Gaming
Games Lift: These five teams join the incubator for game developers in Hamburg in 2022
With their convincing pitches, five teams from Hamburg have proven the promising potential of their game projects to the Games Lift awarding committee. From September 12, they will be part of the Games Lift Incubator program – a funding and support opportunity for game makers that is unique in Germany. The incubator will support the teams with a three-month workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts, 15,000 euros in financial support, and desks at a co-working space in Hamburg.
More than 30 experts in game design, product development, pitching, business development, public relations, and marketing from the Games Lift Network share their experience with the teams to give the game projects professional support in reaching their first big milestones. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and implemented by the location initiative Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
A total of 21 teams and solo developers applied for this third round of the Games Lift Incubator. The decision on the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, consisting of Mareike Ottrand (Founder Studio Fizbin & Professor of Interactive Illustration and Games HAW Hamburg), Ole Schaper (CEO & CTO Sviper), Wolf Lang (CEO Super Crowd), Amanda Förtsch (Project Manager Gamecity Hamburg) and Jens Unrau (Head of Department Media and Digital Economy of the Ministry of Culture and Media in Hamburg).
Mareike Ottrand on the awarding committee’s decision: “This year, both the number and the quality of the applications received were particularly high. We are impressed by the passion and quality of the pitches. Hamburg has a large pool of talented aspiring games start-ups and graduates. In the incubator, the five selected teams can now show what they are capable of and continue to refine their game projects with the help of the mentors.”
The five projects and teams in the Games Lift Incubator 2022:
- About Cannons + Sparrows by ACAS
- Babsi Bullet by Team Marty
- Evergreen Garden by Elin Meinecke
- METACORE by Team Metacore
- Stack’em up by Team Godcomplex
Introducing the five game projects:
About Cannons + Sparrows by ACAS is a physics-based puzzle platformer with story-driven genre twists and an ever-evolving character in the form of a miniature cannon.
Babsi Bullet by Team Marty is a fun tap-and-shoot game designed for touchscreens, where shooting means moving: Babsi “half teenager, half pistol” Bullet moves through the levels as a projectile.
Evergreen Garden by Elin Meinecke is a captivating farming simulation role-playing game with puzzle elements and a strong focus on natural gardening.
METACORE by Team Metacore is a co-op action first-person shooter for 1-4 players with a focus on teamwork and synergy effects the players create through an arsenal of unique weapons and gadgets.
Stack’em up by Team Godcomplex is a party game (online or local) where 2-6 players fight their way through crazy maps turn by turn, trying not to get devoured by their opponents amid the mayhem.
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Battle of the Tribes
POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER
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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.
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Part 1: Polytopia World Championship 1st Qualifiers Wrap-Up – BARDUR, IMPERIUS, KICKOO, ZEBASI
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Part 2: Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Oumaji Hoodrick Yadakk & Quetzali – World Champoinship 2025
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Part 3: Final Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Xin-Xi, Luxidoor, Ai-Mo & Vengir – World Championship 2025
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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.
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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
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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.
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