Gaming
Gaming startup GOALS scores $15M seed round to build the number one AAA football game

Online football game GOALS, has announced a $15M seed round. Northzone, a global VC firm which has backed Spotify, Klarna, Trustpilot, and Homa Games, led the round with participation from previous investors Cherry Ventures, Moonfire Ventures, Banana Capital and new investors Not Boring Capital and Cassius. The round features notable angels such as FC Barcelona star Gerard Pique, Sorare co-founder and CEO Nicolas Julia, Axie co-founder and COO Aleksander Larsen, metaverse expert Matthew Ball, and web3 authority Magdalena Kala. The funds will allow GOALS to double their headcount recruiting another 30 game developers by the end of 2022.
GOALS is a fast-paced and multiplayer-first football game primarily for PC and consoles that offers a unique and attractive way for gamers to own in-game digital assets as they play. With a focus on quicker and more responsive gameplay, GOALS is different from existing football games by creating a fun, competitive and rewarding experience. Being free-to-play and cross-platform, GOALS provides a completely frictionless opportunity for gamers and football fans to enjoy the beautiful game like never before.
Through the utilization of environmentally friendly blockchain technology, GOALS allows true digital ownership of in-game assets. These in-game assets are earned for free through gameplay and can be used in the game or traded freely at any point.
“We’re thrilled to announce a seed round by an amazing group of VCs and fantastic angel investors”, said GOALS co-founder and CEO Andreas Thorstensson. “We have been in the very fortunate position where investors reached out to us before we were actually fundraising so we were able to pick the ones we felt had the best fit for GOALS. The current investors have the perfect combination of expertise in gaming, sports, web3 and company growth. With GOALS I am building my dream company. It combines my deep interest in sports, gaming, esports and new technology. After playing most football games on the market and observing the esports scene for a long time I could see that gamers deserved something new. GOALS is a gameplay-first football game. Free to play, cross-play, multiplayer-focused, and esports-ready where the players can finally own their in-game items instead of renting them.”
Football and gaming are respectively two enormous markets. With 3.5 billion football fans and 2.9 billion gamers, the estimated market for virtual goods in this space is valued at close to $190bn. Major players have bet big on realism and licensing to sustain their market positions. This leaves a huge space for companies like GOALS who can deliver an esports ready product that offers the accessibility and non-stop action of other online giants like Rocket League. GOALS’ play-and-own business model is ideally placed to service the new market for NFTs which is itself estimated to reach $80Bn by 2025. Gamers will own their players and teams to take part in professional online leagues.
“Andreas has gathered around him a stellar team. They’ve identified a unique opportunity at the intersection of metaverse and football, the world’s largest sport. Web3 and the technology behind innovations like NFTs will power the next generation of businesses in this space and GOALS is poised to become a leader in their own category”, adds Pär-Jörgen Pärson, a partner at Northzone and sitting on the GOALS board.
“GOALS represents a rare investment opportunity. The game they’re building is original and fun, and their growth and business model is truly impressive. Andreas is as impressive a founder as I’ve ever met, has a solid vision and a clear execution plan. From a personal perspective too, this intersection of football, gaming, esports and NFTs covers so much of what I find fascinating. I’m really excited to see where we go from here” says Mattias Ljungman, founder of Moonfire Ventures.
“GOALS is not just a game, but a team on a mission,” says Sophia Bendz, partner at Cherry Ventures, which also led GOALS’ pre-seed round. “In just a few short weeks, GOALS grew its following to well over 25,000 people on social media and thousands upon thousands in Discord. GOALS is creating something people have long wanted. We’re excited to be with them on their journey in creating a new football game people love.”
Founded in late 2021, GOALS has already built a team with an impressive set of skills and track record of successes in entrepreneurship, engineering, game development, gaming, esport and web3. This funding will allow them to grow further in the game development area. As a gaming start-up, GOALS has taken the lead in offering a diverse and inclusive workplace to better attract developers from competing firms.
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Gaming
Valicy Gaming Launches as New Brand in Land-Based Gaming, Evolving from Grover Gaming

The former Founder and CEO of Grover Gaming has officially launched a new brand in land-based gaming. Named by combining the names of his daughters, Valicy Gaming was unveiled during a recent company launch party held in Greenville, North Carolina.
Evolving from Grover Gaming—which was recently sold to Light & Wonder for a total consideration of $1.05 billion —Valicy will now focus on becoming a major manufacturer in land-based gaming across North America. Retaining a majority of the employees from the acquisition, Valicy will continue forward with a veteran team that will have a sharper focus on game development and hardware design.
Despite the name change, Valicy continues under the same experienced executive leadership team and remains dedicated to providing best-in-class customer service and technical support—qualities customers have come to depend on. The company’s values, represented by its CARE triangle—People, Company, and Work—are deeply rooted in its culture and will remain central to its mission moving forward.
The public debut of the Valicy brand will take place at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, October 6–9, at the Venetian Expo, Booth #1623, where the team will showcase its new identity and game offerings to casino partners and operators from across the industry.
“This is an exciting time for our teams,” said Garrett Blackwelder, Founder and CEO of Valicy. “We have the opportunity to do big things in new markets, which gives us energy and enthusiasm. As we grow Valicy, we will focus on relationships, excellence, and innovation.”
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Call of Duty
Monster Energy and Call of Duty Unite Again with Exclusive In-Game Rewards and Expanded Program Timing

