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.”
Arcade
Pragmatic Play Elevates Arcade Roster with the Im-Peck-Able Chicken+
Pragmatic Play, a prominent content provider for the iGaming sector, has enhanced its arcade collection with the debut of Chicken+, a retro-themed game showcasing fast-paced action and significant winning opportunities.
Brought to existence with retro 8-bit visuals, the game tests players to evade approaching vehicles and various dangers, leading the chicken safely over the road.
With each lane successfully cleared, the win multiplier increases. Players can withdraw their earnings whenever they choose or try to navigate all lanes for the top reward, but a single random mishap concludes the round as a defeat. Players are able to view the possible winnings and the likelihood of success in reaching each lane to aid in their decision-making.
There are four levels of risk – Easy, Mid, Hard, and Daredevil. Raising the level reduces the number of lanes per round and increases the volatility, enhancing the maximum win potential from 24x in Easy mode to over 3,000,000x in Daredevil.
Blending nostalgic visuals with an eccentric theme, a user-friendly interface, and rapid betting rounds, Chicken+ meets the increasing demand for engaging, fast-paced games.
The title signifies the newest entry in Pragmatic Play’s continually growing arcade collection, succeeding the launches of Plinko+, Spire+, and Mines+.
Sharon McHugh, Director of Public Relations at Pragmatic Play, said: “Chicken+ blends retro charm with simple, high-engagement mechanics. With configurable risk levels and significant win potential, it stands out as another compelling addition to Pragmatic Play’s diverse arcade portfolio, inviting players to test their nerve and cross the road.”
The post Pragmatic Play Elevates Arcade Roster with the Im-Peck-Able Chicken+ appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brazil
LOUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile
Prime Rush, a new mobile shooter blending battle royale survival with extraction-style mechanics, has officially launched in Brazil on the Google Play for Android and the App Store for iOS. Developed by SuperGaming in collaboration with Spacecaps—the parent company of LOUD—the game has been shaped by direct input from Brazilian players and creators throughout its Closed Beta and Early Access phases.
Prime Rush introduces a fresh twist on the traditional battle royale formula. Beyond simply being the last squad standing, players can secure victory early by extracting Cosmium, a rare resource that appears during the final circle. This dual win condition forces squads to choose between outlasting opponents or adopting a more tactical approach to secure extraction.
The game also features a dynamic tactical ability system designed for fast-paced mobile combat. Active abilities such as DeadEye, Shield Dome, Super Speed, and Hunter’s Instinct allow players to approach matches with different strategies, focusing on precision, defense, mobility, or intelligence.
Bruno Bittencourt, CEO of LOUD, said:
“We’ve always believed Brazil has one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world, yet for years we’ve been playing games that weren’t built with us in mind. Prime Rush is a game created for Brazilian players, shaped daily by the communities we’ve built over the past decade. We’ve been listening to them every single day. It’s a game that finally feels like home.”
Roby John, CEO and Co-founder of SuperGaming, added:
“Brazil has one of the most competitive mobile shooter audiences we’ve seen, and from the beginning we wanted Prime Rush to be both authentic and accessible. That meant building a game that feels true to Brazil while ensuring it runs smoothly across a wide range of devices, so more players can experience it as intended.”
Set on the island of Maré, the game’s main battlefield supports its battle royale extraction format. It also introduces a Mini TDM mode (Favela)—a fast-paced 4v4 mode designed for quick, high-intensity firefights on the go.
At launch, players can choose from a roster of Brazilian heroes including Juliana, Rafael, Miguel, Rogério, Dos Santos, Julia, and Gustavo, with deep customization options available. Weapon personalization is enhanced through Evo-X skins, featuring upgradeable visuals, multiple Chromas, unique animations, custom sound effects, and distinctive combat feedback elements.
Prime Rush also debuts with several limited-time modes such as DeadEye Rush, Pants in the Air, and Weapon Roulette, offering short, action-packed sessions beyond the core gameplay.
The game launches alongside its first Ranked Season, where players can progress through tiers including Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Champion, Legend, and Cosmic.
