Gaming

KINETIX ANNOUNCES PUBLIC LAUNCH OF EMOTE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR VIDEO GAMES AND VIRTUAL WORLDS

Published

3 years ago

May 11, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Kinetix, the AI startup powering emotes in video games and virtual worlds, today announces the public release of its pioneering Emote Infrastructure. All games and virtual worlds made with Unity can now increase their engagement and open up new revenue streams through an Emote SDK which is compatible with Windows, iOS and Android.

Players use emotes to socialize and express themselves in 3D gaming content. Animations that express emotion have been used in MMO games for more than two decades, but user demand for emotes has skyrocketed after their viral success in Fortnite Battle Royale. A recent report from non-profit research organization Blockchain Research Lab found that 74% of players of games and virtual worlds such as PUBG and Roblox use emotes in games, while 22% do so every time they play.

Meeting this demand has typically required specialist 3D animation skills and emotes that are hard coded into individual games, making it difficult for developers to keep up. In creating emotes that fit seamlessly into almost any virtual environment, the Kinetix Emote Infrastructure mirrors the approach of Ready Player Me which has revolutionized avatar creation by enabling a consistent visual identity across games and virtual worlds. With the free Kinetix SDK, developers can integrate and monetise a growing, cloud-based library of emotes which already numbers more than 1,000 – all of which are compatible with their games’ avatars, visual style and UI.

Through a plug and play approach which allows developers to activate the features they need, developers can select which emotes they want to offer players, integrate the fully customizable Kinetix emote wheel, hotkeys, contextual emotes, and even enable gamers to create their own in-game emotes via a web app which uses the Kinetix Studio’s generative AI technology to convert videos to 3D animations. This means games can respond instantly to changing viral trends and refresh their in-game shops regularly, while the Emote Catalog will also offer access to official collections of emotes from leading brands and IPs.

Following a successful beta, the Kinetix SDK is live or currently being integrated in more than 10 games and virtual worlds including ZEPETO, The Sandbox, Amber Metaverse, and Next Dancer.

Yassine Tahi, CEO and Co-founder of Kinetix, commented:

“In our era of live-service games and user-generated content, the value of an infinite stream of engaging content is beyond doubt. Emotes are an increasingly vital part of this as users demand ways to express themselves in-game. As we make our emotes infrastructure publicly available to all Unity games, I’m extremely proud of our team’s technical feats in optimizing it for developers. From cloud hosting to P2P networking and optimized file sizes, we’ve covered all bases to make sure games can increase their engagement and revenue with ease and with no impact on performance.”

In April 2023, Kinetix announced the launch of its ‘Text2Emotes’, generative AI technology that enables anyone to create emotes with a simple text prompt. Text2Emotes will be integrated into the Kinetix SDK later this year. Since being founded in 2020, Kinetix has raised a total of $12.5 million in seed funding from investors including Adam Ghobarah, founder of Top Harvest Capital, Sparkle Ventures, and multiple virtual world platforms and entrepreneurs.

Crash Games

Evoplay launches Caramelo Dog Lucky Run crash game for Brazil

Published

4 days ago

May 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Evoplay has launched Caramelo Dog Lucky Run, a new crash-style instant win game themed around Brazilian street culture and the widely recognised “Caramelo Dog” reference.

The title follows Taco, a dog navigating a neighbourhood filled with obstacles. Players move step by step across roads as the multiplier increases, choosing to cash out or keep going.

Evoplay said the game uses randomised obstacle patterns so each round plays differently. Players can choose between four difficulty settings — Easy, Medium, Hard, and Hardcore — with higher difficulty increasing obstacle intensity and the multiplier.

Caramelo Dog Lucky Run also includes a cash-out function that can be triggered after Taco safely stops, plus customisable autoplay settings for stake preferences and stop conditions.

Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Caramelo Dog Lucky Run brings a completely fresh personality to our portfolio through its vibrant Brazilian-inspired setting and charming main character.

“Players in Brazil need games that feel familiar, authentic and culturally connected to them. When a player recognises something that reflects their everyday life and online culture, it creates a far deeper level of engagement than entertainment alone, and that is exactly what Caramelo does in this game.”

