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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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Awards

Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026

Published

9 minutes ago

July 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

tuplaus-wins-gamification-manager-title-at-slotsoo-finland-casino-awards-2026

Wildz Group brand Tuplaus has won the Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026 “Pelillistämispäällikö” (Gamification Manager) title, according to a company announcement dated July 2026 from Ta ‘Xbiex, Malta.

Slotsoo’s organisers said: “Only a casino that has taken the gambling experience to a whole new level can be called a gamification manager.” Judges added that Tuplaus delivers “multidimensional gaming moments” that are “far from the monotonous spinning of classic slot machines”.

The judges also highlighted consistency in Tuplaus’ use of gamification from onboarding onwards. They said that “even with the welcome bonus, the player gets to progress step by step and unlock new benefits along the way, and not all the prizes fall into your lap at once. When you add in other promotions and gaming elements, the whole thing feels much more alive than the usual casino experience. Tuplaus shows that the best bonuses are not always the biggest, but they can also be the most fun”.

The company said the Slotsoo accolades assess “hundreds of brands” across multiple categories.

Tuplaus launched in 2025, when Wildz Group CEO Sam Brown said: “We’re exceptionally proud of this new product that will serve our players with the latest online casino experience. Our existing products, Wildz, Wheelz, Spinz, Caxino and Chipz already enjoy a convincing market share, and we’re optimistic that Tuplaus will meet with the same enthusiasm. We have a wide range of player rewards, bonuses, boosts, and more, [and] we’re confident players will love the latest addition to the Wildz Group family of online casinos.”

In the release, Tuplaus also pointed to Pay & Play functionality, no-registration onboarding, a catalogue of games from third-party providers, and frequent promotions as parts of its product proposition.

The post Tuplaus wins Gamification Manager title at Slotsoo Finland Casino Awards 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Elysium Studios

Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot

Published

9 minutes ago

July 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

swintt’s-elysium-studios-launches-odyssey-hold-&-win-slot

Swintt has released a new slot from its Elysium Studios label, titled Odyssey Hold & Win. The supplier said the game is built around a Hold & Win collection mechanic and features a stated maximum win of 3,317x.

Odyssey Hold & Win runs on a 4×4 grid that can expand to 4×8 when Athena appears, according to the company. The theme draws on Greek mythology, with symbols including Odysseus, Calypso, Poseidon and Circe.

The core mechanic collects and pays all cash symbols on the reels whenever Odysseus lands, Swintt said. The release also includes a respin-style feature where three Athena symbols expand the grid, mirror cash values and award three respins, with the counter resetting when new cash symbols land.

A Free Spins feature triggers with three scatters and awards 10 spins, with cash symbols locking until collected, the company said. During Free Spins, Poseidon can combine all cash values into a single icon, Circe can add a random number of cash symbols, and Athena and Calypso can add spins or respins under specific conditions.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “The Odyssey is one of the most enduring tales of hardship, adventure and homecoming, making it the perfect inspiration for a slot that’s packed with memorable characters and exciting feature potential.

“With expanding reels, locked cash symbols, divine modifiers and wins of up to 3,317x, Odyssey Hold & Win is a fittingly epic addition to the Elysium Studios line-up and a title we believe will appeal strongly to operators looking to offer players a fresh take on Greek mythology.”

The post Swintt’s Elysium Studios launches Odyssey Hold & Win slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

alchemy gaming

Games Global and Alchemy Gaming launch Rumble Kong CASHINGO slot

Published

9 minutes ago

July 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

games-global-and-alchemy-gaming-launch-rumble-kong-cashingo-slot

Games Global has launched Rumble Kong CASHINGO, a new jungle-themed online slot developed with exclusive studio partner Alchemy Gaming. The title went live on 23rd July 2026.

Rumble Kong CASHINGO is a 5×5, 3,125 ways-to-win game built around an expanding CASHINGO collection grid. Yellow Cash and Jackpot Bananas that land on the reels are reflected onto the grid during the base game and Free Spins, with completed horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines collecting and awarding the cash prizes and jackpot values shown.

The game also includes HOT MODE, which can activate at random or after a 24-hour countdown. HOT MODE awards 5-10 spins where only Bananas appear on the reels, increasing the chance to add prizes to the CASHINGO grid.

Bonus Tokens collected across all five rows trigger a Wheel Bonus offering jackpots, Free Spins or the 500x Free Spins feature. During Free Spins, a CASHINGO Booster can apply multipliers of up to 200x across the grid, while a Super Scatter activates 500x Free Spins, applying a fixed 500x multiplier across the grid.

Marcus Thorpe-Fairall, Creative Director at Alchemy Gaming, said: “Rumble Kong CASHINGO is built around the idea of giving players something to work towards on every spin. As the CASHINGO grid grows, the game continues to open up, while HOT MODE and the Wheel Bonus add extra variety and reward potential.

“Combined with the vibrant theme, it’s a title that is full of personality with plenty of opportunities to win.”

David Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, said: “Alchemy Gaming has developed a title that combines familiar collection mechanics with a distinctive jungle theme and a strong line-up of engaging features.

“Rumble Kong CASHINGO is another great addition to our portfolio, giving players an experience that evolves throughout the session while offering operators a feature-rich release with broad appeal.”

The post Games Global and Alchemy Gaming launch Rumble Kong CASHINGO slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.