Gaming

And the winners of the Dutch Game Awards 2023 are……!

Published

2 years ago

October 5, 2023

and-the-winners-of-the-dutch-game-awards-2023-are……!

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The winners of the Dutch Game Awards 2023 were announced at the leading awards show for the Dutch game industry. This thirteenth edition of the award show took place during Dutch Media Week in Beeld & Geluid in Hilversum.

The Dutch Game Awards has several categories, from ‘Best Game’ to ‘Best Innovation’ and four special awards. The winners are chosen by a professional and diverse jury. Besides an award, the winners also receive a place in the collection of Sound & Vision, where the games are preserved as cultural heritage for eternity. And the winners are…!

Best Game: Age of Wonders 4 – Triumph Studios
Best Art: Mail Time – appelmoes games
Best Audio: Isonzo – BlackMill Games
Best Innovation: Secret Shuffle – Adriaan de Jongh & Friends
Best Technology: Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered PC – Nixxes Software
Best Game Design: Secret Shuffle – Adriaan de Jongh & Friends
Best Applied Game: Klankkr8 – Game Tailors
Best Debut Game: Kayak VR: Mirage – Better Than Life
Best Student Game: Iron Line – Team Trainwreck (BUas)

Triumph Studios with Age of Wonders grabs Best Game 2023 award: “Age of Wonders 4 proves to be an excellent continuation of the series. The game is innovative within the strategy genre and combines old and new mechanics to create a masterpiece. The depth and complexity give the game a feeling of epic proportions.”

The jury chose Secret Shuffle as the winner in the Best Innovation and Best Game Design categories: “What a way to put a smile on people’s faces! The game offers a very accessible way to connect people, through a form of gameplay never before seen by us. The different dance games will surprise at many parties, and the intuitive UI and low entry threshold make the game easy for anyone to understand and use. Making yourself uncomfortable has never felt better than with Secret Shuffle!”

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered PC by Nixxes Software wins Best Technology: “Where most PC ports don’t hold up to the original game, the PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man surpasses it. The PC version adds subtle details like the enhanced reflections in the windows of the buildings, without sacrificing performance. With many custom solutions to the technological challenges Nixxes has raised the bar for porting technology.”

Iron Line was voted Best Student Game: “The judges were frustrated that this is not a full game (yet). Iron Line offers a unique twist on the Tower Defense genre. It cleverly combines cargo management with the placement of turrets. Add well-designed elements like the game economics and it makes the whole game fit together like a glove.“

Best Debut Game was won by Kayak VR: Mirage: “The judges really felt like they were outside while playing this game. The kayak moves very lifelike and the attention to detail in the environment adds up to an experience that feels beyond realistic. Next to that the game shows an intuitive UI and fun competitive multiplayer races.”

Klankkr8 wins Best Applied Game: “It is noteworthy that Game Tailors used solid scientific theories and evidence as the basis for Klankkr8 and also conducted scientific research on the effectiveness of the game! These theories translated well into consistent, playful and simulating game design that introduces young children to letters, sounds and the first steps of learning to read. Klankkr8 is a full-fledged, interactive game that serves different audiences.”

Best Audio was won by Isonzo: “Isonzo excels with the integration of realistic audio from the historic World War I setting and excellently balances the chaos of sounds in the frantic multiplayer battles. This really adds to the immersion and depth of the game, and what’s more, the soundtrack is an orchestral masterpiece!”

Mail Time wins Best Art: “The studio describes itself as “a very small studio” and so it is impressive that Mail Time’s art feels so ‘wholesome’ and ‘cosy’ even though it was created by only one person. The unique complementary mix of 2D and 3D art certainly contributes to this depth, which the jury says is very hard to achieve!”

Special Awards

The Special Awards were created for the studios, individuals or initiatives that sometimes play more in the background, but are important for the Dutch game industry. The winners for the Special Awards are:

Best Studio: Triumph Studios
Inclusion Award: Esmeé van’t Hoff
Career Achievement: Angie Smets
Awesome Achievement: Deloryan Games

Triumph Studios wins Best Studio award: “Triumph Studios has been around since 1997 and has been going strong and quiet for over 25 years. Joining the Paradox family in 2017 did not negatively impact its own studio culture, but rather made the studio stronger in its own way. Employees stay with the studio for a long time and praise its good leadership. The studio’s rock-solid direction can also be seen in their games, with Triumph Studios not capitalizing on erratic trends, but rather following their own course.”

