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Football for Friendship holds expert discussion on sports development during pandemic
Experts of the international online discussion “Motivation and training in the context of the pandemic: the impact of Internet technologies on sports” reached the mutual conclusion that the pandemic will boost the development of e-sports and broaden the way sports are perceived in the world. It’s expected that the existing trend will strengthen: over the past 3-4 years, the audience of e-sports events has grown 5-6 times.
The discussion was initiated by the Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship, which has, for the first time, brought the entire season online in 2020. Meanwhile, the annual World Championship for Young Participants from more than 100 countries is held in the new football simulator Football for Friendship World. In the future, the app will become a gaming platform where anyone can train, join mixed international teams, and play their favorite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of home.
The guest experts — football players and e-sports players — shared their views on how the pandemic is affecting the training process, and whether e-sports will be able to fully replace traditional sports in the future. Alexey Smertin, adviser to the President of the Russian Football Union and Ambassador of the Football for Friendship programme, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, grandmaster, three-times winner of the World Chess Olympiads, and European Chess Champion, spoke about the impact of the pandemic on professional sports. Igor Bugaenko, head of the Special Projects Department of the Russian eSports Federation (RESF), spoke about the development of Russian e-sports. The discussion was attended by representatives of FC Schalke 04: head of the e-sports division Tim Reichert, League of Legends coach Dylan Falco, and professional FIFA player Tim Schwartmann (“Tim Latka”). The discussion was moderated by Euronews TV host Andy Robini.
Igor Bugaenko expressed his conviction that the pandemic can also have a positive impact on sports: “Despite the cancellation of many offline sporting events, we are doing our best to maintain the quality and spirit of the competitions that are currently held online. The pandemic has affected how people spend their free time. I think the main achievement of this period has been to broaden the way sports are perceived, enabling people to re-evaluate the role of e-sports in the world”. The expert also noted that Russia was one of the first countries to officially recognize e-sports. According to Bugaenko, in the last 3-4 years alone, the audience of e-sports events has grown 5-6 times.
However, according to Alexey Smertin, e-sports are hard to compare to traditional sports, with their “physical overcoming of oneself, pain and hard-to-achieve results”. On the other hand, if we take a professional approach, in both traditional and e-sports it’s important to focus on achieving results; so, in this sense, there’s no difference between them.
Tim Schwartmann (Tim Latka) has a similar view: “If young people want to be successful — be it in e-sports or traditional football — they have to work hard, train a lot for the game, and never rest on their laurels”.
Today, many football clubs are developing e-sports as a separate area. “In recent years, the popularity of e-sports has become evident. By investing time and effort into developing e-sports, we hope to establish a dialogue with the younger generation of football fans”, explains Tim Reichert, head of FC Schalke 04’s e-sports division. Reichert expects that self-isolation will accelerate the merging process of traditional and digital sports several-fold. In his opinion, e-sports and traditional sports already have many things in common: league structures, competitions, psychological demands for players, and regular training.
Alexandra Kosteniuk noted that the past months have become a landmark in the history of sport: “The pandemic has opened up a real Pandora’s box for chess players: if earlier, part of our competitions were already being held online, now it’s the most convenient format for both the audience and participants”. As she explains, the pandemic has stimulated an increased interest in online competitions over the past few months, “even in the case of chess, which is not the most popular sport among viewers, not to mention the world of e-sports in general”.
About the programme:
The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship is implemented by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous seven seasons, the programme has united over 6 000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 5 000 000 supporters.
Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants of the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.
UEFA, FIFA, football federations and the world’s leading football clubs, international charity foundations, famous athletes, politicians, and artists support Football for Friendship. The project has received multiple national and international awards in the field of social responsibility, sports, and communications, including the world record for the most nationalities in a football training session in history.
In 2020, Football for Friendship will be held in the online format. A special digital platform will unite over 10 000 players of all ages. It will become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone will be able to train, join into the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.
