Gaming
gamescom 2022: Gamecity Hamburg presents six indie games at the Indie Arena Booth
From August 24 to 28, the gamescom, Europe’s largest trade fair for video games, will once again open its doors in Cologne. The location initiative Gamecity Hamburg will be participating with a booth at the Indie Arena Booth in Hall 10.2. Here, six indie studios from Hamburg will present their games to gamescom visitors, publishers and the press. Numerous other companies from Hamburg will also exhibit at gamescom, which brings together the international games industry in person again, for the first time in two years.
“With over 180 studios, publishers and games companies, Hamburg is a hotspot for games development in Europe. Hamburg’s games companies employ 2,500 people and the industry is on a growth trajectory: we currently count more than 200 vacancies at the city’s games companies. We’re excited to see that Hamburg companies can again present themselves at gamescom 2022. They show that Hamburg not only offers future-proof jobs, top-class career prospects, unique networking, but also that high-quality games are created here by big industry players as well as by numerous indie studios,” says Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg.
Gamecity Hamburg is representing the Hanseatic city with a booth at the Indie Arena Booth in Hall 10.2. Through the support program “Road to gamescom 2022”, Gamecity Hamburg enables six indie studios to show their games at Europe’s largest trade fair for video games free of charge. This way, the studios can establish important contacts with publishers, future partners, media and influencers, as well as present their game projects to gamers, receive valuable feedback and inspire future fans.
These six games and companies will be presented by Gamecity Hamburg at the Indie Arena Booth:
- Tiny Roar with “XEL“: In the newly released sci-fi adventure game, players help protagonist Reid uncover her mysterious past.
- games with “Heart of Muriet“: The real-time strategy game transports players to the fabled land of Muriet, where they fight epic battles in a voxel graphics style.
- Beardshaker Games with “Soulitaire”: Soulitaire reinterprets the classic card game solitaire with a mysterious, dark background story.
- THREAKS with “Project MORPH“: In this action RPG, players must save the galaxy by transforming into the monsters they fight, unlocking special abilities.
- Octofox Games with “Wild Woods“: In this couch co-op game, one to four players take on the role of brave cats who have to cross a dangerous forest with their wooden cart.
- OneManOnMars with “Leif’s Adventure: Netherworld Hero“: In this co-op adventure game, the title character Leif not only searches for a way back to his village, but also for his place in life.
Beardshaker Games, THREAKS and Octofox Games were grantees of the Gamecity Hamburg Prototype Funding program in 2020. OneManOnMars successfully participated in Gamecity Hamburg’s Games Lift Incubator in 2020 with the project “Leif’s Adventure”.
Companies from Hamburg present themselves at gamescom 2022
Further companies from Hamburg’s games industry will also attend gamescom 2022 to publicly present new games or to use the opportunity to initiate new business partnerships.
Indie publisher and development studio Daedalic Entertainment will present several new titles in the B2C area, including their highly polished action adventure game “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum” announced for September. Mooneye Studios, also active as a publisher and developer, will showcase new demos of the not-yet-released games “Farewell North” and “Shumi Come Home”. The Hamburg-based internet broadcaster Rocket Beans TV will also cover gamescom 2022 with numerous live broadcasts from its booth.
In the B2B area, which is only open to trade visitors, InnoGames (Germany’s second-largest employer in the games sector), Goodgame Studios, Deep Silver FISHLABS, Tivola Games, Bytro Labs, and Daedalic Entertainment will be among the exhibitors.
Gamecity Hamburg: Targeted support programs for Hamburg’s games industry
In addition to programs like “Road to gamescom 2022”, Gamecity Hamburg, funded by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, supports the regional games industry with more tailored support programs: The Games Lift Incubator, supports up-and-coming game developers and start-up founders through an intensive coaching and mentoring program with international industry experts as well as funding. Furthermore, Gamecity Hamburg supports the development of game prototypes in Hamburg with up to 120,000 euros per project through its Prototype Funding program.
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eSports
Study: 400m Gen Z esports fans say brand activations drive purchases
EFG, Hero Esports and Niko Partners survey 8,000 fans across eight markets; 74% report ads and brand presence influence buying.
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), Hero Esports and Niko Partners have released a multi-country Gen Z esports study claiming around 400 million Gen Z consumers (20%) regularly engage with esports. The findings were published on 25th June 2026 in Cannes, France, in a white paper titled The Esports Generation: Who They Are & Why They Spend.