The post Evoplay launches Caramelo Dog Lucky Run crash game for Brazil appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule

Published

6 days ago

May 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

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S8UL gaming creator and streamer Payal Dhare has partnered with OWND!, the Gen Z-focused fashion brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, to launch a gaming-inspired fashion capsule called ‘Gamer Drop’. The companies describe it as India’s first female gamer-curated capsule. The collection will be available on OWND!’s website and in the brand’s stores across India.

According to the press release, ‘Gamer Drop’ includes menswear and womenswear pieces built around gaming culture and streetwear, positioned as a creator-led collection rather than conventional creator merchandise. The campaign leans on the growing overlap between gaming culture, creator communities, and youth fashion.

Marco Agnolin, Chief Executive Officer, OWND!. said, “We see gaming today as a powerful cultural force that is shaping how young consumers express themselves, communicate, and engage with fashion. As one of India’s biggest gamers, Payal Dhare represents this new generation perfectly through her authenticity, confidence, and deep connection with the gaming community. Her influence extends far beyond gaming content, making her an ideal face for our gaming collection. Through this collaboration, we aim to celebrate individuality and connect with India’s digitally native youth in a way that feels relevant, inclusive, and culture-driven.”

Payal Dhare aka Payal Gaming said, “Gaming today has become a culture and a form of self-expression for millions of young people across the country. That’s what makes this collaboration with OWND! so exciting for me. With this curation, I wanted to create something that genuinely reflects my vibe and the energy of my community. It’s stylish, comfortable, expressive – and made for people who want to own who they are.”

The release also points to India’s expanding creator economy. Citing a Boston Consulting Group report, it says India has nearly 2 to 2.5 million creators, with more than 60% of consumers exposed to creator-led content and over 30% of shoppers influenced by creators in purchase decisions.

The post S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Berkley Egenes

Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events

Published

1 week ago

May 21, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

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Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, is participating in two leading co-located industry events, XP Game Summit Toronto and Xsolla Connect Toronto, on May 21-22, in Toronto. Xsolla will engage with partners, creators, and industry leaders across both events, focusing on the evolving gaming ecosystem.

At XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will showcase its Web Shop solution, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform that helps developers build and scale their own storefronts outside traditional app stores. The Web Shop ecosystem integrates storefronts, LiveOps tools, and player engagement features, enabling studios to strengthen player relationships while increasing revenue and operational control.

Xsolla will also highlight its global payments infrastructure, which supports more than 1000+ payment methods across 200+ geographies. Designed to optimize conversion and deliver localized checkout experiences, Xsolla Payments enables developers to reach players worldwide while adapting to regional preferences and regulatory environments.

Additionally, Xsolla will showcase how they are connecting developers with premium entertainment-based intellectual property (IP). By simplifying licensing and partnership opportunities, Xsolla Agency helps studios enhance player acquisition, drive engagement through LiveOps, and unlock new monetization pathways.

In addition to showcasing its product offerings and solutions, Xsolla will also present a featured panel session titled “Building the Creator Pipeline: How Smart Partnerships Are Scaling Influencer Marketing”. The panel will include John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla; Scott Christian, Studio Director & Founder of Hilltop Games; Gem Johnson, CEO at Corvian Marketing; and Corina (Newby) Diaz, Marketing and Social Media Director at Mighty Yell. They will share practical insights on building sustainable creator ecosystems, leveraging strategic partnerships, and driving measurable impact through influencer marketing initiatives.

In addition to the company’s participation in XP Game Summit Toronto, Xsolla will host Xsolla Connect Toronto, further expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement between developers and publishers through curated programming and networking experiences. Xsolla Connects are designed to give local communities the opportunity to engage, collaborate, and integrate with Xsolla’s industry leaders in an open and transparent environment and through conversations.

“Toronto continues to emerge as a key hub for gaming innovation and collaboration in North America. We’re excited to participate in XP Game Summit and host the Xsolla Connect to connect with the community while sharing insights on how creators and partnerships are helping to build the future of game growth,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla.

“Toronto has built itself into a major Canadian video game hub. We are glad to contribute to the continued growth of the local industry as well as Ontario’s Game Industry as a whole. What makes it special is the combination of deep technical talent, global creative diversity, and a production ecosystem that truly scales. That’s why gatherings like XP Game Summit and Xsolla Connect matter so much: they bring that energy together, and we’re excited to be part of it and help showcase what this community can do,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla.

The post Xsolla Brings Creator Strategy and Game Commerce Expertise to Toronto’s Leading Industry Events appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.