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GREATER COPENHAGEN SIGNS ASTRALIS AND NINJAS IN PYJAMAS AS PARTNERS TO ATTRACT GAME DEVELOPMENT TALENT TO THE REGION

Published

5 years ago

November 24, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Copenhagen Capacity and Invest in Skåne, the official investment promotion agencies for Greater Copenhagen have launched a campaign in partnership with Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas to help drive game development talent to the region.

Greater Copenhagen which comprises of Eastern Denmark and Southern Sweden will be represented by the biggest teams in both respective countries, Astralis and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Both teams will support the campaign by driving awareness to the Greater Copenhagen Career Portal through their social media channels.

The campaign was established following long-term challenges faced by local companies when sourcing talent. Alongside being known for producing fantastic esports organisations, Greater Copenhagen is home to a series of independent game studios and high profile publishers and platforms such as Unity Technologies and Avalanche Studios.

According to the trade body for the Swedish Games Industry (Dataspelsbranschen) games companies are struggling to hire talent and expand due to a worrying shortage of skilled labour within the computer games industry in Sweden. At the same time, of the local Danish companies who reported a lack of talent as hindering their growth, 40% were within the gaming industry. Many of the companies that Copenhagen Capacity is working with, cite that they are not seeing enough game developers in Greater Copenhagen and have emptied their own network for talent.

“We have a number of fantastic game companies based in Greater Copenhagen which means ample career opportunities in the sector, but our talent pool is limited. Denmark has no official game development education and without the infrastructure, local companies are not sourcing the experienced candidates they need. Therefore, we need to bring in new experienced game developers to the region, in order to help them grow. By partnering with two internationally recognized esports teams, Astralis and NIP, who have a global esports network and fanbase, we’re hoping to showcase the opportunities on offer for talent around the world to see,” said Asbjørn Overgaard, CEO of Copenhagen Capacity.

The campaign kicks off today ahead of the Blast Premier Fall Final from November 24th to 28th, Denmark’s biggest esports event and the tournament organiser’s first LAN event in over 20 months. Greater Copenhagen will also be the partner for the tournament, having first worked with Blast Premier to create Counter-Strike’s first ever live in-game prediction tool for last year’s Fall Final, resulting in more than 700 job applications and thousands visiting the career portal. The campaign will tap into Blast’s, Ninjas in Pyjamas and Astralis’ international fanbase and audiences with broad gaming experience and potential it-, software- and game developers.

“Greater Copenhagen is home to some of the most passionate esports fans and phenomenal CS:GO players so we are proud to support Greater Copenhagen and promote our homeland to ensure we attract the best talent for our colleagues in the gaming- and tech companies,” Steen Laursen, Director of Communications of ASTRALIS

“We might be competitors with Astralis on stage but off stage we are happy to join forces to put Greater Copenhagen on the map for gaming. We want to see our countries thrive and ensure local gaming companies have the resources to grow,” Michael Tidebäck, Director of Strategic Projects of Ninjas in Pyjamas.

eSports

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

Published

10 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

17 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

17 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.