Latest News

World Cricket Championship 3 wins IGDC “Studio Game of the Year”

Published

6 years ago

December 11, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

WCC franchise wins three consecutive awards

World Cricket Championship 3 (WCC 3) won the ‘Studio Game of Year’ award at the Indian Game Developers Conference (IGDC) today. This is a consecutive award for the World Cricket Championship (WCC) franchise in this category, WCC Rivals having bagged the runner-up spot last year.

Earlier this year WCC won the AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge conducted by the Government of India and more recently, the third edition of the game bagged the ‘Google Play Best of 2020 award’ in the ‘Users’ Choice’ category, only after a few weeks of its launch.

WCC from Next Wave Multimedia Pvt Ltd. is the leading and longest running mobile cricket gaming franchise from India and now having won three consecutive prestigious accolades recently, P.R. Rajendran, co-founder and CEO, says “It is absolutely thrilling to win another title. The team has put a lot of hard work and innovation behind the game and this award comes as a hattrick for us at WCC. This is a validation of all our effort. We look forward to continuing to provide value to our fans and the industry at large.”

The WCC franchise has crossed 143+ million downloads globally. This ‘Made in India’ game franchise filled the cricket void this pandemic by giving fans a near-actual and immersive cricket experience, resulting in more than 22 million downloads between February and August, 2020. Alongside this, the game also recently witnessed more than 100% growth in-app purchases between February and November 2020.

The latest edition of WCC comes with a host of new features, including a comprehensive career mode set across 3 brackets, 25 series, and 400+ matches with a built-in challenging performance decision system which determines your rise in ranks starting from a local club to the national or international level, alongside the much awaited women’s cricket mode which is a tribute to the changing face of women’s cricket across the globe. To add a dash of extra realism, the game has been infused with simulation of actual cricket, updated gameplay features like brand new controls, fabulous animations, real-time motions of athletes and professional cricketers, bilingual commentary by professional cricketers, Aakash Chopra and Matthew Hayden and much more.

Apart from the aforementioned accolades, the franchise also has multiple others to its name including Google Editor’s Choice (2016-2020). WCC2 has also been listed as Google’s Best of Games in 2015, 2016 & 2017 and Apple’s Best of Games 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Furthermore, the cricket game has also been featured among the Top 10 Games for Monthly Active Users by the App Annie Report for 3 years in a row (2016-2018) and was also listed under Top 10 games by time spent in Android & IOS by App Annie 2016 report.

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

2 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

9 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

9 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.