Latest News
New Champion Rei and gen:LOCK Crossover Now Live in Paladins
Released today, the gen:LOCK Update is the biggest Paladins update yet,, bringing characters from the Rooster Teeth animated series to life in the game’s first-ever crossover.
Five gen:LOCK members have been deployed into the Realm as playable characters. They are showcased in this trailer: https://youtu.be/81YoWhum4mM
The gen:LOCK Crossover Pass unlocks five Champion skins showcasing the stars of the series: Chase, Valentina, Cammie, Yaz, and Kazu. Each comes with their own new Voice Pack.
Players progress through the gen:LOCK Crossover Pass simply by playing Paladins. Chase counts among the free rewards, while Cammie is unlocked instantly upon purchase of the Pass.
Even better: all of Hi-Rez games are about to get the spotlight with this year’s Steam Publisher weekend. With this timely event, players can get a jump on the gen:LOCK Crossover Pass with a Publisher Weekend Bundle given for free to all players logging into Paladins through Steam between tomorrow July 22, and July 25.
New Champion: Rei
Paladins’ 50th Champion Rei is making her debut just as the game reaches the 50 million players mark. Could the hand of the Pyre Lords be at play?
Rei is a peppy bunny-eared Support who has learned how to unleash magical energy from her bare hands. But where her true talents lie is in rescuing a single ally in peril.
Check her out in this trailer: https://youtu.be/NJrzE-ZljE4
When Rei left the Burrows, her quest led her to befriend the Scion of House Aico, Lian. Striving to harness arcane forces, Rei quickly became the chief Scholar of the noble house. Today, her tale has just begun.
Bounty Store returns
The first iteration of this rotational in-game shop using free currency was met with community excitement last year. Evil Mojo soon decided to work on a more refined version – and today the Bounty Store is back with an all-new look, improvements, and new features.
The Bounty Store is an in-game shop allowing players to trade Bounty Coins for rotating skins available in limited quantities – three skins are now simultaneously on sale, up from one.
As before, Daily Quests reward Bounty Coins, and now there are more ways to earn them:
- In the Event Passes and their quests, the Trials of the Realm
- Through Twitch integration – Watching Paladins on approved streaming channels grants Bounty Coins
- Through a new feature – Players can choose to watch in-menu ads to earn Bounty Coins and other rewards. Already implemented in SMITE, this feature has proved popular with the community.
Also new, current Event or Crossover Pass holders will have access to a bonus Bounty Store skin for the duration of the Pass.
Videos:
- gen:LOCK Pass – https://youtu.be/81YoWhum4mM
- Rei – https://youtu.be/NJrzE-ZljE4
Press Kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1mXnInf5tLSNqxP7C1OcCHFDdEfMuUtOr
Patch Notes: https://www.paladins.com/news/genlock-update-notes
Africa
BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika
Supplier takes Stand A05 in Nairobi on May 4–5, pitching pre-built tournament betting tools and discounted onboarding for new partners.
BetConstruct AI said it will exhibit at iGaming Afrika on May 4–5 in Nairobi, Kenya, at Stand A05.
The company said its main focus at the event will be a “Best Sportsbook for the World Cup 2026” package, supported by “Special Bets, Powerfull and Bet on League.” BetConstruct AI said the tools are designed to help operators run World Cup activations “with zero additional development required.”
For the World Cup activation, the supplier is also advertising commercial incentives for new partners. BetConstruct AI said new partners receive a 65% platform setup discount “applied immediately,” plus “100% Core Suite Access” for the first three months, followed by “65% off for 4-12 months.” It added that third-party tools are “51% off for 3 months.”
Beyond the tournament pitch, BetConstruct AI said it will present its wider iGaming ecosystem, including Sportsbook Platform, Casino Platform, Affiliate Ecosystem, Retail Solutions, and its AI suite. The company said its Sportsbook Platform provides “over 140,000 pre-match events and 12,000+ monthly esports live events,” and that its Casino Platform integrates “350+ providers via a unified aggregation API.”
BetConstruct AI said its AI suite includes CRM AI, Umbrella AI, AI Game Recommendation System, and Betting Mate AI, covering functions such as churn prediction, risk management, real-time personalisation, and conversational betting. It also said its Retail Solutions show how operators can connect land-based and digital channels for an omnichannel setup.