The report is based on survey data from 8,000 Gen Z esports fans aged 13-30 across eight markets. It positions esports as a high-attention channel for brands: 85% of respondents said they notice branding in esports, while 74% self-reported that advertising and brand participation in gaming spaces influences their purchasing behaviour. The study also reports that 66% have bought a product following a collaboration or co-branding partnership with an esports team, game or player.
On consumption and fandom touchpoints, the study found 71% regularly watch gaming content, including 66% who watch gaming livestreams and 33% who watch or listen to gaming podcasts. It also points to offline reach: 21% said they regularly attend gaming conventions and esports events, with the average respondent attending at least one in-person event in the past nine months.
The white paper also breaks out claimed purchase categories linked to esports collaborations over the past year, led by food and beverage (33%), electronics (33%) and fashion (32%). Beyond core categories, it reports 28% bought esports-related collectibles, 17% purchased makeup, beauty, or skincare products, and 10% bought from partnered brands in other categories.
Niccolo Maisto, CEO at ESL FACEIT Group said: “Esports has evolved into one of the most effective channels for companies looking to connect with Gen Z audiences at scale. What makes it unique is not just its reach, but the depth of engagement and trust that exists between fans, players, teams, and events. This research shows that esports fans are highly invested participants, not passive viewers, creating an opportunity for brands that show up authentically and build meaningful and lasting connections with this key audience.”
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports said: “This whitepaper confirms what we at Hero Esports have long believed: esports has evolved into a global cultural and economic force. The data shows an audience that is young, diverse, and deeply engaged. For brands, the message is clear—esports is no longer a niche market; it is the premier platform to connect with the next generation of consumers. We are proud to partner with Niko Partners and EFG to provide this blueprint for understanding and succeeding in this dynamic industry.”
Lisa Hanson, CEO at Niko Partners said: “Our data shows that, much like fans of other sports, Gen Z esports fans are incredibly passionate and have formed strong bonds within their communities. However, their media and consumer affinities extend well beyond gaming and esports, with our research revealing naturally connected interest areas that create valuable overlapping opportunities for brands and partners that show up authentically in this ecosystem.”
The post Study: 400m Gen Z esports fans say brand activations drive purchases appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance
HIPTHER Launches HALLO: The Standard in Compliance Expertise
HIPTHER has launched HALLO (Highly Aligned Leaders in Legal Operations), a new platform designed to help organizations find and engage compliance professionals, legal operations experts and industry vendors. The company announced the launch in Europe.
HIPTHER said HALLO brings together a professional directory, industry intelligence hub, community platform and visibility tools aimed at sectors including gaming, fintech, payments, AI, cybersecurity, digital identity, AML and blockchain. The platform includes an Individual Professional Membership and an Enterprise Membership, with HIPTHER stating that all memberships include a 14-day free trial.
Alongside membership options, HIPTHER said compliance professionals can create free, publicly visible “Expert” profiles outlining experience and areas of specialization, with additional premium visibility opportunities available. The company positioned the platform as a way for organizations to discover and evaluate qualified compliance and legal operations expertise.
A core feature at launch is “HALLO Resources,” which HIPTHER described as an open-access compliance intelligence section that aggregates more than 17,000 regulatory and compliance-focused articles from the HIPTHER media network. HIPTHER said the section is updated daily, includes search by topic, jurisdiction and keyword, and covers areas such as gaming, fintech, AI, payments, AML, digital policy, cybersecurity and regulatory affairs.
Zoltan Tuendik, Co-Founder & Head of Business at HIPTHER, said: “Navigating the modern regulatory landscape requires more than just standard legal advice; it demands highly specialized, agile compliance expertise. With the launch of HALLO, we are bridging the critical gap between organizations facing complex global standards and the elite professionals who can guide them through. By combining an active directory with a massive intelligence hub, we are setting a new standard for compliance collaboration and empowering businesses to move forward with absolute confidence.”
HIPTHER also linked HALLO to its conference and media activities, including advertising and thought leadership opportunities through the Wayseers Booklet, an annual handbook it said is distributed at HIPTHER conferences in Europe and reaches more than 1,500 professionals across gaming, fintech, AI, compliance and regulatory sectors.
The post HIPTHER Launches HALLO: The Standard in Compliance Expertise appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
1xBet
HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor
HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.
HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.
For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.
HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.
Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.
The post HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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