Canada
Leading Esports Platform Challengermode Announces US Launch
Leading Swedish esports platform Challengermode, the home of competitive gaming, has today announced that it will be launching into the North American market. With a focus on building out existing and new partnerships, driving customer acquisition and expanding its international team, this move will help deliver against its mission to make esports accessible to everyone.
The Challengermode platform serves as an esports ecosystem for key actors, including game developers, tournament organizers, content creators and brands. It provides a place where millions of esports fans and casual gamers can compete at any level of skill. For organizers it offers an automated and scalable tournament and league infrastructure, and flexible monetization tools.
For years, Challengermode has been the home for various national, collegiate and corporate esports leagues throughout Europe, as well as a wide variety of official competitions for game publishers like Riot Games, EA Games and PUBG Corp (KRAFTON, Inc.) – with millions of competitions played on the platform yearly. Among its suite of fully automated game titles is the popular mobile game Gods of Boom that integrated with Challengermode’s platform in order to provide its community with accessible esports tournaments.
CEO at Challengermode Robel Efrem said: “We’re incredibly excited to announce our official expansion into the US. Thanks to our established industry partners we are well positioned to bring grassroots esports the focus it deserves, giving players an all important place to compete and level up their skills – while simultaneously acting as a gateway for other stakeholders to participate in the esports economy. Beyond creating a space for players and organizers, our presence in the US is also targeting further integration with game developers looking to build out the esports aspects of their games, allowing new esports titles to hit the ground running.”
Challengermode has been rapidly adopted by thousands of tournament organizers that use its infrastructure to scale up their esports competitions – even ahead of the official US launch.
The esports infrastructure is made available through Challengermode Spaces, with which any gaming community, tournament organizer or game developer gets access to their own all-in-one esports arena. Spaces makes it possible and accessible to grow, engage and monetize an esports or game community.
Philip Hubner, Chief Business Development Officer at Challengermode: “North America is home to over 57 million esports viewers but, despite the scene’s exponential growth in the last decade, the vast majority of this audience has never had a chance to participate in esports in any capacity – this is especially true on consoles. The industry is still extremely top heavy, and built too much around sponsorship, broadcasting licenses and advertising revenue, rather than consumer revenue and participation. Challengermode is looking to turn the current industry model on its head – creating value for all esports stakeholders from the bottom up as well as the top down. Game Developers to us are a key part of what will drive this change, and so we’re excited to work more closely with developers across the Americas – and around the world.”
With recent funding from eWTP Innovation Fund, the global investment arm of the Alibaba Group, GP Bullhound, Telia Ventures and Swedish soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Challengermode has cemented its position as the fastest-growing grassroots esports platform. The company has hosted millions of competitions with millions of players in Europe alone, and has partnered with some of the globe’s biggest names in esports, including FIFA, renowned esports team Fnatic and digital gaming festival DreamHack. The platform already supports some of the most popular esports titles in the world, including League of Legends, DotA 2, FIFA and PUBG with more being added all the time.
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Canada
XSOLLA STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO ATLANTIC CANADA’S GROWING GAME INDUSTRY WITH EXPANDED EVENT PRESENCE
Global Video Game Commerce Company To Support Industry Growth Through Panels, Workshops, And Community Engagement Across Atlantic Canada
Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced its participation in two major gaming industry events taking place across Atlantic Canada from June 3-5, 2026, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting regional game development ecosystems and fostering industry collaboration.
Xsolla will participate in both Game Invest East and XP Game Connect Atlantic, joining developers, publishers, investors, and industry leaders for discussions centered on the future of game development, investment, and innovation in the local area.
At Game Invest East, held in partnership with Scaffold, Xsolla will contribute to conversations around funding, growth opportunities, and the evolving business landscape for game studios.
Featured on the panel titled “If You Can Make It Here,” Xsolla’s Manny Hachey, Senior Director of Developer Success, joins Kate Edwards, CEO and Principal Consultant of Geogrify, and Amir Satvat, Business Development Director at Tencent Games, founder of Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), and a 2026 GamesBeat Visionary Award honoree, to explore how new regions and new entrants can survive and thrive in disruptive times.
Hachey, a native of Atlantic Canada, was personally requested by Scaffold to represent Xsolla at the event — a homecoming that adds a personal dimension to the panel’s central thesis. Having built her career and made her mark in Germany’s games industry, she returns with a firsthand perspective on what it takes to leave, build something meaningful abroad, and come back with proof of concept.
Xsolla will continue its Atlantic Canada engagement at XP Game Connect Atlantic in Halifax on June 5. John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla, and Ted DiNola, Developer Evangelist at Xsolla, will host a workshop titled ‘Full Picture to Fast Lane: Xsolla Ecosystem Overview & Live SDK 3 Integration’, providing practical insights and actionable strategies for developers navigating today’s rapidly evolving gaming market.