Check out the launch trailer right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5KreKoLmY
Season 1 Battle Pass: Street Legends introduces a range of rewards, including:
- New Avatars: Laura, Juliana, Rafael
- Weapon Skins: Subliminar, Grafitada, Suavidade, Firmeza, Raiz, Brabo, AK-BR7
- Melee Weapon: Chinela (Slipper)
- Vehicle Skin: Lenda Urbana
- Additional items such as stickers, dive trails, emotes, and portraits
Powered by SuperGaming’s in-house SuperPlatform, the game supports Android 7+ devices with 4GB RAM and iOS 15+. Early Access data shows stable performance at 40 FPS on lower-end devices, with up to 60 FPS on mid- to high-end hardware, ensuring accessibility across a broad range of devices in Brazil.
SuperGaming continues to optimize Prime Rush for additional devices, with performance and visual quality varying depending on hardware and player settings.
The post LOUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brazil
LOUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile
Prime Rush, a new mobile shooter combining battle royale survival with extraction-style gameplay, has officially launched in Brazil on the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS. Developed by SuperGaming in partnership with Spacecaps, the parent company of LOUD, the game has been built with direct feedback from Brazilian players and creators during its Closed Beta and Early Access phases.
Prime Rush introduces a unique twist to the traditional battle royale format. In addition to surviving until the end of the match, squads can secure an early victory by extracting Cosmium, a rare resource that spawns during the final circle. This dual win condition creates a match environment where squads must decide whether to outlast opponents in a final-circle finish or take a more tactical route to win through Cosmium extraction.
The game also features a flexible tactical ability system built for high-tempo mobile combat. Active Abilities such as DeadEye, Shield Dome, Super Speed, and Hunter’s Instinct allow players to approach matches through precision, defence, mobility, and intel respectively.
Speaking on this development Bruno Bittencourt, CEO of LOUD said, “Brazil has one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world, yet we’ve spent years playing games that weren’t built with us in mind. Prime Rush is a game created for Brazilian players, shaped daily by the communities we’ve built over the past decade. We’ve been listening to them every single day. It’s a game that finally feels like home.”
“Brazil has one of the most competitive mobile shooter audiences that we have seen, and from the start we wanted Prime Rush to be both authentic and accessible,” said Roby John, CEO and Co-founder of SuperGaming. “For us, that meant building a game that feels true to Brazil while also making sure it runs smoothly across a broad range of devices so more players can experience it the way it was meant to be played.”
The battle takes place on the island of Maré, the setting for Prime Rush’s battle royale extraction experience. Prime Rush also includes a Mini TDM mode (Favela). This is a quick 4v4 mode designed for shorter, high-intensity firefights on the go.
At launch, the game introduces a lineup of new Brazilian heroes including Juliana, Rafael, Miguel, Rogério, Dos Santos, Julia, and Gustavo, with character customization allowing players to personalize their experience. Players can also customize their weapon experience with the new Evo-X skins. These are upgradeable gun skins featuring three switchable Chromas, enhanced visuals and VFX, unique inspect and reload animations, custom fire SFX, unique kill feed treatment, and distinct muzzle and tracer effects.
Prime Rush goes live with multiple limited-time modes including DeadEye Rush, Pants in the Air, and Weapon Roulette, offering players shorter duration matches for quick jump-in and jump-out between sessions beyond its core battle royale extraction gameplay.
The game launches with its first Ranked Season, allowing players to climb through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Champion, Legend, and Cosmic.
Check out the launch trailer right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5KreKoLmY
Season 1 Battle Pass: Street Legends
The Season 1 Battle Pass: Street Legends is also here, bringing a new lineup of rewards for players as they progress through the season. These include:
- New Avatars: Laura, Juliana, Rafael
- Weapon Skins: Subliminar, Grafitada, Suavidade, Firmeza, Raiz, Brabo, AK-BR7
- Melee Weapon: Chinela (Slipper)
- Vehicle Skin: Lenda Urbana
- Additional Rewards: Stickers, Dive Trails, Emotes, and Portraits
Prime Rush System Requirements
Powered by SuperPlatform, SuperGaming’s in-house tech-stack, Prime Rush currently supports Android 7 and above with 4GB RAM, as well as iOS 15 and above. Based on Early Access performance reports, the game delivers a stable 40 FPS on lower-end devices with recommended graphics settings, while mid to high-end devices can achieve up to 60 FPS.
This makes Prime Rush playable across a wide range of mobile devices, helping ensure that more players in Brazil can access the game on both Android and iOS.
SuperGaming is continuously optimizing Prime Rush to support more devices over time. Performance and visual fidelity may vary depending on hardware and user-selected graphics settings.
The post LOUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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