Latest News
Minecraft adopts Hadean’s Aether Engine to dynamically scale new gaming experiences
Minecraft, the biggest game in the world, has selected the startup’s powerful spatial simulation engine to accelerate global reach
Minecraft, the best-selling game of all time, has signed up to use a spatial simulation engine that is so powerful it is also being used in the fight against Covid-19. Created by supercomputing startup, Hadean, Aether Engine is being made publicly available for game studios of all sizes, from independent developers to AAA game studios, with Minecraft developer Mojang Studios as its first global partner.
With more people than ever before enjoying video games and going online, the demands on games to support large numbers of users is growing exponentially. Built from the ground-up, Aether Engine allows developers to augment both new and existing games with minimal effort and no disruption to players’ experiences.
Craig Beddis, CEO and Co-Founder at Hadean, said, “We’re seeing a huge behavioural shift in gaming, as more and more people want to be involved in massive, online multiplayers. Aether Engine enhances these experiences by providing games unprecedented depth, complexity, realism and connectivity. That’s been our focus as we developed Aether Engine, along with its ability to integrate with existing games, such as Minecraft and its highly engaged gaming community.”
Aether Engine is underpinned by the Hadean platform, which sits close to the metal and eliminates excessive middleware, orchestration and overengineering. It implements a unique process model which distributes applications by default, dynamically provisioning more or less resources as required, and marking a step-change in how game engines are developed and used by studios. While several other businesses are exploring distributed multiplayer solutions, traditional infrastructure requires layers of middleware, creating architectural complexity that negatively impacts scalability, performance and reliability.
Michael Weilbacher, Chief Technology Officer at Mojang Studios, stated, “Hadean’s Aether Engine is a game-changer that opens up a range of new design possibilities — not just for games like Minecraft, but for streaming platforms, developer communities, and even enterprise applications. We are pleased to be partnering and using Hadean’s next-generation. technology to help us create new opportunities for our customers.”
Being able to run large scale simulations and manage the computational requirements of highly complex environments has a wide range of applications beyond just online gaming. The globally renowned Francis Crick Institute is using the engine to accelerate the development of a single, massive-scale simulation of how viruses, like COVID-19, spread.
Beddis concluded, “It might seem incongruent that AAA games like Minecraft would use the same technology as efforts to better understand viruses, but they both create and consume huge amounts of data. That means massive compute power, combined with the ability to rapidly simulate and model complex situations with millions of different variables. Aether Engine is one of the few platforms with the scalability, adaptability, and reliability to support those requirements.”
For further information, visit www.hadean.com.
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America 250
IWG launches America 250 eInstant across eight US lottery markets
The digital instant-win game rolls out in Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Instant Win Gaming (IWG) has launched America 250, a new eInstant game created to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
IWG said the title is launching across multiple US lotteries: Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Set in Washington, D.C., the game uses Americana-themed artwork and symbols including the Statue of Liberty, bald eagle, Liberty Bell, patriotic balloons, Uncle Sam’s hat, and commemorative America 250 coins. IWG said fireworks animations run throughout gameplay.
America 250 includes several bonus features: Declaration Dollars, which has players collect pieces of the Declaration of Independence via re-spins; Scenes of America, which builds win multipliers through historical moments; and Innovation Pick-and-Click, where players uncover American inventions and collect prizes until a collect symbol appears. The game also includes a randomly triggered “All or Nothing” coin-flip feature.
Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President at IWG, said: “The 250th anniversary of the United States is a once-in-a-generation celebration, and America 250 gives lotteries a unique opportunity to connect with players through a theme that is instantly recognizable and deeply meaningful. The game combines iconic American imagery, engaging bonus experiences, and a visually spectacular presentation to create an entertaining experience that captures the spirit and excitement of this historic milestone.”
The post IWG launches America 250 eInstant across eight US lottery markets appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
brand campaigns
Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft
Stake published a new campaign video on June 23 showing a small-sided football match played on a pitch suspended from a hot air balloon at 10,000ft.
The video features six extreme sports content creators—Nathan Roque, Alessio Papia, Nicolo Contrada, Yasmin Xavier, Sara Vidal, and Carol Chafauzer—playing on a 12m x 20m synthetic grass platform. Stake said the 3,000kg pitch was carried by balloon during a 60-minute flight, with participants later jumping from the platform using parachutes.
The activation sits within Stake’s “It’s All At Stake” brand platform, which the company launched ahead of this summer’s global football tournament. According to Stake, the campaign is being promoted across YouTube, Instagram and X.
Jarrod Febbraio, Director at Stake, said: “This summer sees one of the biggest cultural moments on the planet and simply showing up is no longer enough. Our ambition is to create campaigns that genuinely capture people’s attention, spark conversation and give fans something they haven’t seen before.
“At Stake, we are always looking for ways to push creative boundaries and challenge expectations around sports marketing. Whether it’s our It’s All At Stake campaign or staging a football match thousands of feet in the air, the objective is the same – creating entertainment that resonates with audiences and delivers memorable experiences around the moments they care most about.”
Stake also said the “It’s All At Stake” campaign has generated more than 200 million views across earned and social channels in the first week of the tournament.
The post Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Game Aggregation
Infingame says tournaments and missions drive retention on sweepstakes platforms
Infingame has published operational observations on what it says is driving player engagement on sweepstakes platforms, arguing that traditional online casino retention tactics don’t consistently translate to the sweepstakes model.
According to the aggregator, the strongest-performing sweepstakes products are built around progression-driven engagement, social-style competition, lightweight onboarding, and highly dynamic promotional systems. “Sweepstakes players behave very differently from traditional casino audiences,” said Jana Filagina, Head of Commercial at Infingame. “The expectation is much closer to entertainment platforms and gaming ecosystems than classic gambling products. Retention is driven by interaction quality, progression, and continuous engagement rather than purely transactional behavior.”
Infingame identified tournament ecosystems as a leading mechanic for repeat participation and session continuity, saying competitive formats outperform static reward campaigns by adding progression loops and achievement motivation. The company said operators using segmented tournament mechanics recorded higher repeat participation rates than those relying mainly on bonus-driven campaigns, and flagged “multiplier races, win races, and progression-based leaderboard systems” as particularly effective for mobile-first audiences due to short-session play patterns.
“Players want activity, not passive rewards,” Filagina said. “The strongest-performing sweepstakes platforms are creating environments where players continuously interact with missions, rankings, tournaments, and achievement systems rather than simply claiming bonuses.”
Infingame also highlighted mission-based challenge systems as a fast-growing retention lever, saying they encourage broader content exploration and higher daily return activity than standard promotional structures. Separately, the company pointed to infrastructure scalability as an operational priority, arguing that mobile-heavy, interaction-focused audiences make responsiveness and gameplay continuity central to engagement performance as operators scale across North America.
The post Infingame says tournaments and missions drive retention on sweepstakes platforms appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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