Gaming
John Wright Joins Kwalee As VP of Mobile Publishing: Trades Unity For The Billion Download Studio

Wright’s leadership will reinforce Kwalee as the publisher of choice for top mobile game developers, drawing from his legacy at Luna Labs and ironSource.
Kwalee, a UK and global mobile, PC and console games developer and publisher, is thrilled to announce the appointment of John Wright as the new VP of Mobile Publishing. John joins the Kwalee team on the 2nd of October and will revamp the studio’s strategy to sign, launch and scale the games of external studios.
A passionate gamer and 15 year mobile industry veteran, Wright’s mobile journey saw him swiftly climb the ranks at app monetisation and distribution platform ironSource, relocating from London to the HQ in Israel during a pivotal phase in his professional growth. After returning to the UK, Wright re-entered the startup ecosystem by joining mobile app marketing outfit Luna Labs as their VP of Operations. With his leadership, Luna Labs witnessed significant and rapid growth. When ironSource acquired Luna Labs, Wright came full circle back to his former company, this time as the Head of Operations for Luna. Following ironSource’s merger with Unity, Wright transitioned to become the Head of Client Success for the Luna division within the wider Unity organisation.
Kwalee’s mobile publishing team is a proven hitmaker, backed up by a large in-house studio, helping developers scale games successfully with marketing, monetisation and game design expertise. John Wright joins after Kwalee achieved the milestone of 1 billion downloads in 2023 and has won Best Publisher (TIGA and Mobile Game Awards, 2022).
His strategic priorities as he starts the new role are to deepen the support offered by the publisher to developers, improve its efficiency to best serve the global community of mobile gamemakers, as well as emphasise Kwalee as the number one choice for developers close to home in the UK.
During his tenure at ironSource, John was a director in the newly formed and industry renowned “unified team” during the advent of the Hyper Casual boom, collaborating with industry players such as Ketchapp, Rollic and Homa. He helped them achieve exponential growth as an early innovator, seeing the value in combining the strategies of monetisation, mediation and user acquisition activities. John Wright has an enviable record of launching over 100 mobile games globally and managing over $1 billion in client spend.
His vast experience includes joining early-stage startups in pivotal business roles, growing them quickly, and leading large, multi-disciplinary and remote teams. Known for his ability to inject vitality into businesses, John will use his partner-side expertise to drive growth at Kwalee as he moves developer-side.
David Darling, founder and CEO of Kwalee, remarked, “John and I have a strong relationship already, working closely together, having first met a decade ago when we launched TENS!. Seeing his trajectory and achievements since, especially with Luna Labs and ironSource, it’s clear why he’s the best fit for us. We’re eager to tap into his vast experience, enhancing our developer relationships and publishing capabilities.”
John Wright shared his enthusiasm about the new role, stating, “Having worked with Kwalee as a partner and admired their innovation over the years, I’m thrilled to move across the table. We know it’s a challenging landscape post-IDFA, so small to medium-sized studios need a heavyweight publishing ally to help them achieve the highest level of multi-million dollar success. At Kwalee, I will champion developers. Our relationship will be symbiotic, understanding their needs as partners and clients.”
Embracing the rich British mobile developer community while setting sights on global expansion, John is poised to steer Kwalee’s Mobile Publishing into its most profitable and successful era yet.
Games of the Future 2025
The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi

