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METANOMIC LAUNCHES ‘THUNDERSTRUCK’ – 1st gamer analysis tool powered by AI

Published

4 years ago

September 6, 2022

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Metanomic, the complete game economy and player analytics company, today proudly announces the global launch of its Thunderstruck player analytics platform; which is poised to revolutionise game developers’ use of behavioural data to improve retention and monetisation.

Thunderstruck is the first ever video game analytics platform to leverage AI-powered behavioural analytics. It makes use of Bayesian inference-backed AI to understand data from real in-game events, drawn directly from game servers. Thunderstruck analyses player motivations, play styles, and reward preferences, providing developers with live information on who their game is for, what types of players have the highest retention, and which players spend the most in-game. Until now, game creators have had to rely on outdated player classification models combined with market research, and plug gaps in insight with assumptions and guesswork.

Metanomic was founded in 2021 by veteran game designers, AI experts, and professional economists, and has successfully secured USD $2.9 million pre-seed funding to-date. Thunderstruck is launching with 7 player types – Killers, Achievers, Explorers, Socialisers, Speedsters, Conquerors, and Scientists – which can be tailored to the priorities of individual game titles. Player types will be refined and added to as the platform analyses data from more titles, while its Bayesian AI means Thunderstruck can even identify the series of events that lead to specific player actions.

Announcing the launch of Thunderstruck, Theo Priestley, CEO and Founder of Metanomic, said:

“For too long, game developers have relied on blunt instruments to understand their players. It’s no exaggeration to say that the bulk of the games industry’s framework for player classification dates back to a 1996 essay by Richard Bartle. A generation later, Thunderstruck is the next big leap forward, taking just a few days to generate more insight than a team of analysts could in a month. We understand that players can straddle multiple personas or even change persona based on their motivations, and use custom AI and live data to accurately anticipate how they’ll respond to metagame changes. Thunderstruck is all about empowering game developers with a better way to identify, acquire, and impact the right players for their game.”

Thunderstruck is equally suitable for mobile, console, and PC; existing as well as new games; and web3 as well as traditional web2 games. It works in tandem with Metanomic’s free Economy Engine platform, which was launched earlier this year to help studios to build, simulate and monitor their game economies.

Thunderstruck is launching with 7 player types.

Killers

These players enjoy killing, creating chaos, and competitive elements most of all. They focus on winning, climbing player rankings, obtaining status, provoking, and imposing drama onto others.

Achievers

These players are competitive and enjoy overcoming difficult objectives, whether set by the game or themselves, in order to obtain prestige, prizes, and other types of material possessions.

Explorers

Those that like to learn as much about the game as possible, Explorers seek to understand the finer details of game mechanics. The thrill of discovery and uncovering hidden areas or objectives motivate these players over points or prizes.

Socialisers

Players that experience fun in interacting with other players through social systems like using chat, managing guilds, or role-playing rather than playing the game itself. They tend to collaborate or join forces with others to achieve objectives than they could on their own.

Speedsters

Cheetahs race to objectives in order to be among the first to reach the end-game content or the highest level. They spend most of their time grinding experience and playing for long hours.

Conquerors

Conquerors enjoy the struggle against adversity and beating impossibly difficult odds. They are persistent, forceful, and repetitive in their pursuit to overcome their objectives.

Scientists

Commonly referred to as ‘Crafters,’ Scientists seek to improve their skills by gathering resources and creating or improving items for themselves and to sell to others. They find enjoyment in more passive forms of game mechanics and objectives.

The Thunderstruck player personas are also influenced by ‘passion’ – how often and how well they play.

They can also be tailored by the game developer or publisher depending on their priorities. For example, in different types of game, ‘Achiever’ could mean the highest skilled, the richest, or the players with the most wins.

In future, Metanomic will frequently add additional and more granular player types to further studios’ understanding of their players.

BETANO

Betano named FIFA World Cup 2026 Tournament Supporter for Europe and South America

Published

28 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

betano-named-fifa-world-cup-2026-tournament-supporter-for-europe-and-south-america

Betano has been named an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for Europe and South America under a new partnership between FIFA and Kaizen Gaming’s lead brand. The tournament will be held across Canada, Mexico and the United States from Thursday, 11 June until Sunday, 19 July.

The agreement is the third collaboration between Betano and FIFA. Betano previously joined as an Official Regional Supporter of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for Europe and was later announced as an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

“We are delighted to welcome Betano among the Tournament Supporters of the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, Romy Gai.

“Partnering with FIFA for the third time is a proud milestone for everyone at Kaizen Gaming and a clear reflection of our global evolution,” added George Daskalakis, co-founder and CEO of Kaizen Gaming.

Kaizen Gaming said Betano will run physical and digital fan engagement activations in Europe and South America around the tournament, and will offer responsible gaming tools including financial limits, time management features and 24/7 customer support.

The post Betano named FIFA World Cup 2026 Tournament Supporter for Europe and South America appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess

S8UL’s Aravindh Chithambaram qualifies for Esports World Cup 2026 chess event

Published

28 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

s8ul’s-aravindh-chithambaram-qualifies-for-esports-world-cup-2026-chess-event

S8UL’s Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has qualified for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 Chess main event after winning the Road to EWC qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta, according to the organization. S8UL said the result makes him the first Indian player to secure qualification for the Chess main event.

The qualifier used a group stage and playoffs format, with two games per series and Armageddon as the tiebreaker, played at 10 minutes with no increment. Aravindh advanced from Group B into the Upper Bracket semifinals after wins over Kyler Raines, Justin Liang, Oleksander Bortnyk, and Christopher Woo.

In the Upper Bracket semifinals, Aravindh beat Woo 2-1 after two draws and an Armageddon decider. He then defeated Alexey Sarana 2-1 in the Upper Bracket Final to reach the grand final, where he faced Sarana again. S8UL said the grand final used a double-match format, and after Sarana won the opening two games from the Lower Bracket side, Aravindh came back to win the Armageddon decider to take the qualifier.

The win earned the 26-year-old USD 15,000 (~INR 14 lakh) and one of the eight qualification slots confirmed so far for the EWC 2026 Chess main event, scheduled for August 11 to 15 with a USD 1.5 million (~INR 14 crore) prize pool. S8UL said it is now qualified for three EWC 2026 titles, following Fortnite and Honor of Kings.

“Qualifying for the Esports World Cup this year is a very proud and exciting moment for me, especially with so many top players and organizations from around the world competing at the event. This particular format leaves very little room for error, as every decision matters when you are playing 10-minute games without increment against some of the strongest players in the world. I am also very grateful to the team at S8UL for their consistent support and belief in me since last year. Their approach towards chess and nurturing Indian talent has been incredibly encouraging, and I am looking forward to representing the organization and giving my best at the main event” Chithambaram said.

S8UL added that fellow Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Pranesh M remain in contention to qualify for EWC 2026 Chess via the Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard, Last Chance Qualifiers, and an India Rising slot scheduled to conclude on July 5. “One of the things we’ve consistently focused on at S8UL is creating opportunities for Indian talent to compete and succeed on the biggest global stages. Aravindh Chithambaram qualifying for the Esports World Cup is a huge moment, not just for us as an organization, but for Indian chess overall. The level of competition and pressure in this format is extremely high, which makes this achievement even more special. We’ve always believed India has the talent to stand alongside the very best in the world, and seeing Aravindh become the first Indian to qualify really reinforces that belief,” said Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL Esports.

The post S8UL’s Aravindh Chithambaram qualifies for Esports World Cup 2026 chess event appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Casino Guru

Casino Guru Awards 2026 set for May 25 in Malta ahead of NEXT Valletta

Published

28 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

casino-guru-awards-2026-set-for-may-25-in-malta-ahead-of-next-valletta

Casino Guru will hold the Casino Guru Awards 2026 on May 25 at Xara Lodge in Malta, ahead of the NEXT Valletta conference. The organiser said the event will recognise companies, initiatives and individuals tied to fairness, player protection and ethical business practices in online gambling.

According to Casino Guru, the awards are positioned differently from typical industry programmes by prioritising “measurable impact and long-term commitment” rather than brand scale or marketing reach.

“The Casino Guru Awards are about recognizing the people and companies that genuinely prioritize players and contribute to a healthier industry,” said Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru. “As we approach the event, we’re excited to celebrate the efforts that often happen behind the scenes but have a real impact on the future of iGaming.”

Casino Guru said around 150 guests are expected to attend, with winners to be announced across multiple categories during an evening programme that also includes networking, dining and an afterparty.

The post Casino Guru Awards 2026 set for May 25 in Malta ahead of NEXT Valletta appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.