Latest News

PACSUN OPENS VIRTUAL MALL ON ROBLOX

Published

4 years ago

April 1, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Retailer Expands Roblox Presence with PACWORLD

In June 2021, Pacsun transitioned into the online entertainment space with a dedicated experience on Roblox (NYSE: RBLX), a global online platform for shared experiences connecting millions of people every day in its metaverse.

As part of the collaboration, the youth retailer officially announced today, a fantasy interactive mall experience on the Roblox platform, created through a partnership with premier game development studio MELON. This is a natural extension of Pacsun’s existing catalogs on Roblox, with the best sold catalog items being “fantasy” focused items including gold wings.

PACWORLD allows players to create a unique hub, intersecting fashion technology and community. Within the social environment, customers find community in this space, leaning on the metaverse’s strong network effects. Players are the owner and operators of a new mall, and it is their objective to make the mall as profitable and popular as possible. Players will be able to create and remove shops, upgrade the shops that do well, decorate the mall to try and attract more customers, and even invite their friends to visit their mall.

“Innovation and creativity are at the heart of Pacsun’s brand voice, and we view our audience as the cultural pioneers of the future. As we are catering to a fully digital generation, we recognize that Gen Z values community and accessibility more than any other generation, and we joined Roblox to further build that connectivity with our consumers,” said Brie Olson, President at Pacsun. “Considering that they leverage Roblox as a point of socialization, we knew that in order to further our strong emotional resonance as a brand, we needed to continue to build alongside them in the gaming world.”

With Digital being Pacsun’s top priority, the retailer has seen exponential growth in the space year over year, through perceptive partnerships with brands and talent, social media activations, and strategic campaigns. Over the past year, Pacsun started to embark on a strategy with paid media and upper funnel initiatives, with NFTs and Virtual Reality becoming a huge focus for collaborative initiatives and in-store efforts.

Pacsun stepped into the NFT space with the introduction of the Pacsun Wave NFT in November 2021, followed by the Pac Mall Rats series in January 2022 and most recently PS Sunset in collaboration with Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel. The second drop of Pac Mall Rats also debuted today, representing 14 different Pacsun locations, as well as Reebok, Pacsun’s first Pac Mall Rat based off of a brand partner. Locations in this wave of Pac Mall Rats include Glendale and Downey, CA, Orland Park, IL, St. George, UT, Raleigh, NC, New York City, NY, and more. Pac Mall Rats are available for auction now on Open Sea for one week, starting at $250.

Pacsun also debuted its first-ever video game, “Pacsun the Game,” timed to its Spring/Summer 2022 campaign via the relaunched Pacsun App in the App store. The campaign once again featured Gen Z and style icon, Emma Chamberlain, who starred in Pacsun’s Virtual Reality experience video as her own personal avatar, the first time Emma starred as her digital self.

“Though it is important for us to follow our customers through digital touchpoints, we do understand that in store shopping is still relevant. Through PACWORLD, we give players and consumers the reins to create their space and build it from the ground up. It combines fantasy with the traditional in-store feel, through a digital lens in a highly interactive way,” added Alfred Chang, Co-CEO of Pacsun.

In PACWORLD, players will be able to customize their malls with flair and aesthetics that can be purchased with their virtual income they earn in-experience. The starting point is a sunny beach island reminiscent of Pacsun’s Southern California homebase, where players can choose a plot for their personalized mall that they can build their stores onto. Shops are the primary aspect of the game and each shop will generate its own virtual income to add to the player’s overall virtual income earned in-experience. As a mall’s popularity increases and is visited by more shoppers, modeled after their Roblox friends list, the players can continue to upgrade their mall by adding new fun shops and restaurants, along with decorations such as plants, furniture and murals.

To amplify the social element, Roblox players can visit each other to socialize and compare malls. PACWORLD allows up to six players to build malls next to each other, while Roblox’s platform allows players to go to any server to visit their friends and check out their malls.

PACWORLD is available now on Roblox. Be sure to check back in later this month when we reveal PACWORLD virtual goods.

eSports

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

Published

7 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

14 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

14 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.