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In just under three months, the world will turn its eyes to Abu Dhabi as the Games of the Future 2025 (GOTF 2025) prepare to deliver an electrifying showcase of competition, innovation and entertainment.
Set to redefine the boundaries of sport in a pioneering format where competitors must excel both in traditional sports and digital gaming arenas, the Games of the Future 2025 is set to be a sporting spectacular like no other.
For six days from 18-23 December, ADNEC will transform into a futuristic sports hub featuring sports and esports arenas, robot combat zones and drone racing tracks, as athletes and clubs from across the globe battle across 11 phygital disciplines that test speed, strategy and sporting prowess for a staggering USD 5 million prize pool.
Led by ASPIRE as the official delivery authority for the Games of the Future 2025, and supported by Ethara, the operations powerhouse behind some of the city’s key iconic events, athletes, fans and spectators can look forward to an exceptional edition that will elevate the Games of the Future into a landmark occasion on the global sporting calendar.
Residents and visitors can experience a taste of the action with an immersive roadshow at a series of locations across the UAE from October to December. Featuring live demos and interactive challenges, the tour will bring the thrill of phygital sport to life ahead of the Games of the Future 2025 in December.
Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said: “Phygital sports are rewriting the rulebooks of competition. With less than three months to go, transforming the iconic exhibition centre in the heart of Abu Dhabi into the world’s most advanced space for both digital and physical competition is no small feat. It requires the vision and dedication of hundreds of people to build bespoke digital arenas, pitches, and immersive experiences that will redefine how athletes compete and how fans engage.”
Fans will be able to follow every moment of the Games of the Future 2025 thanks to two newly confirmed media partners. Ei Nerd, Brazil’s leading entertainment platform boasting over 4 billion views, will bring the spectacle directly to its vast community, and BIGG, one of the foremost gaming and esports entertainment company in EMEA, will deliver comprehensive coverage via BIGG TV, the Middle East’s leading gaming channel, which reaches 50 million households in more than 100 countries.
The post The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
155.io
155.io rolls out new chaos-fuelled game Survivor

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155.io, the live content studio built for a mobile-first world, has amped up the chaos in its live game portfolio with the launch of Survivor – a frenetic, last-marble-standing battle that turns physics into pure entertainment.
Brought to life from 155.io’s custom-built studio, Survivor sees 16 marbles begin on a plate that spins to make collisions in a mesmerising display of speed and chaos – ultimately leaving just one winner. Marbles are assigned to coloured teams with each featuring a different number of marbles, creating unique odds every round.
The mercurial white marble pays out over 15x, making every spin a heart-racing showdown. 155.io’s live portfolio of games stars ducks.io, Marbles.io and Stairpong.io. All of the games are recorded from a real-world studio, broadcast live, designed for the mobile user in mind.
155.io Founder and CEO Sam Jones commented: “Survivor strikes the perfect balance of real-world chaos, adrenaline, and intensity as players watch to see which marble outlasts the rest. It’s a fun, fresh twist on our original marbles game — one that players still love to this day. This is exactly what 155.io is about: simple, universal games brought to life with real-world action and designed for the next generation of players.”
The post 155.io rolls out new chaos-fuelled game Survivor appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Belatra
Belatra on target with debut crash game: Goose Boom Bang

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Belatra, a leading developer of innovative online slots, has set its sights on the crash game market with the launch of its hit new game, Goose Boom Bang.
Following 30 successful years of creating outstanding slot and instant games, Belatra has turned its sights on the crash game market. Goose Boom Bang stars a fearless goose whose explosive personality takes the game to new heights. As soon as the goose takes off, the multiplier begins to climb – from 1.01x up to an incredible 1000x. The longer the goose travels, the higher the potential reward.
As the journey gathers pace, the risk increases and at any moment the goose can be stopped in his tracks by a cunning Hunter, the swift Hawk, or the sly Crocodile. The prize returns to zero as soon as the goose is stopped by one of these protagonists. Players must decide the opportune moment to call time on the goose flight, but choose when to shoot and claim the winnings.
If the shot hits the mark, the bet is multiplied by the current multiplier, and the Goose drops to the water. Game round history is displayed at the top of the screen: green indicates a win, red – shows a loss. The Goose’s flight path continues to be shown even after the round, revealing how far it could have flown and the maximum possible winning total.
Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, commented: “Belatra has fired the starting gun on its crash game entry, bringing its signature style of humor, dynamic gameplay, and unique atmosphere. Players have the power to choose when to stop the Goose and secure the maximum multiplier before the Hunter, Hawk, or Crocodile ends the round for them!”
The post Belatra on target with debut crash game: Goose Boom Bang appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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