Gaming
Lockwood Publishing Appoints Industry Communications Veteran Jon Goddard to its Senior Management Team
Leading metaverse developer adds more firepower to its growing team
Goddard joins Lockwood from Jagex to spearhead corporate communications outreach
Leading British metaverse games developer and publisher Lockwood Publishing, developers and creators of mobile metaverse Avakin Life, has appointed Jon Goddard as its new Senior Director of Corporate Brand & Communications.
Jon joins Lockwood’s expanding team following a three-and-a-half-year stint at Jagex where he served as Head of Corporate Communications. He previously held marketing and communications roles as EA, Trion World, and HTC where he was European marketing director for the launch of the premium VR system HTC Vive.
Jon said: “I’ve been privileged to work in a games industry that has evolved and matured to become the number one entertainment sector in the world. The passion and ingenuity of the people who make and publish games never ceases to amaze me, and they have great stories to tell as much about themselves as the characters and worlds they create. I’m excited at the prosect of continuing to surface these tales to press, partners, investors and most importantly players at such a dynamic and forward-looking company as Lockwood.”
Halli Bjornsson, Lockwood CEO, added: “We’re on a journey of turning Lockwood into THE best metaverse developer. That involves a much more confident approach to how we talk about the company to the world. In Jon, we have a valuable asset and a game changer who can provide expert counsel in making sure everyone understands what we are, what we do, and where we’re going.”
Powered by WPeMatico
Battle of the Tribes
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
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.
Central Europe
game’s 2026 industry barometer – the mood in the German games industry is beginning to brighten
Reading Time: 2 minutes
The post game’s 2026 industry barometer – the mood in the German games industry is beginning to brighten appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Asia5 days agoPacific Online-backed Buenas PH Inks Partnership with YGS Live’s Battle of the Streamers to Support Ethical iGaming
-
Aviamasters5 days agoBGaming’s Viral Hit Aviamasters™ Gets an Exciting X-Mas edition
-
Christmas slot5 days agoSpinomenal marks the start of the holiday season with Majestic Santa
-
Big Sugar Bonanza Xmas5 days agoStakelogic adds festive flavour to fan-favourite with Big Sugar Bonanza Xmas
-
B2B gaming software5 days agoExpanse Studios Secures Romanian Class 2 B2B Gaming License
-
Africa5 days agoLogifuture-powered Bet9ja releases Moses Itauma mini-series ahead of Jermaine Franklin fight
-
Compliance Updates4 days agoThe UAE Gambling License May Become the Most Valuable to Get in 2026
-
Christmas slot5 days agoMillion Games Launches Rudolph’s Gone Rogue – A Frenzied Christmas Slot of Wild Wins