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INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES A DUO OF THRILLING SLOTS: KING KONG CRASH CLIMBER™ & WOLF IT UP! AGAIN™
Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, has announced the release of two new online slot titles across UK and Malta iGaming jurisdictions: King Kong Crash Climber™ and Wolf It Up! Again™. Each title is designed to provide distinctive gameplay experiences while delivering strong performance for operators.
King Kong Crash Climber is a bold new take on the crash-style genre that takes crash games and puts players in control of the action with the world’s most iconic ape at its centre. The game lets players decide how high King Kong climbs a skyscraper. It balances risk and reward by offering players the choice between collecting wins or pushing for bigger prizes, with the ultimate rooftop reward offering up to 1000x a player’s stake. Featuring five selectable risk tiers, colourful animations, and cinematic visuals that bring King Kong to life, the title combines edge-of-your-seat gameplay with player choice to drive engagement and retention across regulated markets.
Wolf It Up! Again is the highly anticipated sequel to Inspired’s hit title Wolf It Up!™, bringing brand new thrills to an exceedingly popular franchise. Retaining the charm of the original’s fairy tale setting, the game builds on proven success with enhanced features, including two new Cash Bank Free Spins Bonus rounds, an upgraded Wolf Wheel Bonus, and an enhanced mechanic designed to heighten player anticipation and drive extended gameplay. With medium volatility, configurable gameplay features including Fortune Bet, Fortune Spins, Gamble, and Bonus Buy, Wolf It Up! Again combines accessibility with excitement, offering casino operators a feature-rich release primed to deliver their players strong entertainment value and the very best in casino entertainment.
Claire Osborne, Vice President of Interactive at Inspired Entertainment, said “With King Kong Crash Climber and Wolf It Up! Again, we’re giving players two very different, but equally exciting experiences. King Kong Crash Climber brings a new twist to the crash-style genre, giving players the choice on when to cash out. Meanwhile, Wolf It Up! Again builds on the charm and success of one of our biggest ever games, adding fresh mechanics and exciting new ways to win. Together, these games show creativity while delivering fun casino content that keeps players engaged.”
The post INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES A DUO OF THRILLING SLOTS: KING KONG CRASH CLIMBER™ & WOLF IT UP! AGAIN™ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The inaugural Legends Charity Game, organised by Sport Global, will be staged at Sporting CP’s Estádio José Alvalade, marking the start of a series set to run annually until 2030.
The match will see Portugal Legends face off against World Legends on Monday, 15 September 2025, with Calema performing live at half-time, and all in support of the goal of raising €1 million for charity.
The venue confirmation came after the Champions League schedule was finalised, introducing Estádio José Alvalade as the host of the opening match of the series. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00, with player arrivals at 18:00 and gates opening at 18:30. Fans can enjoy a pre-game show at 19:40, while half-time will feature a live performance by Calema, the São Tomé and Príncipe-born, Portugal-based duo known for their blend of pop and Afrobeat, performing in front of 50,000 fans and millions watching worldwide.
The Portugal side will be captained by Luís Figo and include a host of stars from the nation’s greatest footballing moments. Figo said: “It’s always a pleasure to come back to my country and play football! Hope to see a full stadium in my hometown, Lisbon, for this amazing Legends Charity Game and raise funds for important charity causes.”
Joining him are Euro 2016 winners Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, Eliseu, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, and Pepe, along with Champions League winners Fábio Coentrão, Maniche, Pauleta, Vítor Baía, José Bosingwa, and Deco. Other confirmed legends include Beto, Jorge Andrade, Dani, Tiago Mendes, Simão, Hélder Postiga, Nuno Gomes, and Costinha, who will also serve as team manager.
