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Anzu Becomes Exclusive In-Game AdTech Provider for Saber Interactive’s Upcoming Dakar Desert Rally

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Anzu and Saber Interactive partner to bring advertisers into the highly anticipated Dakar Desert Rally when it launches this year on PC and consoles

In-game advertising company Anzu has secured an exclusive deal with Saber Interactive, the global game publisher and developer, to offer advertisers a chance to communicate with their audiences via the highly anticipated upcoming racer Dakar Desert Rally.

The new AAA title is the official game of Dakar Rally, the largest rally race on the planet, hosted by the Amaury Sport Organisation and broadcast each year across 70 TV channels in 190 countries. 1,065 drivers and 578 vehicles took part in 2021’s race, and clips of the rally have been viewed online by over 59.8M people, with an additional 76.8M Facebook and Instagram story views.

Fans worldwide have been anticipating news of a new official Dakar rally video game title. This past December, Saber Interactive revealed that the title would launch in 2022 and feature an enhanced Dakar rally experience with over 30 stages of full rally racing, an immense open world with seasons and dynamic weather, official road books to navigate, and a garage stocked with licensed vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trucks, quads, and SSVs.

The game’s development team is committed to creating an immersive game experience that faithfully brings the Dakar Rally to gamers. Anzu is helping the team replicate that; advertisers will be able to run their banner and video ads within Anzu’s in-game ad placements, which will take the form of 3D objects like roadside billboards and banners. They will also be able to take advantage of a variety of custom integration options, including custom vehicles which can be painted with brand colors, logos, and even have the driver wear a custom uniform. There are also options for roadside flags that can be branded with a product logo and different colors, and garage takeovers, where brands can add custom wall banners and items to decorate the building.

The non-disruptive nature and expert optimization of Anzu’s ad placements also mean brands will benefit from extremely high engagement rates without disrupting the player experience. Advertisers will also benefit from the low fraud rates associated with in-game advertising. HUMAN reports that Anzu’s IVT score for mobile is 0.16% and for PC is 0.47%. Comscore also reports a 0.39% score for video and 0.44% for display campaigns, compared to a 6% benchmark. Anzu also works with other industry leaders to measure ad viewability, fraud levels, and brand impact.

Alex Yerukhimovich, VP Games, Anzu, said: “We’ve been working closely with Saber Interactive to ensure our ad placements are perfectly positioned to enhance both the player and advertising experience. This is a great opportunity for advertisers to showcase their campaigns in a visually stunning AAA title, and for players to experience races with real ads that are relevant to the setting alongside the track. Just like they would expect to see if they were watching a real race, making the experience all the more authentic.
More and more advertisers are making in-game advertising a larger part of their digital ad strategies. As the anticipation continues to grow around this title, we’re looking forward to bringing many into the Dakar experience to reach its millions of diverse and dedicated fans who stretch across the entire globe.”

Our Saber Porto team has been passionately working on Dakar Desert Rally and is focused on making this one of the biggest and most authentic rally racing games ever,” said Todd Hollenshead, Head of Publishing at Saber Interactive. “Our goal is to bring Dakar to life in a realistic and fun way, and it’s been great to see that passion mirrored by the talented team at Anzu through their industry-leading technology and expertise. We’re working closely together to ensure these ads are implemented in a way that is immersive and serve to help faithfully recreate the real-life rally experience.”

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South Africa’s Top Gamers Crowned at 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Grand Finals at Canal Walk

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Massive wins, standout talent and a showdown wrapped up five months of fierce competition across the country.

After months of qualifiers and regional heats at eight Hyprop malls across South Africa, the MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience reached its electrifying conclusion at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. With hundreds of spectators and players packing the gaming arena, the national finals brought the heat and crowned South Africa’s best in EAFC 25™, Beat Saber, Call of Duty and more.

In the EAFC National Final, Hamza Moosa (17) from Sandton, proved why he’s one of the country’s most exciting young talents. A professional esports player for Goliath Gaming, Moosa outplayed the competition to take top honours. A familiar name on the international stage, he recently represented South Africa at the Esports World Cup qualifier in Saudi Arabia. Hamza left the MTN SHIFT Gaming national finals with prize money of R25000.

Beat Saber fans saw a fast-paced, high-score battle won by Michael Prange (17) from Pretoria and Garsfontein High School. Ranked #2 nationally, Prange is also a two-time Beat Saber World Cup competitor and has helped shape South Africa’s competitive VR rhythm community through coaching, mentorship, and global participation. As the 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Beat Saber national champion, Michael won a Gaming PC valued at R50000.

In the schools division, Ridhaa April, 15, from Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, took the EAFC title. A prodigious talent who’s been competing since the age of 12, Ridhaa plays professionally for Goliath Gaming and already holds multiple top finishes, including 1st place at the 2025 ASL.

