Gaming
Bidstack secures a landmark two-year commercial deal with Azerion
Bidstack, the in-game advertising platform, today announced a landmark commercial partnership with Azerion, the leading pan-European digital entertainment and media platform, who will be the exclusive commercial partner across Bidstack’s inventory over the next two years.
The agreement, thought to be one of the industry’s largest programmatic in-game advertising deals, will give Azerion’s SSP and sales teams exclusive access to all of Bidstack’s advertising formats and will see the company become Bidstack’s sole external reseller.
The initial two-year partnership will grow Bidstack’s global sales footprint exponentially thanks to Azerion’s established team of over 1,000 employees operating across 26 offices in 18 countries. Bidstack will leverage this enhanced reach with an aligned sales strategy designed to accelerate commercial partnerships with game developers, brands and advertising agencies which will see further gaming inventory locked down and ad spend secured from respected partners. Meanwhile, Azerion will start adopting Bidstack’s SDK into their existing portfolio of games.
Azerion will have access through this partnership to approximately 40 million users and around 60 titles across a rapidly growing portfolio of AAA, independent and mobile publishers. The genres are diversified across stadium, racing, open world and life simulation titles which provide an attractive and highly engaged addressable audience. The reach of the partnership is global, including in key markets such as the US, UK, Netherlands, France and Germany.
The agreement with Azerion comes at an important strategic moment for both businesses, with 2022 expected to be a significant commercial breakthrough for in-game advertising. Since 2017 Bidstack has worked alongside advertising agency holding groups, global game developers and industry bodies to ensure that in-game advertising became recognised as an advertising category in its own right.
This education has contributed to major agency groups launching dedicated gaming divisions and products, whilst the IAB launched its first-ever guide to gaming and an industry framework for in-game advertising in 2021. With the ad channel now fully recognised and significant, recurring investment from advertisers established, further growth is expected in 2022.
Of the new partnership, James Draper, Bidstack Founder and CEO, said “This contract signals a realisation that brand advertising within the metaverse has truly arrived. Since our pivot into gaming in 2017, we have embedded a culture of no-shortcuts into the formation of in-game advertising as a new channel.
We expect this to be just the start of a long and deep relationship with Azerion as both companies have strong ambitions within the digital entertainment and media space. I want to personally thank the incredible efforts of our team, in particular Lewis Sherlock (SVP of Programmatic) and Francesco Petruzzelli (CTO), who have played a key role in securing this deal.”
Umut Akpinar, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Azerion, added “We are delighted to strike this strategic partnership with Bidstack which strengthens our digital advertising platform.
With this exciting partnership, we allow brands to explore new advertising frontiers in premium and brand-safe inventories while connecting seamlessly with consumers through impactful and immersive experiences. At Azerion, we believe that the future is digital entertainment. This new partnership is perfectly aligned with our vision for the upcoming years.”
About Bidstack
Bidstack is the leading in-game advertising and video game monetisation platform. Their sophisticated technology allows brands to serve advertisements into natural spaces within video games whilst protecting the gaming experience.
These branded experiences can vary from trackside banners and cityscape billboards to pitchside LED boards, skins or any other contextually relevant spaces within the metaverse.
The company has more than 80 staff across five international locations and is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
About Azerion
Azerion is a fast-growing and leading pan-European digital entertainment and media platform. Azerion’s integrated platform provides technology solutions to automate the purchase and sale of digital advertising for media buyers and sellers.
Content creators, publishers and advertisers work with Azerion to reach millions of people across the globe that play its games and its entertainment concepts to increase engagement, loyalty and drive e-commerce.
Founded in 2014 by two Dutch entrepreneurs, Azerion has experienced rapid expansion thanks to organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
Azerion is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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eSports
eWear launches aim.one – the world’s first functional gaming wear for esports athletes and gaming-fans
From hoodies to short-sleeved jerseys: the entire collection has been developed to meet the specific needs of gamers – uncompromising, highest-quality and thought-out down to the last detail.
“There is the right functional clothing for every sport – for soccer, tennis, golf… Gaming used to have this gap. Not anymore!”, say the founders.
The debut collection features 4 products and thus offers the right piece for all gamers: hoodie, longsleeve, shirt and pants. Each combines innovative functionality with comfort and style. Smart gadgets – including special ventilation zones, padding and other features to promote reaction, focus and grip – make this clothing a real support in the game.
Developed from the ground up specifically for playing at a PC, “aim.one is for everyone who wants to take their gaming to the next level – from high-end eSports pros to hobby gamers,” say the founders. “With this collection, gamers finally get their own clothing tailored to their passion!”
The product launch will take place via Kickstarter on the 5th of August!
Until launch, Gamers can unlock MVP status for only a €/$1 donation. This grants up to 35% discount during the campaign — plus a free nickname print on their apparel.