Legendary forward Quaresma added: “Wearing the Portuguese shirt has always filled me with pride, and winning Euro 2016 was the greatest moment of my career. I’m really looking forward to representing Portugal again, especially for such a good cause. Football has the power to bring joy and hope, and using that to support families affected by war and conflict is incredibly important. Playing at home in Lisbon, for something that matters this much, makes the Legends Charity Game even more special.”
Nuno Gomes, one of Portugal’s most recognisable attacking players of the 1990s and 2000s, added: “Being called up to represent Portugal has always carried a deep sense of responsibility and national pride, and that feeling is no different ahead of the upcoming Legends Charity Match. Supporting those less fortunate has long been a personal priority.”
The World Legends squad will provide formidable competition, featuring international icons including Kaká, Peter Schmeichel (Manager), Petr Cech, Edwin van der Sar, Rene Higuita, Carles Puyol, Roberto Carlos, John Terry, Cafu, Javier Zanetti, Marco Materazzi, Gheorghe Hagi, Youri Djorkaeff, Christian Karembeu, Krasimir Balakov, Gaizka Mendieta, Marek Hamsik, Javier Saviola, Michael Owen, Henrik Larsson, Alessandro Del Piero, and Hristo Stoichkov.
All proceeds from the match will be donated through the Sport Global Charitable Foundation to four charities:
– Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa (Portuguese Red Cross): Delivering emergency response, healthcare, training, and social support nationwide.
– Cáritas Portuguesa: Providing critical support to marginalised communities in Portugal and abroad.
– International Alert: Working across divides to resolve conflict and build lasting peace.
– Ukrainian Red Cross Society: Delivering urgent care, shelter, food, and psychological support to those affected by war.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder of Sport Global, said: “With the Legends Charity Game, we are connecting fans, legends, music and communities for something bigger than the game itself. This match will bring generations together, and Estádio José Alvalade is a fantastic host for what promises to deliver the best in entertainment for a great cause. I would also like to take the chance to thank the Portuguese Football Federation, along with all our sponsors and partners, for helping us make this a reality.”
The Legends Charity Game is an annual event organised by Sport Global and will run until 2030.
Tickets for the Legends Charity Game are now on sale starting from €10 for adults and €6 children. Premium Category tickets are also available at €35 for adults and €20 for children under 12.
* Sport Global Charitable Foundation is a restricted fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund (UK registered charity no. 1099682). All profits from the Legends Charity Game will support the Foundation’s beneficiary charities.
The post Sporting CP’s Estádio José Alvalade to Host Legends Charity Game appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
More partnerships to increase global reach
ELA Games is pleased to announce its newest partnership with Slotsjudge, a thriving media outlet and review platform that encourages community engagement.
Slotsjudge specialises in spotlighting new and exciting games, providing comprehensive casino reviews, interviewing prominent industry figures, and hosting user content that fosters community activity.
Key aspects of the collaboration include:
- In-depth game reviews: Slotsjudge’s expert contributors will provide evaluations and reviews of ELA Games’ releases and upcoming content, highlighting mechanics, features, and art style.
- Joint content production: Scheduled co-produced content, such as Q&As and interviews, aimed at spotlighting development philosophy, behind-the-scenes production, and more.
- Exclusive insights: Slotsjudge and ELA Games will plan future features and initiatives that educate readers and provide valuable insights into the industry.
Marharyta Yerina, ELA Games’ Managing Director, commented on the collaboration, “We’re thrilled with this new partnership with Slotsjudge. Their reputation for honest, insightful, and engaging game and casino reviews and their willingness to develop an active community are values that we align with. We also look forward to bolstering Slotsjudge’s content with helpful insights and interesting content that highlight our creative process and how we create games that players love.”
Jekaterina Dubnicka, Slotsjudge’s Head of Marketing and Communications, added, “At Slotsjudge, we are delighted to begin our media partnership with Ela Games. Their creative approach to game development perfectly aligns with our mission to highlight innovation and quality within the iGaming entertainment space.”
The post ELA Games Partners with Slotsjudge for Strategic Content Collaboration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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