Nguyen will also host a panel titled, ‘What Does the Future of Game Development Look Like in Atlantic Canada?’ where he will be joined by industry experts, including Ryan Filsinger from Iron Fox; Shawn Woods, CEO at Alpha Dog and VP of Interactive Society of Nova Scotia; George Greer, Founder of Besszong; and Jade Yhap, President of Interactive NB. The panel will explore the region’s growing role in the global games industry and the opportunities ahead for studios, talent, and ecosystem partners.
“Atlantic Canada continues to emerge as an exciting hub for game development talent and innovation,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla. “Xsolla is proud to support these events and contribute to conversations that help empower developers, build ecosystems, strengthen industry connections, and accelerate growth across the region.”
“Events like Game Invest East and XP Game Connect Atlantic are critical for building stronger connections across the games industry,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla. “Atlantic Canada has a growing community of talented developers, creators, and industry leaders, and we’re excited to be part of conversations that help to shape the future of gaming in the region while supporting studios at every stage of growth.”
Through its participation in these events, Xsolla aims to deepen relationships within the Atlantic Canadian game development community while supporting knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and long-term ecosystem growth.
For more information about Xsolla’s participation in these events across Atlantic Canada, visit: xsolla.pro/Atlantic-Canada
The post XSOLLA STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO ATLANTIC CANADA’S GROWING GAME INDUSTRY WITH EXPANDED EVENT PRESENCE appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Ben Scobie-Trumper Head of Sales at mkodo
GGPoker selects GeoLocs geolocation service for regulated Ontario market
mkodo’s GeoLocs will handle in-platform location checks for GGPoker players in Ontario, removing the need for a separate verification app.
GGPoker has selected GeoLocs by mkodo as its geolocation service provider for the operator’s regulated Ontario offering.
Under the partnership, GeoLocs will provide in-platform location verification for GGPoker players across Ontario, with the aim of supporting regulatory compliance without requiring an additional app download or separate approval process.
“Our priority is to ensure players have a seamless experience on GGPoker whilst staying fully compliant with regulations. We chose GeoLocs because of their proven expertise, industry and regulatory knowledge and the fact that players don’t need to verify location through a separate app or download.” – Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker.
“The partnership with GGPoker is very exciting. We’re proud to support a globally recognised operator in delivering a seamless, compliant player experience in Ontario. With Alberta opening in July, the partnership with GGPoker in Ontario further reinforces GeoLocs’ expansion across the Canadian gaming market.” – Ben Scobie-Trumper, Head of Sales at mkodo.
GeoLocs is a geolocation product built by mkodo for regulated markets, supporting web and mobile location checks for gaming, sports betting, poker and lottery operators, according to the company.
The post GGPoker selects GeoLocs geolocation service for regulated Ontario market appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Business Development
Xsolla expands Atlantic Canada event push with Game Invest East and XP Game Connect
Xsolla will take part in two Atlantic Canada industry events—Game Invest East and XP Game Connect Atlantic—running June 3-5, 2026, as it increases its presence in the region’s game development ecosystem.
The company said it will join discussions with developers, publishers, investors, and other stakeholders focused on game development, investment, and innovation. At Game Invest East, held in partnership with Scaffold, Xsolla will participate in a panel titled “If You Can Make It Here.” Xsolla’s Manny Hachey, Senior Director of Developer Success, will appear alongside Kate Edwards, CEO and Principal Consultant of Geogrify, and Amir Satvat, Business Development Director at Tencent Games, founder of Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), and a 2026 GamesBeat Visionary Award honoree.
Xsolla’s Halifax stop comes on June 5 at XP Game Connect Atlantic. John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla, and Ted DiNola, Developer Evangelist at Xsolla, will host a workshop titled “Full Picture to Fast Lane: Xsolla Ecosystem Overview & Live SDK 3 Integration.”
Nguyen will also host a panel, “What Does the Future of Game Development Look Like in Atlantic Canada?”, joined by Ryan Filsinger from Iron Fox; Shawn Woods, CEO at Alpha Dog and VP of Interactive Society of Nova Scotia; George Greer, Founder of Besszong; and Jade Yhap, President of Interactive NB.
“Atlantic Canada continues to emerge as an exciting hub for game development talent and innovation,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla. “Xsolla is proud to support these events and contribute to conversations that help empower developers, build ecosystems, strengthen industry connections, and accelerate growth across the region.”
The post Xsolla expands Atlantic Canada event push with Game Invest East and XP Game Connect appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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