In the Rocket League school tournament, Curro took top spot, followed by Edgemead High in second place.

Meanwhile, Call of Duty Mobile closed out the finals with serious intensity as returning champions Nixuh held onto their title. The dominant team of Magicz (Raees Ismail), Adnaan (Adnaan Bhamjee), Raz (Rahil Bux) and Enigma (Jameen Essa) walked away with a R30 000 cash prize.

“The atmosphere at this year’s finals was absolutely electric,” said Vanessa Herbst, Marketing Manager at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. “The level of skill on display was unreal, and the crowd brought their energy every day. The bar has been set very high for the 2026 edition.”

The MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience is South Africa’s biggest mall-based gaming tournament, played over five months across Gauteng and the Western Cape. Regional heats were hosted at Rosebank Mall, Clearwater Mall, The Glen, Woodlands, Table Bay Mall, Somerset Mall and Capegate Shopping Centre, with the final week of competition culminating at Canal Walk. The tournament drew thousands of players across all skill levels, offering more than R250 000 in prizes and a platform to compete in front of live audiences.

“The SHIFT Gaming Experience is about bringing high-level competition into public spaces and giving players of all ages the opportunity to compete, connect and grow,” said Christie Stanbridge, Brand and Campaigns Marketing Manager at Hyprop. “From pros representing South Africa on global stages to young players discovering their potential, far more than being entertaining, this year highlighted gaming as a space for learning, discipline and community.”

With the 2025 tournament wrapped, planning is already underway for an even bigger return in 2026.

The post South Africa’s Top Gamers Crowned at 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Grand Finals at Canal Walk appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Bonus Bag feature

TaDa Gaming Delivers Highway Thrills in Chicken Dash

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Award-winning TaDa has taken a favourite joke and transformed it into an immersive and humorous crash release. Simple mechanics, personalised risk management controls and a max win of 20,659.1x are enhanced with slick graphics and a fearless chicken.

And with an expanding bonus bag that fell off the back of a lorry, it’s easy to see why this chicken is so determined to get to the other side.

Players begin by setting their preferred gameplay parameters. Three levels of Easy, Normal and Hard will dictate the level length or number of tiles the bird has to cross and the level max multiplier value.

Strong clear colours and polished visuals set the scene for the determined chicken to make it across the motorway. Beginning on the grass verge, players click to send the bird across the lanes one multiplier tile at a time against the oncoming traffic.

Each safe step will see a safety barrier land to protect the chicken but one false move and it’s game over and back to the grass verge.

Keeping players on high alert, the Chicken Dash feature can randomly trigger multiple times in a game. The appearance and squawking of the rooster starts the bonus feature which protects the chicken from traffic throughout and allows it to pass over two or three tiles in one go.

A Bonus Bag feature can also randomly trigger. Players must land the chicken on the tile where the bag dropped to collect the prize. And the higher the risk level, the higher the prize.

A clear UI and straightforward gameplay mean players can focus on getting the chicken across the road in one piece – and hopefully with the bonus prize – while enjoying Chicken Dash’s crisp graphics and sly details in this high volatility and amusing game.

Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “Chicken Dash is a hugely entertaining crash game that will have players laughing out loud. The cartoon graphics add to the experiential play and we promise no chickens were hurt in making of this game.”

The post TaDa Gaming Delivers Highway Thrills in Chicken Dash appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Cash Rain Event

TaDa Gaming Releases Cash Stack

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TaDa Gaming, a leading provider of innovative casino content, is redefining fast-play entertainment with the release of Cash Stack, an adrenaline-pumping crash game that puts timing, control and strategy directly in the player’s hands. With a max multiplier of 100x, Cash Stack delivers rapid gameplay, instant decisions and nonstop engagement.

Built for players who love simplicity and control, Cash Stack starts at a 1.01x multiplier, with the tension rising as players manually tap DROP to increase their payout potential. Every decision carries risk — one mistimed move and the round ends instantly. For those who dare, the game can soar up to 100x before the stack collapses.

The twist comes with the Cash Rain Event, a random in-game boost that can multiply winnings by 0.1x to 10x. Players must hit CASH OUT before the round ends to claim the bonus value, adding a thrilling layer of timing and anticipation. The result is a fast, skill-driven experience that rewards quick reactions and nerve.

Cash Stack embodies TaDa Gaming’s next step in the evolution of crash games — sleek visuals, simple mechanics and an emphasis on player control over automatic outcomes.

Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “Cash Stack takes the essence of crash gameplay and turns it into a true test of timing and instinct. Every round is a balance between greed and precision — do you cash out early or chase the big win? We’ve designed it to be fast, flexible, and highly engaging for players who want to feel in control.”

The post TaDa Gaming Releases Cash Stack appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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