Gaming
Overwolf Raises $75M from a16z To Further Empower Leading Game Studios and In-Game Creators to Prosper with Community-Created Experiences
Overwolf, the all-in-one platform that enables creators to build, share, and monetize in-game apps and mods, announced a $75 million Series D round, led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Previous investors including Griffin Gaming Partners, Insight Partners, Intel Capital, Liberty Technology Venture Capital, and Marker participated. The funding will be used to strengthen and grow the in-game creator ecosystem primarily through CurseForge Core, a “UGC as a Service” solution that enables game studios, IP owners and in-game creators to prosper with game creations.
Overwolf believes that the industry is entering into a new era of gaming led by community-created experiences that are key to extending games’ longevity and player satisfaction. This era is fueled by in-game creators, a new generation of in-game app creators and mod authors.
Overwolf supports both in-game creators and game studios in facilitating community-created experiences via CurseForge Core. CurseForge Core is a white-label solution built to accelerate the community-created content movement by enabling publishers to easily integrate mods safely and seamlessly into their existing and new games, at zero cost.
Beyond the technical solution, Overwolf offers game developers a full-service UGC experience by managing content moderation including toxicity management, the community of players and creators, IP, UGC-related live ops, compatibility testing, file hosting, and the processing of creator payments. Gamers will have access to an in-game marketplace where they can discover, download, and install approved player-created content without ever leaving the game.
“The biggest social platforms today, including TikTok, Youtube, Instagram, are heavily driven by creators who generate content for friends, family, and the community. As games continue to evolve into social networks, creators and user-generated content will play an equally important role. Overwolf’s platform makes it possible for any player to become a co-creator of their favorite game thanks to a robust development engine, an app store for distribution, and monetization tools for creators to earn a living from their work,” commented Jonathan Lai, General Partner at a16z.
Today, over 87,000 creators are using the Overwolf framework to build, distribute and monetize their in-game apps and mods. More than 20 million gamers use Overwolf’s products monthly, and download more than 15 billion apps and mods yearly. In 2021, Overwolf expects to pay out $29M to in-game creators, nearly three times the amount distributed only a year prior. Earlier this year, the company deployed the Overwolf Creators Fund, a $50 million fund solely dedicated to supporting the work and projects of in-game app creators, mod authors, as well as game studios who plan to integrate mods into new titles.
“Community-created experiences are the future of gaming. No single game studio can compete with the speed of execution and sheer creativity of a passionate community. Instead of resisting community creations, we have seen a shift in perception with leading game studios starting to embrace the value that these creators bring to the community and to the studio itself. It is an honor to be able to provide the framework, tools and expertise to usher in this new era of community creation,” added Overwolf Co-Founder and CEO, Uri Marchand.
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HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.
HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.
For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.
HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.
Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.
The post HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
S8UL Esports’ League of Legends roster has qualified to represent India at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running from September 19 to October 4. The organisation said the team secured qualification through the regional qualifiers after winning the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2026, described as the official national qualification tournament for the Asian Games.
S8UL said the roster competing under India’s banner is Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot), Aakash Shandilya (Infi), Sanindhya Malik (Deadcorporal), Mihir Ranjan (Lotus), Ahmed Shahid (Nero), and Rahul Bisht (Bob). The regional qualifiers featured 14 teams across a group stage and a split stage, with top performers advancing to the Asian Games main event.
In Group B, the team went unbeaten against Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan to progress, according to S8UL. In the split stage, it lost to Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia but did enough to secure a berth. India will now face opponents including Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam at the main event.
Four players—Kat Bot, Infi, Deadcorporal, and Lotus—were also part of India’s League of Legends contingent at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, where S8UL said the team finished fifth.
Akshaj Shenoy aka Kat Bot, captain of India’s League of Legends team, said, “Qualifying for the Asian Games is a proud moment for all of us. We knew the regional qualifiers would be extremely competitive, and every match demanded complete focus. For many of us, this will be our second Asian Games, which makes this qualification even more special because we understand the level of competition that awaits us. We are grateful to S8UL for believing in this roster and providing us with the support, stability, and opportunities needed to keep improving as a team. Representing India is always an honour, and we’ll do everything we can to make the country proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”
S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug added, “Representing India at the Asian Games is among the highest honours an athlete can achieve, and seeing our League of Legends roster earn that opportunity is incredibly special. This team has demonstrated resilience, discipline, and a willingness to continually improve, qualities that are essential for success at the international level. At S8UL, our goal has always been to create pathways for Indian athletes to compete on the biggest stages in the world. We have no doubt they will give their all when they step onto the stage in Aichi-Nagoya and compete for the nation with pride,” S8UL also noted that Gurashish Singh (Soul) and Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) previously qualified for the Asian Games in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 after winning at NESC 2026.
The post S8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Geckos Games launched Momentum, a patent-pending real-time sports prediction game unlike anything in the market. THRILLZZ Free Social Sportsbook gone live as the exclusive launch partner on the opening day of the world’s biggest Soccer tournament.
Five Minutes. One Question. Pure Adrenaline.
Every five minutes of a live match, Momentum asks players one question: which team has the Momentum right now? Not who will win the game. Not what the final score will be. Who has the upper hand – this minute, on this pitch – based on every pass, attack, and pressure play happening in real time.
Makes it different from anything that has come before: the Momentum shift on a single event. A yellow card. A saved shot. A dangerous run. Every on-field event recalculates the balance – and players watch their position move with it in real time. It is not a black box. Players see each event land inside the game – the moment it happens on the pitch.
Then comes the timer. As the five-minute window counts down to zero, the tension becomes almost unbearable. Players who are in the win zone are watching every second, knowing a single event in the dying moments can flip everything. The last few seconds of every round are unlike anything else in sports gaming – raw, unscripted, impossible to put down.
Zero Latency. Official Data. Real Stakes.
Momentum is powered by an official match data with zero latency. Every event flows instantly into the game engine. There is no delay, no approximation. What players see is what is happening on the field right now.
This is not a simulation. It is not a simplified model. It is live sport, translated into a game in real time and that distinction is everything.
The post Geckos Games Launches Momentum – The Most Adrenaline-Charged Live Sports Game Ever Built appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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