The post eWear launches aim.one – the world’s first functional gaming wear for esports athletes and gaming-fans appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
Number of companies and employees in German games industry falls for first time in years
After years of growth, the number of companies and employees in the German games industry declined in 2025. This was announced today by game – The German Games Industry Association on the basis of data from gamesmap.de in cooperation with Goldmedia. According to the data, the number of companies in Germany that develop and/or publish games has dropped by 4 per cent within the past year, to 910. The boom in start-ups in the games sector, which was set in motion by the introduction of the German Federal Games Funding Programme in 2020, has now completely subsided. Last year’s figures already indicated a clear slowdown. This decline was due in particular to the consolidation of the global games market and the unreliable availability of games funding to date in Germany.
Three times since 2020, there have been months-long suspensions placed on funding applications. Despite the newly registered drop, the number of companies has risen by 46 per cent overall since the initial start of the games funding programme in 2020. Of the 910 present companies, 454 work exclusively in game development and 52 exclusively as publishers. The remaining 404 companies are active in both the development and publishing of games.
‘Last year was another very difficult one for the German games industry,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Germany’s international competitiveness was further decreased by the ongoing flip-flopping of the games funding policy, which ran right into the consolidation wave that swept the global games sector. Fortunately, the new federal government has already taken the necessary steps to level the playing field for companies in this country. The future funding budget is to be increased and thus adjusted to actual needs, and applications can be submitted from August onwards. These are crucial growth impulses that are urgently needed. The additional funds will not only give companies more planning security, but also time to implement additional tax breaks for games, as set out in the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD. The improved conditions will finally give games companies a boost, which will hopefully soon be reflected in more start-ups and the creation of new jobs.’
The number of employees at games companies in Germany has also declined over the last year. Whereas game developers and publishers employed 12,408 workers in 2024, the current figure stands at just 12,134 – a drop of 2 per cent. As with the number of companies, the employee numbers had previously shown strong growth since the introduction of the games funding programme at the federal level: a rise of 23 per cent from 2020 to 2024. The recent decline indicates that the current conditions for the games industry, which offer limited scope for planning due to the repeated funding application stoppages and significant current funding restrictions, are having an impact on the job market. A year ago, there were still more companies with ongoing projects that were internationally competitive thanks to funding at levels comparable to those in other countries – financing that had stabilised Germany’s game sector, despite the global consolidation wave and a lack of funding certainty for the industry here. The game industry secures a total of over 30,000 jobs in Germany. In addition to jobs in development and publishing, these include, for example, skilled professionals in educational institutions, the media and the public and commercial sectors.
About the data
The data is drawn from a survey carried out by Goldmedia on the basis of entries on gamesmap.de. It was conducted on behalf of game – The German Games Industry Association for the period ending on 12 May 2025.
The post Number of companies and employees in German games industry falls for first time in years appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
METABORA, a global casual game developer and blockchain project operator, has announced a strategic partnership with LINE NEXT Inc. Through this partnership, METABORA will distribute Web3 games via the LINE Messenger–based Dapp Portal, expanding its reach in the Web3 gaming space.
The Dapp Portal is a platform built on the KAIA ecosystem that offers Mini Dapps (decentralised applications) directly within the LINE Messenger app. Users can enjoy a variety of Mini Dapps—ranging from games to social features—without needing to install separate applications. Since its launch in January this year, the platform has garnered significant attention, surpassing 100 million cumulative users.
Through this new partnership, METABORA and LINE NEXT will work closely to accelerate the growth of the Mini Dapp’s gaming ecosystem. Leveraging its network of development partners and global experience in game development and publishing, METABORA will supply Web3 games to the Dapp Portal. LINE NEXT will expand accessibility to Web3 games and support marketing of these games through its platform.
As part of the collaboration, METABORA will also expand the utility of its BORA token within the LINE Messenger–based Mini Dapp ecosystem. The company plans to implement a payment infrastructure that enables users to purchase in-game items currently planned for upcoming titles to be released under the BORA brand. Additionally, METABORA will apply Gas Abstraction technology, allowing users to make in-app purchases with BORA without needing KAIA tokens to cover gas fees. This feature is expected to be fully implemented in the second half of the year.
By expanding the utility of the BORA token, METABORA aims to elevate its value beyond the confines of the BORA Chain, laying the groundwork for broader integration across the Web3 ecosystem.
In addition, METABORA and LINE NEXT plan to continue their collaboration by researching and developing infrastructure to support the use of stable coins such as USDT, further enhancing the Web3 gaming experience within the LINE ecosystem centered on the Dapp Portal.
Lim Youngjun, Co-CEO of METABORA, said: “We’re pleased to partner with LINE NEXT, a company making remarkable strides in the global Web3 gaming market with its vast user base. Through our strong network of development partners, we will carefully select and bring high-quality games to the Dapp Portal, working together to create a leading example of Web3 gaming reaching a mainstream audience.”
Kim Woosuk, CSO at LINE NEXT, said: “Through this partnership with METABORA, we look forward to creating a major success case for Mini Dapp. Moving forward, we will continue working closely together across multiple fronts, including enabling USDT stablecoin support to improve game onboarding and the overall user payment environment.”
The post METABORA Partners with LINE NEXT appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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