Gaming
New data from Niko Partners: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt together will have 85.8 million gamers generating $3.1 billion in games revenue by 2025
Niko Partners, a market research and consulting firm covering video games, esports, and streaming in Asia, today announced the release of their MENA (Middle East North Africa) Games Market Report. MENA has quickly emerged as a key growth region for the global video game industry, and this is the first major report covering the MENA region.
To provide a representative overview of Arabic speaking markets, the report focuses on what Niko calls the MENA-3: Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt. The report includes a comprehensive market model and 5-year forecast through 2025 by games segment, key data on game publishers, games rankings, growth drivers, and trends. This includes details on esports, product distribution, payments, financial transaction events, regulations, and qualitative and quantitative analysis on gamer demand, spending, and behavior, with gamer behavior based off a survey of 3,000 gamers. Spotlights on the Gulf States, North Africa, and Jordan are also included.
Key takeaways from the reports include:
- MENA-3 games revenue was $1.76 billion in 2021, rising to $3.14 billion in 2025 at a 5-year CAGR of 13.8%.
- MENA-3 gamers reached 65.32 million in 2021, rising to 85.76 million in 2025.
- Saudi Arabia is the gaming powerhouse of Arabic speaking nations in MENA, balancing population size with high spending power yielding the highest revenue.
- The UAE is representative of smaller Gulf states. Arabic is the official language, yet the population is predominately expatriates.
- Egypt is an emerging games market with an active and competitive gaming community and MENA-3’s largest market by gamers.
- Growth will be driven by higher spending per user, additional government support across games and esports, and more gamers entering the market.
- Nearly half of the MENA population is under 25 years old and have grown up as digital natives with gaming playing a huge role in their entertainment.
- Governments in the region are supportive of the video game sector. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have introduced policies to encourage game localization, local game development, new studios and offices of international game companies, and hosting major esports tournaments.
Niko’s research methodology combines data from game developers and publishers, data from other sources such as retailers and app markets, our market model, and our gamer surveys. We also regularly interview executives at games and hardware companies as well as government officials. We leverage our own proprietary primary data combined with direct access to a panel of millions of consumers throughout Asia, to create deep qualitative and quantitative analysis, market models, and five-year forecasts. Our analysts regularly conduct gamer surveys, interviews, and focus groups throughout the region.
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Arcade Gaming
Pragmatic Play Redefines Arcade Gaming with Spire+
Pragmatic Play, a top content provider for the iGaming sector, boosts its presence in the arcade niche with the introduction of Spire+, where effectively climbing the prize ladder can lead to winnings surpassing 250,000x.
Against a night sky setting, players choose boxes to ascend the spire and reveal larger rewards. Participants can withdraw their winnings at any time or attempt to complete all nine levels for the highest payout, but if a flaming skull appears, the round concludes instantly with a loss.
Participants have the option to manage the climb by manually selecting boxes or opting for the ‘Random’ choice to let fate decide the next move. An extra strategy is implemented through five difficulty tiers, from Easy to Master, influencing the quantity of boxes and flaming skulls in each level. Choosing a more challenging difficulty enhances the reward possibilities but also heightens the chance of losing the round.
Spire+ enhances Pragmatic Play’s growing arcade collection after the introduction of Mines+ and the inaugural game Plinko+, which has just been upgraded to feature multiple balls, enabling players to release up to 10 balls on a single wager.
Sharon McHugh, Director of Public Relations at Pragmatic Play, said: “Arcade games continue to grow in popularity, underpinned by fast-paced, intuitive, and customisable gameplay. Spire+ aligns with this trend, handing control to players with numerous configurable settings, alongside significant win potential.”
The post Pragmatic Play Redefines Arcade Gaming with Spire+ appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BLAST
Fortnite Championship Series Major 1 Summit heads to Düsseldorf for the first time
Epic Games and BLAST have today announced that the first Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) LAN of the year is heading to Düsseldorf, Germany for the very first time.
The Fortnite Major 1 Summit will take place live inside the PSD Bank Dome on May 30 and 31, 2026. In the heart of Western Germany, Fortnite will take over the state-of-the-art PSD Bank Dome Arena, home of the Düsseldorfer EG hockey team, for two days of thrilling Fortnite action.
The top duos from all seven regions will battle live to be crowned Fortnite Major 1 Summit champions, take home a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool, and secure a spot at the Fortnite Global Championship later this year.
As one of Europe’s largest gaming markets and a frequent host of international esports tournaments, Germany has long played a central role in the global competitive scene. Located in the country’s most populous state and one of its most connected regions, Düsseldorf provides a fitting backdrop for the first FNCS LAN of the competitive season.
Tickets go on general sale March 2 at 4 AM ET / 10 AM CET on Eventim. More ticket information can be found here: Eventim Fortnite Major 1 Summit
The post Fortnite Championship Series Major 1 Summit heads to Düsseldorf for the first time appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
155.io
Hub88 Partners Exclusively with 155.io to Bring CCTV Game Rush Hour to Aggregators
The release, driven by computer vision, provides operators with an innovative live betting experience featuring real-time traffic visuals.
Hub88 has amplified its collaboration with innovative studio 155.io by releasing its latest CCTV game, Rush Hour. The groundbreaking live game idea challenges players’ forecasting abilities by utilizing actual traffic video from cities worldwide.
Since 2024, Hub88 has been a reliable partner for 155.io, aiding in the launch of its immensely popular titles Ducks and Marbles. The studio located in Dubai takes pride in delivering rapid gameplay, captivating live streams, and ‘real-world chaos’ to fresh, mobile-first audiences.
Rush Hour presents 155.io’s innovative cctv.games betting category, featuring games centered on real-time surveillance camera footage from cities like Tokyo, Lyon, Sydney, and London. Participants are encouraged to estimate the number of items, like cars or motorbikes, that will pass through a specified AI monitoring area during a defined timeframe. Players can wager on Over, Under, Range, or Exact results, resulting in engaging gameplay.
Locations are chosen automatically according to the time of day and traffic trends, with the active setting shown during betting, enhancing the title’s ‘eyes on the world’ focus and real-time attraction.
Hub88’s wide array of operators will now enjoy smooth access to Rush Hour, after 155.io’s successful direct integrations with Stake, Roobet, and Shuffle.
The successful debut of another creative live game from 155.io showcases Hub88’s standing as an aggregator that prioritizes authentic differentiation, innovation, and tangible outcomes for its partners.
Jessica Inglott, Head of Supplier Relations at Hub88, said: “CCTV Game: Rush Hour is unlike anything else currently available to operators. Its real-world data, automated computer vision technology and clear, high-frequency betting format create a truly original experience.
“Being chosen as the exclusive aggregator for this release allows us to give our partners access to an entirely new genre, with action that will attract the next generation of players.”
Sam Jones, Founder and CEO of 155.io, said: “This release represents a new direction for interactive betting experiences. By combining live CCTV feeds with automated computer vision tracking and AI, we’ve created a format that is simple to understand yet highly engaging.
“With this first game in our CCTV Game series, we’re delighted to bring some of the world’s most intriguing cities to the screens of players, with Hub88 as the perfect partner to facilitate this.”
The post Hub88 Partners Exclusively with 155.io to Bring CCTV Game Rush Hour to Aggregators appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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