Gaming
The German Games Industry Association congratulates all winners of the German Computer Game Awards 2024
• “EVERSPACE 2” by ROCKFISH Games is ‘Best German Game’ 2024
• Pixel Maniacs from Nuremberg wins in the ‘Studio of the Year’ category
• ‘Best International Game’ is Baldur’s Gate 3
• ‘Player of the Year’ is Maurice Weber
High-quality games, great entertainment and many well-known personalities from the games industry and the cultural, societal and political spheres – the German Computer Game Awards 2024 (DCP), presented this evening in Munich, featured all that and more. Numerous guests celebrated the best games from Germany and the creative minds behind them in person at Eisbach Studios in Munich. The award show, which was hosted by Katrin Bauerfeind and Uke Bosse, was additionally followed by hundreds of thousands of viewers via live stream. A total of 800,000 euros was awarded in cash prizes. “EVERSPACE 2” by ROCKFISH Games was chosen ‘Best German Game’. The ‘Studio of the Year’ award went to Pixel Maniacs from Nuremberg, which has made a name for itself with successful games like the party racing game “Can’t Drive This”, its multifaceted involvement in the game industry and its promotion of young talent, as well as with its innovations in the area of marketing. The ‘Special Jury Prize’ was awarded to the project “Gaming ohne Grenzen” (Gaming without Borders), an initiative that enables young people with disabilities to participate actively in game culture – for example, by assessing in inclusive game testing groups the accessibility of various games as well as the ability of certain technologies to help overcome barriers in video games. In voting by the community and the jury, Maurice Weber was selected ‘Player of the Year’. The games editor and Twitch streamer regularly analyses current developments in the games industry and takes a critical look at them, while at the same time formulating a clear stance for more diversity and against extremism in games and society.
The German Computer Game Awards, which honour the year’s best German-produced games, are hosted by the German Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and game – The German Games Industry Association.
‘Congratulations to all winners of the German Computer Game Awards 2024!’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Even in these very challenging times for many German firms in the industry, German games companies have created high-quality and successful games that have deservedly been honoured on the big stage of the DCP. Around half of these outstanding games were developed with the support of federal game funding. This once again demonstrates the potential that we can leverage when the underlying policy framework for game development in Germany provides for truly predictable and internationally competitive conditions – conditions that allow games from Germany to shine even more brightly all over the world and achieve even greater success on the national as well as international stage. We must make this our goal!’
Overview of all winners:
Best International Game (not endowed)
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Best German Game (endowed with 100,000 euros)
EVERSPACE 2 (ROCKFISH Games)
The other nominees will each receive 30,000:
Atlas Fallen (Deck 13 Interactive/Focus Entertainment)
Fall of Porcupine (Critical Rabbit/Assemble Entertainment)
Best Family Game (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Spells & Secrets (Alchemist Interactive/rokaplay)
Newcomer Award – Best Debut (endowed with 60,000 euros)
Ad Infinitum (Hekate/NACON)
The other nominees will receive 25,000 euros each:
Fall of Porcupine (Critical Rabbit/Assemble Entertainment)
Lose CTRL (Play From Your Heart)
Newcomer Award – Best Prototype (endowed with 50,000 euros)
Misgiven (Symmetry Break Studio)
The other nominees will receive 25,000 euros each:
Bloodletter (Katharina “Mikey” Müller, David Cafisso, Marvin Braun, Alica Schneider/Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin)
EcoGnomix (Lars Hinnerk Grevsmühl, Lars Eble, Bahy Nguyen, Marcel Zurawka, Alec Shae)
Footgun: Underground (Eduard Dobermann, Theo Lohmüller, Georg Nimke, Robert Pistea, Lukas Salewsky)
REPLICORE (Sarah Inés Roeder, Rody Nawezi, Leonhard Gläser, Maximilian Götz/ HAW Hamburg)
Best Innovation and Technology (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Marble Maze (Fox-Assembly)
Best Serious Game (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Friedrich Ebert – Der Weg zur Demokratie (Playing History/Stiftung Reichspräsident-Friedrich-Ebert-Gedenkstätte)
Best Audio Design (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Ad Infinitum (Hekate/NACON)
Best Game Design (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Lose CTRL (Play From Your Heart)
Best Graphic Design (endowed with 40,000 euros)
The Bear – A Story from the World of Gra (Mucks! Games)
Best Mobile Game (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Cat Rescue Story (Tivola Games)
Best Story (endowed with 40,000 euros)
Ad Infinitum (Hekate/NACON)
Studio of the Year (endowed with 50,000 euros)
Pixel Maniacs
Player of the Year (not endowed)
Maurice Weber
Special Jury Award (endowed with 10,000 euros)
Gaming ohne Grenzen
The post The German Games Industry Association congratulates all winners of the German Computer Game Awards 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule
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
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.
casino
Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay
A worldwide refresh of one of the most-played titles in the Stake Originals collection introduces a new graph crack animation, dynamic multiplier gradients, a live player count and faster, more reliable performance across devices.
Stake, the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, has today announced a major worldwide update to its flagship Crash casino game, marking the next significant milestone in the evolution of the Stake Originals portfolio. The update delivers a refreshed visual experience and a series of performance upgrades for players.
Crash has built a global following thanks to a simple but high-intensity format – players track a rising multiplier and decide when to cash out before it suddenly drops. As one of the most recognisable titles in the Stake Originals portfolio, it sits at the heart of the platform’s in-house gaming identity, and this latest release sharpens both the look and the feel of every round.
The update introduces a refreshed look with a new graph crack animation that gives every round a more defined visual moment as the multiplier ends. The multiplier curve has been upgraded with dynamic colour gradients that evolve in real time – shifting from blue in the early stages, through green and purple, and into yellow as higher values are reached. A new player count display also shows how many participants are still active in each round, adding a stronger sense of shared, real-time gameplay.
Cashout responsiveness has been improved for faster, more consistent interactions during key multiplier moments allowing for a smoother performance. The update also enables uninterrupted gameplay during deployments, meaning Crash continues running smoothly while improvements are being rolled out in the background. Game payload optimisation and enhanced gameplay processing systems further reduce loading times and improve stability, particularly during high-activity periods, for a more reliable experience across all devices.
“Crash is one of those games that defines what a Stake Original feels like – quick, social, and full of tension in the best way. This update is about giving players a sharper, more responsive version of a game they already love, without ever losing what made it so appealing in the first place.” – Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, Akhil Sarin.
Crash is one of Stake Casino‘s most-played games, and the goal of this update is simple: keep what players love about it, and make everything around it feel sharper.
About Stake
Stake is the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, attracting over 100 million monthly visits across its global domains – more than any other iGaming platform on earth. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visits and processes more than 100 billion bets per year. Stake is renowned for its innovation in crypto wagering and its growing expansion into regulated local-currency gaming markets, including Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The brand boasts an extensive global sponsorship portfolio including Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club, and the UFC.
Contact
Stake
The post Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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