This year’s Inclusion Award goes to Esmeé van’t Hoff: “As the driving force behind Wholesome Games and Wholesome Direct, Esmeé has worked hard to create more space and recognition for “cozy games.” She is a figurehead for making these games visible to the broader public, which has given developers of these games a more prominent place in the game industry.”

The Career Achievement was won by Angie Smets: “Over the past 20 years at Guerrilla Games, Angie has proven to be a true cornerstone of the successful AAA game studio. But perhaps even more important is the role she has played in normalizing diversity, for both Guerrilla’s games and in the studio’s workplace! We wish her all the best in her new role at PlayStation Studios and look forward to more groundbreaking work from Angie!”

Last but not least, the Awesome Achievement goes to Deloryan Games: “Deloryan Hommers started as a one-person studio in her spare time, but her studio has since expanded to a team of eleven. Deloryan Games’ unique game serves a niche audience of diehard horse fans, but we’re not talking about little girls and glittering unicorns. Horse Reality brings a lot of depth to the market of horse management games by focusing on horse genetics, breeding programs, horse training and health statistics and all based on real-life data. The studio competes with studios ten times its size. Nevertheless, they have managed to grow in a tough market by taking their audience seriously.”

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Fortnite Championship Series Major 1 Summit heads to Düsseldorf for the first time

Published

16 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Epic Games and BLAST have today announced that the first Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) LAN of the year is heading to Düsseldorf, Germany for the very first time.

The Fortnite Major 1 Summit will take place live inside the PSD Bank Dome on May 30 and 31, 2026. In the heart of Western Germany, Fortnite will take over the state-of-the-art PSD Bank Dome Arena, home of the Düsseldorfer EG hockey team, for two days of thrilling Fortnite action.

The top duos from all seven regions will battle live to be crowned Fortnite Major 1 Summit champions, take home a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool, and secure a spot at the Fortnite Global Championship later this year.

As one of Europe’s largest gaming markets and a frequent host of international esports tournaments, Germany has long played a central role in the global competitive scene. Located in the country’s most populous state and one of its most connected regions, Düsseldorf provides a fitting backdrop for the first FNCS LAN of the competitive season.

Tickets go on general sale March 2 at 4 AM ET / 10 AM CET on Eventim. More ticket information can be found here: Eventim Fortnite Major 1 Summit

The post Fortnite Championship Series Major 1 Summit heads to Düsseldorf for the first time appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

155.io

Hub88 Partners Exclusively with 155.io to Bring CCTV Game Rush Hour to Aggregators

Published

20 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

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The release, driven by computer vision, provides operators with an innovative live betting experience featuring real-time traffic visuals.

Hub88 has amplified its collaboration with innovative studio 155.io by releasing its latest CCTV game, Rush Hour. The groundbreaking live game idea challenges players’ forecasting abilities by utilizing actual traffic video from cities worldwide.

Since 2024, Hub88 has been a reliable partner for 155.io, aiding in the launch of its immensely popular titles Ducks and Marbles. The studio located in Dubai takes pride in delivering rapid gameplay, captivating live streams, and ‘real-world chaos’ to fresh, mobile-first audiences.

Rush Hour presents 155.io’s innovative cctv.games betting category, featuring games centered on real-time surveillance camera footage from cities like Tokyo, Lyon, Sydney, and London. Participants are encouraged to estimate the number of items, like cars or motorbikes, that will pass through a specified AI monitoring area during a defined timeframe. Players can wager on Over, Under, Range, or Exact results, resulting in engaging gameplay.

Locations are chosen automatically according to the time of day and traffic trends, with the active setting shown during betting, enhancing the title’s ‘eyes on the world’ focus and real-time attraction.

Hub88’s wide array of operators will now enjoy smooth access to Rush Hour, after 155.io’s successful direct integrations with Stake, Roobet, and Shuffle.

The successful debut of another creative live game from 155.io showcases Hub88’s standing as an aggregator that prioritizes authentic differentiation, innovation, and tangible outcomes for its partners.

