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Escape Studios partners with Epic Games and leading European animation schools to deliver world’s largest training programme in Unreal Engine

Published

5 years ago

July 23, 2021

Mark Flanagan, Education Partner Manager, Epic Games said: “The Summer of Unreal is an incredible opportunity that is open to professionals in animation and VFX all across Europe, and we couldn’t be happier to invite the industry to participate. Escape Studios is a wonderful partner who, along with a number of Europe’s best animation schools, are running this programme, which is set to be the biggest Unreal Engine training that we’ve undertaken to date. We’re excited to help all learners find new ways to tell awesome stories and express their creativity using Unreal Engine.”

Saint Walker, Deputy Dean of Escape Studios, said: “The Summer of Unreal is a fantastic opportunity for animation and 3D CGI professionals across Europe to discover more about the cutting-edge technology on offer with Unreal Engine.

“We’ve worked with top animation companies to create a novel animation-centric way of teaching Unreal Engine, in one of the most ambitious training programmes that Escape Studios has been involved with – our vision of a pan-European festival of learning in Unreal Engine has gained us amazing academic partners in the form of some of the best animation schools in the world. We invite learners across Europe to join us. Make your summer staycation Unreal!”

The Summer of Unreal will be taught online in English and is free-of-charge to professionals working in the animation, motion graphics and VFX industry who want an informal group experience of learning Unreal Engine over the holiday period. The course will feature daily workshops covering all the major aspects of using Unreal Engine interspersed with practice time, teamwork, as well as demonstrations and masterclasses from some of Europe’s premiere companies and artists showing how they use the platform in their work.

Mark Spevick, Escape Studios’ Head of 3D VFX will be the main ‘showrunner’ for the Summer of Unreal. The unique role used in Escapes’ larger courses ensures that tutors get to hear and address the most important questions from the online shop floor through Mark’s advocacy. Mark combines teaching and programme design with senior industry experience, having worked at Peerless Camera, the production house co-owned by Terry Gilliam.

Partner quotes

Timothy Leborgne, Head of Talent & Skills Development, The Animation Workshop/VIA University College
“A course such as Summer of Unreal is very welcome. Whether you look at film, animated series, or games we can all see a growing demand for rapid development and competent animators. And Unreal Engine is one particularly advanced tool and software we can’t avoid as professionals in the future. So, I am excited and happy we bring such a valuable course to professionals in our industry. By partnering with such competent institutions and studios across Europe, we have ensured that the course will deliver the best training.”

Gilbert Kiner, President, ARTFX
“Since its creation in 2004, ARTFX has been dedicated to training students using the latest technology and software. Beyond using this engine for our Games courses, Unreal has also been integrated into the previz pipeline for our VFX programs. We are very happy and proud to have been chosen as the exclusive French partner for this collaborative initiative.”

Felix Balbás, Area Director of Animation & VFX at La Salle-URL
“Unreal Engine is a reality we can’t ignore. No longer only in videogames and recently virtual production, now more than ever the future of any visual content creation and in particular animation and VFX, must take this evolution into account. Not only in previs stage, but also in full production. This is why La Salle-URL’s commitment towards promoting state-of-the-art training along with leader institutions at a European level is reflected in the Summer of Unreal.”

Miljana Jovović, Executive Director, Crater Training Center
“We are happy to join the Summer of Unreal as partners for Southeastern Europe, as we see this project as a great chance to upskill and connect professionals across the continent. We have spent the first part of 2021 educating university professors in Serbia in Unreal Engine so they could implement the newly-gained knowledge to their study programs and introduce the software to their students.”

Katja Schmid, Visual Effects and Post Production Professor, Hochschule der Medien
“Many artists in the industry have been waiting for this course. Now the time has come. At the moment, Unreal is one of the most in-demand tools in the industry. The response to the course announcement has been fantastic. It’s just an amazing opportunity not only to get trained for free but also to be part of a most inspiring community! We are very impressed by this large-scale project and excited to be contributing.”

Gareth Lee, Screen Skills Ireland Manager
“Screen Skills Ireland is hugely excited to be part of the Summer of Unreal. This is a unique opportunity for Irish screen sector professionals to learn about the powerful capabilities of Unreal Engine from industry experts, as well as connect with their peers across Europe.”

