Gaming
Anzu Completes $48 Million Series B Funding Round From Bandai Namco and Others
Round brings new investors on board, including Emmis, PayPal Ventures, Bandai Namco Entertainment 021 Fund, Evolution, and Simon Equity Partners
Anzu, the most advanced intrinsic in-game advertising solution, announced a $48 million Series B funding round, significantly increasing its valuation and adding several new high-profile investors. The new round will also include converting the SAFE notes and investors exiting with a 10x valuation increase.
The funding round was led by Emmis Corporation, one of America’s most respected media, sports, and entertainment companies, with additional investments from PayPal Ventures, Evolution, Simon Equity Partners, and Bandai Namco Entertainment 021 Fund, a corporate venture arm of a Japanese multinational entertainment company, Bandai Namco Entertainment. Existing Anzu investors include Sony Innovation Fund, NBCUniversal, WPP, Bitkraft, Samsung Next, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) Ventures, Axel Springer and Marquee Ventures — the venture capital fund anchored by the parent company of the Chicago Cubs.
In-game advertising continues to grow as more advertisers and developers become aware of the enormous opportunity it presents to reach a new market of gamers. On the heels of Anzu’s recent hire of Nerissa MacDonald, EVP Global Sales, the company will use the funding to continue to build out its global leadership team. Anzu will also seek to grow its U.S. footprint by developing teams across the country. The funding will allow Anzu to remain independent and fully focused on its mission to make advertising in games better.
“We are thrilled to close our Series B funding round and bring some exciting new investors on board,” said Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO of Anzu. “We are confident that in-game advertising has the potential to be a multi-billion dollar market, and Anzu is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this huge opportunity. Over the past year, we have achieved some significant milestones towards our vision, and have connected with more exclusive AAA games and premium content, expanded our measurement capabilities for advertisers, and secured patents for our unique intellectual property.”
On the new funding, Emmis Corporation Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smulyan said: “In-game advertising is ready to become the next major advertising category as marketers connect their brands with billions of cloud, PC, console, and mobile gamers worldwide. We look forward to partnering with Anzu as it delivers the technology and business system to make in-game advertising a large part of every marketer’s media buying plans.”
PayPal Ventures Managing Partner James Loftus said: “As the clear market leader in the nascent space of in-game advertising, Anzu brings highly sophisticated advertising into complex, 3D environments. We’re excited to support Anzu as they build on their proprietary technology, broaden their robust ecosystem of partners and expand their team in the U.S. and globally.”
R. Franco Digital has launched Crash Raiders, a new crash-style game that uses a grid format instead of traditional reels and paylines.
In Crash Raiders, players move across a grid to uncover prizes while avoiding traps that end the run. Each successful step increases the prize pot, and players can choose to cash out at any point or continue for a higher return.
The game includes four modes. Normal Mode lets players customise grid size, prizes and traps. Turbo Mode uses pre-selected routes for faster play, while Mystery and Mystery Turbo Modes apply full randomness to routes and outcomes.
Crash Raiders also adds an Extra Life mechanic that allows a player to revive once per game after hitting a trap, keeping accumulated winnings in play.
Javier Sacristán Franco, International Business Director at R. Franco Digital, said: “With Crash Raiders, we set out to create a highly engaging hybrid experience that blends strategy with high volatility gameplay. By giving players control over risk and path selection, we deliver a dynamic format that captures the excitement of every decision.”
The post R. Franco Digital launches Crash Raiders grid-based crash game appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Epic Games and BLAST will host the 2026 Fortnite Global Championship in Antwerp, Belgium, on September 26-27, marking the FNCS season finale at Lotto Arena.
Epic and BLAST said the event brings the Fortnite competitive circuit and BLAST to Antwerp for the first time. The announcement was made at the Fortnite Major 1 Summit in Düsseldorf, Germany.
A $2,000,000 USD prize pool will be at stake, alongside the FNCS Global Championship trophy crafted by silverware artisan Thomas Lyte.
Epic and BLAST positioned Antwerp—located in the Benelux region—as a travel-friendly destination for fans coming from Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Ticket information is available via the venue listing.
The post Epic Games and BLAST bring 2026 Fortnite Global Championship to Antwerp appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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.
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