Latest News

German games market grows by 17 per cent in 2021

Published

4 years ago

April 12, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The German games market has followed up its historic growth spurt in 2020 with yet another year of significant growth: in 2021, approx-imately 9.8 billion euros in revenues were generated from games, charges for online services and games hardware. This is an increase of 17 per cent com-pared to the previous year. Already in 2020, the German games market was able to grow by 32 per cent, which was due in part to the growth in new video game players that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. These are the numbers released today by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research companies GfK and data.ai. The demand for games hardware, particularly for games consoles (+23 per cent) and acces-sories for gaming PCs (+22 per cent), as well as in-game and in-app purchases (+30 per cent), was the biggest driver of growth.

According to Felix Falk, Managing Director of game: ‘Following the historic growth spurt in 2020, the German games market continued its strong perfor-mance with significant growth in 2021. This also demonstrates that the people who first took up playing during the lockdowns are still enjoying it. We are partic-ularly delighted by the strong growth in games hardware. No matter whether they are using games consoles or gaming PCs, Germany’s video game players once again invested considerable sums in their equipment to ensure that they would be able to continue enjoying their games in the best possible quality in future. In fact, demand in some cases exceeded supply, meaning that it would have been possible to increase sales revenue by even more.’

Games, games hardware and charges for online services: all three market segments posted growth once again

Sales revenue from purchases of computer and video games grew by 19 per cent to about 5.4 billion euros. So-called in-game and in-app purchases were once again the biggest driver of growth here, with sales revenue increasing by 30 per cent overall to about 4.2 billion euros. This is happening in response to a sustained trend towards free-to-play games, as well as a general increase in the length of time that individual titles are being supported with the frequent addition of new free and charged content. Sales revenue from the once-only purchase of games, on the other hand, fell significantly, by 9 per cent to about 1.1 billion eu-ros. Sales revenue through monthly subscription charges for individual games – a model that is common among online role-playing games – also fell, by 11 per cent to 145 million euros.

Sales revenue from games hardware grew by 18 per cent overall to about 3.6 billion euros. Games consoles are in particular demand: although retailers were often sold out of some models, sales revenue still managed to increase by 23 per cent to 808 million euros. Approximately 1 billion euros were generated from sales of gaming PCs – both desktops and laptops. This is an increase of 10 per cent compared to the previous year. More and more video game players are also investing in accessories to make their experience even better. Demand for graphic cards, keyboards, mice, monitors and VR headsets for gaming is espe-cially strong. Sales revenue from purchases of gaming PC accessories grew by 22 per cent to about 1.5 billion euros. Sales revenue from games console ac-cessories increased by 11 per cent to 306 million euros.

Following a huge 50 per cent leap in growth in 2020, sales revenue generated by online gaming services rose by an additional 4 per cent to 720 million euros in 2021. Gaming subscription services such as the Xbox Game Pass, EA Play and Ubisoft+ made a key contribution to this growth, with their sales revenue increas-ing by 22 per cent to 220 million euros. Cloud gaming services, on the other hand, experienced a decline of 13 per cent to 63 million euros. One of the rea-sons for this is the fact that some cloud gaming functions have been integrated into other services free of charge, meaning that no independent sales revenues are generated for these functions. Sales revenue from online gaming services also fell, by 2 million euros to 437 million euros. These are frequently offered for various games consoles and include – depending on the specific offer – free monthly games, games discounts, the ability to play online, or even cloud stor-age for saved games.

eSports

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

Published

8 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

15 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

15 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.