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New Metaverse Game Star Life by iCandy’s Flying Sheep Receives German Government Funding

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3 years ago

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Flying Sheep Studios, a subsidiary of iCandy Interactive, an Australian-listed international games studio, is proud to announce it is developing Star Life, a social massively multiplayer online (MMO) game focused on cooperation, and community-driven experiences that will prioritise socialising and being the party and event part of the metaverse, eventually hosting events and concerts.

iCandy Interactive has an international footprint of having other video games studios across Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia) and Flying Sheep Studios is its first major investment made in Europe.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has agreed to support the development of Star Life with a generous funding of approximately EUR 1.1 million (approximately USD 1.2 million). Flying Sheep Studios, known for its expertise in HTML5 web-based game development, is utilizing its skills to create a sophisticated web-based metaverse game.

High-Availability Metaverse

One of the key features of Star Life is its high accessibility, making it conveniently playable from any browser on any device without needing downloads, installations, or high-end technology.

Players can start entering the Star Life metaverse with just one click via a web browser on both desktop and mobile devices. The game also prioritizes diversity, offering players various options for character creation, shopping, and community-driven events, such as concerts and exhibitions.

In addition, Star Life will incorporate optional blockchain-enabled items, or NFTs, giving players more ownership and agency over their virtual belongings. These belongings can be transferred and used on different platforms, making the process streamlined and convenient. Star Life will be a free-to-play game available to everyone.

“We are grateful to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action for their support and trust in our project. This funding demonstrates the federal budget for video games working as intended, fostering the development of cutting-edge technical know-how ‘made in Germany’ and creating and securing jobs,” says Thomas Rössig, Founder and Managing Director of Flying Sheep Studios.

 

Addition of Senior European Industry Talent

For the development of this groundbreaking project, Flying Sheep has also hired additional talent, including four industry veterans:


Renke Bahlmann – Lead Game Designer

With 12 years of experience working on browser games for industry leaders such as Bigpoint, game development allrounder and media technology expert Renke Bahlmann is the perfect fit for the position of Lead Game Designer. He will guide the team in creating a highly engaging game experience.

Frank Reitberger – Lead 3D Developer

Flying Sheep’s new Lead 3D Developer Frank Reitberger is renowned for his work as a Designer and Programmer. In the past two decades, he has worked for well-known brands and customers such as Porsche, IBM, and Activision Blizzard.

Daniel Schemann – Head of Back-End Development

Cultivating his passion for multiplayer experiences in the early days of MUDs, Daniel Schemann founded his studio Silent Future in the early 2000s and would later work on free-to-play MMO Earthrise. In his new position as Head of Back-End Development at Flying Sheep, he will create the foundation for the multiplayer experience of Star Life.

Nina Kiel – Head of Diversity & Inclusion

As one of Germany’s foremost game diversity experts, Nina Kiel has worked in various industry-related fields such as games journalism, game development, game event management, game studies and media education for over a decade, and published several books. Now they’ve joined Flying Sheep as Head of Diversity & Inclusion to support the studio in making diversity and

inclusion a key part of their endeavors.

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Tom Horn Gaming strengthens its presence in Czech market through partnership with Kingsbet.cz

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4 days ago

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December 4, 2025

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Leading iGaming software supplier Tom Horn Gaming has announced a new partnership with Kingsbet.cz, marking another significant step in the company’s strategic expansion within the Czech market.

The collaboration sees Tom Horn Gaming’s engaging suite of top-performing games, including player favourites like 81 Frutas Grandes, Book of Aladdin, Flaming Fruit Deluxe, and 243 Crystal Fruits Deluxe, go live with Kingsbet.cz, providing Czech players with access to a rich selection of locally tailored gaming content.

With a portfolio built on distinctive mechanics that combine classic slot features popular among Czech players with innovative twists, the supplier is steadily enhancing its market presence and remains committed to delivering gaming titles tailored to local player tastes.

“The Czech Republic is one of our key regulated markets with strong potential, and the partnership with Kingsbet.cz, a trusted and fast-growing operator in the region, is another step in our expansion plans,” said Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming. “We’re firmly focused on deepening our footprint in the region and delivering premium localised entertainment that Czech players love while supporting our operator partners’ growth in this dynamic market.”

