, Commercial Manager at ARC, said: “Obtaining this license is a great achievement for ARC and its Racing1 partners. The emerging regulated UAE market is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products and services in the region.”

The post Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Battle of the Tribes

POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER

Published

3 weeks ago

December 3, 2025

Wladimir P.

polytopia-world-championship-2025-breaks-record-participation-as-finals-draw-closer

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Celebrated strategy game The Battle of Polytopia confirms its first ever World Championships has exceeded expectations with over 10,000 sign-ups in its qualifying rounds. While no stranger to tournaments, previously hosting smaller scale, local tournaments called ‘Polysseums’, developer Midjiwan’s first step into global esports has been met with extreme success. The inclusive esports event has a $10,000 prize pool and will conclude on 6 December 2025, 14:00-21:00.

The finals will take place in front of a live-studio audience, with expert commentary and a chance to peek behind the scenes at Midjiwan itself. First place will receive $4,000, the runner-up will take away $2,000, the third and fourth place finishers will get $1,500, and the fifth and sixth place $500.

The Polytopia World Championship 2025 is being hosted by eSports platform, Challengermode, who Midjiwan has relied on for its monthly local tournaments since 2022. Midjiwan also partnered with Black Molly Entertainment to help organise and manage the event. Black Molly Entertainment have years of experience managing eSports tournaments, with notable events including the Geoguesser World Cup and CS:GO Pinnacle Cup Championship.

Midjiwan has worked closely with its community to ensure engagement is high with each round, building a bespoke ‘Spectator Mode’ into the game so fans can watch each game live through the game itself. In the spectator mode the viewer has visibility of all players simultaneously, with stats on how many cities, technologies, kills and more available for quick access.

Christian Lovstedt, CEO of Midjiwan commented:
“Polytopia has always been about welcoming all kinds of players into the world of 4X strategy. That’s why our championship is open to everyone – not just pros with sponsors. We’ve been thrilled at the amount of interest this tournament received from our community, reaching participation numbers way beyond our expectations. We’re excited to bring the finalists to Stockholm and can’t wait to see the strategies that emerge.”

The Polytopia World Championship 2025 kicked off in September, with its ‘Battle of the Tribes’ qualifying round – weekly battles where players competed to be the best in each of the game’s 12 tribes. After an exciting six weeks, the top player from each tribe faced-off, reducing the qualifiers to six finalists. These six winners are listed down below.

Tribe	Qualifying Player
IMPERIUS	ArthurL248
BARDUR	slimmingboy
OUMAJI	Dreamlander3000
HOODRICK	Theetat
XIN-Xi	LeLiberateur
LUXIDOOR	Meisterlampe

Recaps of each round of the tournament prior to the finals can be watched on the official Battle of Polytopia YouTube channel.

Part 1: Polytopia World Championship 1st Qualifiers Wrap-Up – BARDUR, IMPERIUS, KICKOO, ZEBASI
Part 2: Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Oumaji Hoodrick Yadakk & Quetzali – World Champoinship 2025
Part 3: Final Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Xin-Xi, Luxidoor, Ai-Mo & Vengir – World Championship 2025
Face-off stream: https://youtube.com/live/GnU6mWPoJiY?feature=share

To watch the finals live on December 6,visit here: https://polytopia.io/stream/

To stay up to date on the Polytopia World Championship 2025, or purchase one of the limited tickets for the live event, visit the official website or join the Official Polytopia Discord.

The post POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Betiator

Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting

Published

3 weeks ago

December 3, 2025

George Miller

delasport-unveils-a-crash-game-for-sports-betting

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading iGaming supplier Delasport teases a one-of-a-kind sports betting crash game called Betiator – a new in-play experience that merges live sports with the tension and excitement of crash games.

Inspired by the groundbreaking casino genre, the company once again pushes the whole industry to a new phase in evolution by allowing sports bettors to play in the same easy and fun way as fellow casino players. Crash games are booming in the casino world, showing that players crave more emotional, fast, and visually engaging formats – and Betiator brings that same adrenaline-charged energy to the sportsbook.

It changes the scene by introducing a truly innovative way to bet on sports, keeping players at the edge of their seats during the game. Designed to excite both sports bettors and casino players, it marks a defining moment for innovation.

This product comes as a logical next step in the evolution of live betting and the company’s goal to disrupt the iGaming industry. It demonstrates Delasport’s successful commitment to unique innovation: a strategy they call “Going Beyond Content” –building on the success of products and features like SuperPot, My Sportsbook, My Combo, Double My Winnings, and many more.

“Sports bettors deserve the same level of innovation and excitement that casino players get all the time,” Delasport’s CEO Oren Cohen Shwartz says. “At Delasport we’re taking the whole game to a new playing field with Betiator. Live betting won’t feel outdated anymore as we’re bringing in the thrill of the casino to sports betting.”

While details about Betiator remain under wraps for now, Delasport promises a completely new way to experience live sports. Operators and partners eager to see it in action can schedule exclusive demos and discover more at ICE Barcelona 2026, taking place January 19–21, where Betiator will make its official debut.

The post Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.