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S8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026

Published

1 hour ago

June 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

s8ul’s-league-of-legends-roster-qualifies-to-represent-india-at-asian-games-2026

S8UL Esports’ League of Legends roster has qualified to represent India at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running from September 19 to October 4. The organisation said the team secured qualification through the regional qualifiers after winning the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2026, described as the official national qualification tournament for the Asian Games.

S8UL said the roster competing under India’s banner is Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot), Aakash Shandilya (Infi), Sanindhya Malik (Deadcorporal), Mihir Ranjan (Lotus), Ahmed Shahid (Nero), and Rahul Bisht (Bob). The regional qualifiers featured 14 teams across a group stage and a split stage, with top performers advancing to the Asian Games main event.

In Group B, the team went unbeaten against Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan to progress, according to S8UL. In the split stage, it lost to Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia but did enough to secure a berth. India will now face opponents including Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam at the main event.

Four players—Kat Bot, Infi, Deadcorporal, and Lotus—were also part of India’s League of Legends contingent at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, where S8UL said the team finished fifth.

Akshaj Shenoy aka Kat Bot, captain of India’s League of Legends team, said, “Qualifying for the Asian Games is a proud moment for all of us. We knew the regional qualifiers would be extremely competitive, and every match demanded complete focus. For many of us, this will be our second Asian Games, which makes this qualification even more special because we understand the level of competition that awaits us. We are grateful to S8UL for believing in this roster and providing us with the support, stability, and opportunities needed to keep improving as a team. Representing India is always an honour, and we’ll do everything we can to make the country proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”

S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug added, “Representing India at the Asian Games is among the highest honours an athlete can achieve, and seeing our League of Legends roster earn that opportunity is incredibly special. This team has demonstrated resilience, discipline, and a willingness to continually improve, qualities that are essential for success at the international level. At S8UL, our goal has always been to create pathways for Indian athletes to compete on the biggest stages in the world. We have no doubt they will give their all when they step onto the stage in Aichi-Nagoya and compete for the nation with pride,” S8UL also noted that Gurashish Singh (Soul) and Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) previously qualified for the Asian Games in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 after winning at NESC 2026.

The post S8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Ignition Casino

Ignition Casino survey: LA fans most likely to back themselves to score for USMNT

Published

1 hour ago

June 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

ignition-casino-survey:-la-fans-most-likely-to-back-themselves-to-score-for-usmnt

Los Angeles ranks as the most confident sporting city in the US, according to new research commissioned by operator Ignition Casino, with 30% of respondents saying they believe they could score a goal for the USMNT at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The nationwide survey, conducted by Censuswide among 1,000 respondents between April 14 and April 17 2026, asked Americans about their confidence across multiple sports scenarios, including scoring for the USMNT at the World Cup, scoring a point against LeBron James one-on-one, or kicking a game-winning Super Bowl field goal.

After Los Angeles, Miami placed second on the World Cup scoring question at 29%, followed by Dallas at 27.1%, according to the research. Ignition Casino said that excluding Columbus, every city in the top 10 recorded at least 17% of respondents believing they could score for the USMNT at the tournament.

At state level, California topped the rankings. The survey found 29.7% of Californians believe they could score for the national team at the World Cup, and California also ranked first overall for combined sporting confidence with an average score of 32.8%. The release also cited Georgia, Illinois and Virginia as posting “more than a quarter” of respondents in each state believing they could score for the USMNT.

The survey also included non-football confidence measures. Ignition Casino said 32.3% of Miami respondents and 37.5% of Californians believe they could score at least one point against LeBron James in a one-on-one basketball game, while 32.5% of Los Angeles respondents and 36.7% of Virginians believe they could kick a Super Bowl-winning field goal.

The post Ignition Casino survey: LA fans most likely to back themselves to score for USMNT appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

N1 Brand Series: N1 Bet — Player Profile & GEOs

Published

1 hour ago

June 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

Every brand requires its own approach, which is why in the N1 Brand Series, the N1 Partners team breaks down products through a practical, hands-on lens.

In this episode let’s look inside N1 Bet: its core strengths, audience specifics, and approaches to improving traffic efficiency. In addition, the team has prepared a traffic setup for N1 Sport Promo, a new promotion aligned with the upcoming high-intensity sports season and FIFA 2026.