Monster Energy is teaming up once again with Call of Duty to deliver bonus in-game rewards, bonus 2XP and an expanded promotional window that gives fans even more opportunities to fuel up and power their gameplay.
Gamers and Monster fans can start collecting codes to stockpile rewards ahead of the highly anticipated release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on November 14. Following the record-breaking success of the last year’s program – the 2025 campaign has been extended and will run through March 31, 2026, with code redemption available until April 30, 2026.
Players who purchase specially marked Call of Duty cans of Monster Energy, Monster Zero Sugar, or Monster Zero Ultra can find a unique code under the tab and redeem it online at callofduty.monsterenergy.com. Every can unlocks bonus in-game items and double experience points.
2025 in-game rewards include:
• 1 Can = “Energy Flash” Large Decal + 15 min 2XP
• 2 Cans = “Peacekeeper MK1 – Hyper Green” Weapon Blueprint + 15 min 2XP
• 3 Cans = “Green Fury” Operator Skin + 15 min 2XP
• 4 Cans = “VS Recon – Green Thunder” Weapon Blueprint + 15 min 2XP
• 5 Cans = “Daylight Ripper” Operator Skin Recolor + 15 min 2XP
In addition, select retailers will feature specialty bonus in-game content such as Emblems, Charms, Weapon Stickers, and Dual 2XP.
And as an added bonus, fans who create an account on callofduty.monsterenergy.com before October 31 will score a Black Ops 6 in-game skin – no purchase required.
“Monster Energy is built on fueling competitive spirit and our collaboration with Call of Duty continues to push that to new levels. With expanded timing, bonus rewards and the unmatched value of Double XP in every can, this year’s program is our biggest and most exciting yet,” said Dan McHugh, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Monster Energy.
“We’re proud to continue building on the success of our partnership with Monster Energy. Monster is the go-to fuel of gamers and they are going to drink up these exciting in-game rewards,” added Cody Neal, Associate Director of Global Partnerships, Call of Duty.
The limited-edition Monster Energy Call of Duty cans are available in 16oz in Original Monster Energy, Monster Zero Sugar and Monster Zero Ultra. Special 4, 12, and 15 can Monster Energy Call of Duty multipacks are on shelves now.
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Gaming
Gamescom 2025: New Records and Important Impetus for the Games Industry in Germany and Worldwide

Gamescom 2025 ended with numerous new records and strong momentum for the games industry in Germany and worldwide. Records were once again set, particularly in terms of key figures such as internationality (70% of visitors from abroad, exhibitors from 72 countries), digital reach (more than 630 million views worldwide by 23 August evening alone), exhibition space (233,000 square metres) and the number of exhibitors (1568). On site, 357,000 fans visited the world’s largest festival of games culture. The number of trade visitors rose to 34,000, with a particularly strong increase in participants from the US, China, Canada and Japan.
“This year, gamescom 2025 is sending out a particularly positive signal. After two challenging years for the games industry, you could really feel the mood improving this year. The new record figures underline not only the global appeal of gamescom, but also the upward trend in the entire games industry. gamescom 2025 is also a milestone for the German games industry: political support for the additional tax-based games funding at gamescom was stronger than ever – from both the federal and the state level alike. This creates hope that progress will be made quickly. But there were also positive signals on many other political topics, whether for e-sports from Federal Minister Bär at the political opening or from Federal Minister for Family Affairs Karin Prien, who was just as convinced of the important work of the USK in the protection of minors as she was of the enormous potential of games for the education sector,” said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association, the co-organiser of gamescom.
Political interest in gamescom 2025 was greater than ever before. In total, over 600 politicians came to Cologne to see for themselves the current developments in the games industry and the enormous economic, cultural and technological potential of games. Whether from the federal states, the federal government or the EU, the political guests came from all levels. In addition, a particularly large number of international delegations travelled to gamescom, for example from this year’s gamescom partner country Thailand as well as from Brazil, Indonesia and India.
Gamescom 2026 will take place from 26 to 30 August. It will open on 25 August 2026 with the gamescom Opening Night Live.
The post Gamescom 2025: New Records and Important Impetus for the Games Industry in Germany and Worldwide appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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