David Vanek, CEO at Kingsbet.cz added: “Partnering with Tom Horn Gaming brings tremendous value to our offering. Their portfolio combines quality, innovation, and an understanding of what Czech players enjoy most. We’re confident this collaboration will help us deliver even more engaging gaming experiences and strengthen our position in the market”.

This latest partnership underlines Tom Horn Gaming’s continued focus on regulated market growth, reinforcing its mission to bring distinctive and entertaining gaming experiences to players worldwide while building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with operators in key regions.

The post Tom Horn Gaming strengthens its presence in Czech market through partnership with Kingsbet.cz appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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game’s 2026 industry barometer – the mood in the German games industry is beginning to brighten

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5 days ago

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December 3, 2025

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•     Nearly one third of games companies in Germany foresee an industry upswing in the coming year
•     More than half expect a positive business development for their own company in the next twelve months
•     Around one in three games companies anticipate new hires
After three challenging years, games companies in Germany are looking ahead with increased optimism. Nearly one in three companies (29 per cent) anticipate a positive development in the games industry in the coming twelve months, as compared with just 17 per cent one year ago. 31 per cent of games companies expect a negative development in the industry – a considerable drop from last year’s level of 45 per cent. These are the results of game’s annual industry barometer, which was published by game – The German Games Industry Association. Games companies in Germany look towards their own business development in the coming year significantly more positively, with over half (53 per cent) expecting business to be good in 2026, similar to last year’s number of 52 per cent. Only 12 per cent anticipate a downturn in business, compared to 15 per cent last year. In their personnel planning, the companies nonetheless remain initially cautious: around one third of games companies in Germany (32 per cent) anticipate hiring new employees in 2026, the same percentage as last year.
‘Confidence is returning to Germany’s games industry,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Following a difficult phase both here and abroad, positive signals, such as the strong gamescom 2025, and important policy initiatives, like the increased federal games funding and the announced federal tax incentives, are bringing improved prospects and greater optimism compared to a year ago.’
About game’s 2026 industry barometer
The data is based on an online survey conducted by game – The German Games Industry Association between 12 and 21 November 2025, involving a total of 202 German games industry association members, including in particular developers and publishers.

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Central Europe

Oddin.gg Wins the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe for the Second Year in a Row

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2 weeks ago

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November 25, 2025

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For the second consecutive year, Czech-based esports technology company Oddin.gg has taken the top spot in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe, underscoring the company’s sustained momentum and highlighting the global demand for an innovative and high-performing esports betting infrastructure.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe program recognizes the region’s fastest-growing technology companies across sectors including fintech, software, communications, environmental tech, hardware, healthcare, media and entertainment. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth.

Commenting on the win, CEO and Co-Founder Vlastimil Venclík shared: “Being recognized by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the second year in a row is an honor. It reflects not only our growth, but the trust our partners place in us and the hard work of our team. Esports is evolving quickly, and we’re committed to delivering reliable, high-performing infrastructure that helps operators succeed, now and in the years ahead.”

Founded in 2018, Oddin.gg is dedicated to elevating the excitement of digital esports competitions and equipping sportsbook operators with reliable solutions that maximize engagement, betting activity and profitability.

Vlastimil Venclik credits the company’s growth to its industry expertise, its focus on the betting vertical, and its forward-thinking, customer-first product strategy.

“Our team blends former professional players with data scientists and engineers. That mix gives us the deep esports knowledge and technical capability needed to solve real challenges for operators and deliver measurable results, while also reducing their exposure to risk.”

Oddin.gg stands apart by offering a unified, end-to-end ecosystem for esports betting, allowing operators to work with a single vendor for odds feeds, risk management, widgets, BetBuilder, iFrame and 24/7 eSimulators while also producing and managing everything in-house. This integrated approach is a core pillar of Realms Group, where Oddin.gg leads the effort to shape how audiences experience live digital entertainment.

“We’re expanding in two major directions. First, by building faster, smarter, more interactive products that deepen engagement for fans and bettors. Second, by growing geographically, supported by recent certifications in Brazil as well as earlier approvals in the United States and Canada. This makes us one of the most secure and trusted providers in the market,” Venclik said.

The post Oddin.gg Wins the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe for the Second Year in a Row appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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