Within the campaign running from June 10 to July 20, partners will be able to earn additional bonuses for high-quality sports and prediction traffic, increasing their potential rewards alongside the number of acquired FTDs.

N1 Bet: Product breakdown

N1 Bet combines classic sports betting, casino, and Prediction Markets into a single product, offering users a wide variety of markets, an intuitive interface, fast onboarding, and attractive promotional mechanics designed to boost engagement.

Brand name: N1 Bet
GEOs: AU, NZ, AT, DE, CA, CH, IE, NO, IT
Main verticals: Casino, betting, prediction markets
Target audience: Users aged 25-55 interested in online casinos, slots, and live games, oriented toward a fast and seamless gaming experience.
User value: Ease of use, fast access to games, bonuses, and promotional mechanics
Features/advantages: Simple and fast registration flow, smooth UX, wide selection of slots and live games, fast deposits/withdrawals, and regular promotions.
Reg2Dep:
PPC: 40–60%
FB: 22–30%
SEO: 40–45%

Retention Rate: 25–35%
LTV: up to €1500

Player’s portrait

N1 Bet audience is primarily composed of Tier-1 GEO users, which directly influences their behaviour and expectations toward the product. From a payment behaviour perspective, Tier-1 audiences demonstrate a higher average deposit compared to Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, especially in Australia, New Zealand, and the DACH region.

Another key product characteristic is strong mobile dominance. On average, 87% of active users play from mobile devices. In English-speaking GEOs, this share is even higher:

AU — 95%
NZ — 96%
CA — 95%

In practice, this is mostly a mobile-only audience. In the DACH region, mobile traffic is also dominant, although desktop still retains a presence:

DE — 89% mobile
AT — 91% mobile

Peak player activity occurs in the evening — from 19:00 to 23:00 local time.

Player characteristics by GEO

Austria

A premium audience segment.
91% of users play on mobile devices.
High interest in slots, especially classic titles such as Legacy of Dead and Book of Ra.
Higher rates with fewer deposits.
Behavior is close to a VIP segment.

Germany

Also a premium segment.
89% mobile traffic, while maintaining a noticeable desktop share.
The most balanced mix of slots, live casino, and sportsbook.
Slots share is lower than in other GEOs, but classic slots remain in demand.

Australia

95% mobile users.
High average revenue per user.
Main interest focused on slots and crash games.
Branded games, including Chicken Road 2 x N1 Bet, are among the most popular products.

Canada

95% mobile audience.
Average ARPPU is comparable to Australia.
Gaming behaviour is mostly slot-oriented.
High interest in branded content.
Lower sensitivity to bonus offers compared to other markets.

New Zealand

The most mobile-driven audience — 96%.
Lower ARPPU and average bet size.
The only GEO with a consistently high share of live casino activity — 17% to 56% vs 10-22% in other markets.
The most diverse gameplay behavior overall.

New players’ behavior

New user behaviour largely depends on traffic source:

Facebook Crash campaigns — users start with crash games (Chicken Road, Aviator, etc.) and then gradually move into slots.
Facebook Slots campaigns — users immediately engage with slots without switching categories.
PPC — most common mix: slots + live casino.
Influence — mixed interest across slots, crash games, and live casino.
SEO — primarily focused on slots and live games.

General trends

Slots remain the main driver of new player activity, accounting for 60–80% of playtime (higher in AT and AU, lower in DE and CA).
Crash games work extremely well as a primary conversion tool, especially for Facebook traffic.
Live casino becomes more popular after the 2nd–3rd deposit, especially among users from DACH and NZ.

High-LTV Player Behavior

High lifetime value players are not characterised by single large deposits but by consistent product engagement:

more than 4 active gaming sessions per week;
use of multiple verticals simultaneously (slots + live, slots + sportsbook, sportsbook + prediction markets);
active participation in VIP and loyalty programs;
use of cashback and loyalty systems instead of bonus hunting;
strong interest in new providers, tournaments, and product updates;
stable deposit patterns without sharp promo-driven spikes;
engagement in onsite activities (tournaments, bonus shop) and CRM communications.

This category of users forms the most stable and long-term LTV for partners.