- BetConstruct (official website); https://www.betconstruct.com/ Company reference page for product portfolio and event announcements.
- iGaming Afrika (event information); https://igamingafrika.com/ Confirms dates, location, and exhibitor details for the conference.
- FIFA World Cup 2026 (official site); https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026 Authoritative background on the tournament referenced in the supplier’s activation pitch.
The post BetConstruct AI to present World Cup 2026 sportsbook offer at iGaming Afrika appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blokotech
Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams
Second leg of the networking-focused iGaming padel series ran in Malta with SiGMA World; next stop is Miami on 9 June.
Blokotech has completed the Malta stage of the Bloko Padel Tour 2026, the company said on Thursday 30th April 2026. The second leg of the series was held in partnership with SiGMA World and hosted at IK Padel Village.
Blokotech said 35 teams competed across Pro and Beginners categories, following the tour’s opening event in Buenos Aires.
Blokotech Co-Founder and CEO Salvatore Messina said: “The response to the Malta stop has been brilliant. Each stage is gathering more interest as we build towards our Grand Linale in Rome. Once again we set the platform for networking and competition that our players loved. We’d like to thank all partners involved in making Malta a success – roll on Miami!”
In the Pro category, Andrea Zammit and Borja Jimenez won, with Peter Curmi and Salvatore Fasciana finishing second. In the Beginners category, Gabriele Sarti and Marco Pozzoli took first place, followed by Viki Vitanyi and Davide Dorato. Craig Luke was named Best Player and received a signed Francesco Totti shirt.
Blokotech said the next event will take place in Miami on 9 June at Ultra Padel Club, ahead of the Grand Finale in Rome.
- Blokotech; https://blokotech.com/ Company reference for Blokotech and background on its products and leadership.
- SiGMA World; https://sigmagroup.com/ Confirms the event partner and provides context on SiGMA’s industry events platform.
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA); https://www.mga.org.mt/ Adds regulatory context for Malta as a hub for iGaming businesses mentioned in the event setting.
The post Blokotech completes Malta stop of Bloko Padel Tour 2026 with 35 teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia
In an iGaming Real Talk interview in Dubai, the firm says the tool reads player emotion and context to guide operator actions.
SoftConstruct AI has unveiled RecSys, an AI Game Recommendation System, during an exclusive iGaming Real Talk interview recorded at AIBC Eurasia in Dubai on Thursday 30th April.
Mushegh Khachatryan, Chief AI Officer at SoftConstruct AI, said RecSys is designed to move beyond traditional recommendation models by interpreting player emotions in real time and accounting for context, with the goal of suggesting “the next best action” for operators. “You can understand your customer’s emotions in real time and suggest the next best action. We are building intelligent systems which can reason and act.”
Khachatryan said SoftConstruct built an AI Center of Excellence by hiring talent from outside the iGaming sector, and described RecSys as part of “production-ready agentic AI” intended to support personalised campaigns and decision automation. Surya Palli, host of iGaming Real Talk, said: “SoftConstruct is essentially building a Netflix-style personalised experience for the iGaming industry, where every player gets a lobby made just for them.”
Responsible gaming was also discussed, with the company claiming AI can detect risky behaviour faster and more consistently than human teams, and recommend timely breaks while balancing player protection with sustainable growth.
Khachatryan also stressed the need for explainable, controlled deployment. “AI should help teams perform five times better rather than replace them… Without proper boundaries, short-term momentum boosts with AI can actually hurt your company in the long term.” The company said operators can manage campaigns, personalisation and risk through chat interfaces, with at least 85% accuracy “from the first interactions,” and directed viewers to the full interview on the iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel.
- SoftConstruct; https://softconstruct.com/ Company background and official information on SoftConstruct and its business units.
- iGaming Real Talk YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/ Source location for the full interview referenced in the announcement (editor can add the specific video URL once identified).
- AIBC Eurasia; https://aibc.world/ Event organiser site to corroborate the conference setting and provide context on AIBC Eurasia.
The post SoftConstruct unveils RecSys AI game recommendation system at AIBC Eurasia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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