Jessica Inglott, Head of Supplier Relations at Hub88, said: “CCTV Game: Rush Hour is unlike anything else currently available to operators. Its real-world data, automated computer vision technology and clear, high-frequency betting format create a truly original experience.

“Being chosen as the exclusive aggregator for this release allows us to give our partners access to an entirely new genre, with action that will attract the next generation of players.”

Sam Jones, Founder and CEO of 155.io, said: “This release represents a new direction for interactive betting experiences. By combining live CCTV feeds with automated computer vision tracking and AI, we’ve created a format that is simple to understand yet highly engaging.

“With this first game in our CCTV Game series, we’re delighted to bring some of the world’s most intriguing cities to the screens of players, with Hub88 as the perfect partner to facilitate this.”

The post Hub88 Partners Exclusively with 155.io to Bring CCTV Game Rush Hour to Aggregators appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Gaming

Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity

Published

7 days ago

February 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

soft2bet-introduces-mega11,-a-football-manager-experience-designed-to-elevate-sportsbook-activity

Soft2Bet has revealed the debut of MEGA11, a football management game aimed at enhancing sportsbook interaction and improving player loyalty. Acknowledging that football manager and fantasy games rank among the most favored genres with the longest typical gameplay durations, MEGA11 provides a progression-oriented and captivating football manager experience focusing on fantasy league team construction, allowing players to tactically oversee their own teams and make important choices while competing in leagues and matches.

Users of sportsbooks are inherently used to waiting before making their next wager. That inactivity naturally leads to a decrease in daily engagement, even among bettors who are very focused on football. MEGA11 addresses this issue by providing users with a football management game seamlessly connected to the sportsbook experience. Rather than waiting for the upcoming kickoff, players can remain engaged by forming their team, modifying lineups, and battling in their personal matchups or leagues. This establishes a distinctive two-way interaction cycle, effortlessly integrating real-money wagering with social, engaging gameplay, transforming these calmer times into organized activity with defined objectives, advancement, and a motivation to come back.

MEGA11 is developed as an independent game featuring its own soft-currency system, without any direct links to sportsbook deposits or casino operations. The main experience is free-to-play, enabling players to advance at their own speed. For players seeking to advance quickly or enhance their team, MEGA11 provides optional purchases, such as more powerful player cards and boosters that speed up progress and offer a strategic advantage.

The engagement of the sportsbook is fueled by a straightforward, quantifiable mechanism. Each wager allows players to accumulate points that enhance their advancement in the football manager game. This advancement, consequently, activates sportsbook bonuses, actively encouraging ongoing involvement and strengthening consistent engagement. Advancement is organized via a five-level loyalty and gamification framework that reflects a football career trajectory: Beginner, Amateur, Professional, World Class, and Legend. The tiering aims to maintain motivation over time, providing a consistent feeling of progress that fosters longer-term retention instead of brief spurts of engagement.

The new engine enhances Soft2Bet’s larger MEGA portfolio, which currently features mechanics like MEGA Chance, MEGA Round, and MEGA Clawee. It further enhances Soft2Bet’s sportsbook offering with instant payouts, 24/7 support, and over 200 pre-match football markets, by introducing a perpetual football format designed to maintain fan engagement beyond the live match calendar.

The design of the product continues to prioritize player protection and compliance. MEGA11’s soft-currency, non-deposit model promotes secure and compliant interactions, emphasizing entertainment and advancement while adhering to responsible gaming standards in regulated regions.

Yoel Zuckerberg, CPO at Soft2Bet, stated: “MEGA11 is built to keep football fans engaged between matchdays, pairing a manager-style progression loop with a soft-currency model that supports compliant, long-term sportsbook loyalty. Football manager games are renowned for having the highest player immersion and longest session times in the industry. By bringing this experience to our partners, we are combining real betting with social gameplay to deliver authentic player experiences that resonate with fans and drive sustainable engagement.”

The introduction of MEGA11 enhances Soft2Bet’s emphasis on product-driven engagement, merging game design, loyalty strategies, and a robust regulatory framework to assist operators in achieving more reliable retention during the football season. The technology has received significant industry awards and is eliciting a strong positive reaction from players, confirming its influence on engagement and long-term value generation.

The post Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.