Top 3 Working Funnels for N1 Bet

Funnel 1

This funnel is designed for a broad audience and performs well due to a simple and clear message. The main focus is the ability to start with a small amount and potentially win big. This approach helps maintain a low FTD cost and quickly scale traffic volume.

Traffic source: Facebook
GEO: AU
Page type: PWA
Audience: Men and women 25+
Approach: The creative is based on a dynamic video. It starts with a stack of cash in front of a smartphone or computer screen, then shifts to gameplay featuring slots, bonuses, and winning combinations. A voiceover explains the low entry threshold, easy start, and the ability to play directly from a smartphone. The main goal is to create a sense of accessibility and highlight potential winnings.
Why it works: Users immediately see core triggers — money, wins, and a low entry barrier. The funnel appeals to the desire for fast results with minimal investment.
Key funnel element: Slots and PWA
Performance indicators: CPC, FTD cost, and average player value
Scaling method: Duplication of successful ad campaigns
Risks/limitations: May attract lower-quality traffic
Common mistakes: Launching too many campaigns at once with high budgets
Expert note: This funnel should be scaled gradually. The best approach is to start with a single campaign and allow algorithms to gather sufficient data. If stable FTD and average value metrics are achieved over several days, scaling should be done through duplication rather than abrupt budget increases.

Funnel 2

This approach can attract higher-quality audiences thanks to a combination of a recognizable influencer, a real casino environment, and a native-style product presentation. When executed properly, it can maintain an acceptable FTD cost while bringing in users with strong long-term engagement potential.

Traffic source: Facebook
GEO: AU
Page type: PWA
Audience: Men and women 25+
Approach: The creative features a well-known influencer inside a physical casino. They play a slot, share their experience, show bet sizes and winnings. The atmosphere is important: other casino visitors react emotionally, creating a sense of real entertainment and leisure. The entire video is positive and demonstrates that this experience is accessible to anyone.
Why it works: Users see a familiar face and recognizable environment, which increases trust in the ad.
Key funnel element: Creative and PWA
Performance indicators: CPC and FTD cost
Scaling method: Duplication of working campaigns
Risks/limitations: Improper scaling may significantly increase FTD cost
Common mistakes: Rapid budget increases instead of gradual scaling
Expert note: This funnel often delivers higher-quality audiences compared to standard gaming creatives. However, scaling should be done carefully. If performance is stable, it is better to increase volume gradually through duplication while keeping winning campaign settings.

Funnel 3 (for N1 Sport Promo traffic)

During the N1 Sport Promo campaign, sports traffic funnels become especially important.

Below is an approach that can perform well during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Traffic source: Facebook Ads
GEO: Canada
Page type: PWA with content tailored to a specific World Cup match
Audience: Men 25–45 interested in football, sports betting, sports news, and international tournaments. Focus is on users actively following the World Cup, discussing matches, and looking for predictions.
Approach: The creative is built in a news or analytical format centered around a specific World Cup match. It includes predictions, team statistics, starting lineups, injury updates, team form, and expected outcomes. The content must be tightly linked to an upcoming match or trending topic actively discussed by the audience.
Why it works: Users engage with content they are genuinely interested in. Instead of a standard betting ad, they receive relevant match insights and become part of the analysis process. The high interest in the World Cup enables broader reach and high-quality sports traffic.
Key funnel element: Creative relevance and match context
Performance indicators: High CTR, strong registration conversion, and high percentage of users placing bets after registration
Scaling method: Continuous creation of new creatives for each match day, teams, popular fixtures, and trending tournament news
Risks/limitations: Creatives quickly lose relevance and require constant updates
Common mistakes: Using generic sports creatives without match context, scaling too early, and failing to update after the news cycle ends
Expert note: During the World Cup, funnels built around specific matches or teams perform best. Users respond more strongly to events happening today or tomorrow than to generic sportsbook ads. Fast content updates and relevance are key success factors.

Final Takeaways

N1 Bet consistently performs well across Tier-1 markets when using the right approach. Simple gaming creatives drive volume, influencer-based funnels improve traffic quality, and sports-driven funnels effectively capitalize on major event interest.

With the right strategy, N1 Bet remains a strong product both for scaling volume and for working with high-quality audiences.

Run traffic to N1 Bet with N1 Partners and maximize results during the hot sports season: