

gaming
Gaming is in the mainstream and it’s here to stay
By Tobias Knutsson, CEO, Adverty
It’s taken a lot to finally rub out marketers’ lingering belief that gaming is a thing for kids, a niche media channel, a flash in the pan. The pandemic did some of the final lifting, but in a gaming business that is booming on all sides, absorbing women, older people, obsessive Esports fans, cloud gamers, monthly subscribers – you name it – the numbers are now unignorable: an estimated audience of somewhere between 2.5bn and 3bn+, with a global value of $162.32bn last year. If that’s not mainstream, what is?
Nike, Coca-Cola, Redbull, even Gucci and L’Oréal have all waded into the gaming space, and smaller brands with more modest budgets are beginning to follow. So gaming is having a moment that started some time ago and promises to last – what should its exponents do to maximise it and build strong, sustainable connections with brands?
Hold their hands
Brands that are new to gaming often lack in-house expertise and even background knowledge. As with social media, gaming needs dedicated experts on the client side, and inevitably brands will recruit their own, but until that part of the puzzle falls into place, it is incumbent on publishers and ad tech providers to explain the protocols, the opportunities and the rules of thumb in clear and accessible terms. (In brief: respect the space, add value, but don’t get in the way.)
Bring gaming ads in line with other media
Convincing marketers is one thing, but the gaming advertising business needs to give those executives the tools to win the argument with the finance people. That means the gaming world needs to work hard to standardise its metrics, its formats, its sizes, in order to bring itself into line with the wider ad industry. Gaming is a complex environment for brands, who will ultimately only invest in what they understand. So the emergence of formats that stand direct comparison with those of other media – such as Adverty’s own In-Play branding ads and In-Menu performance ads – combined with robust metrics, strengthen gaming’s pitch for brand dollars.
Never generalise
The gaming audience is indescribably varied and ranges far beyond the young, male stereotype. More than 50% of mobile gamers are older than 34 [source: Mediakix] and 51% are women [source: MoPub]. So the question isn’t any longer about which brands could benefit from targeting ‘a gaming audience’, but exactly how to target your brand’s precise audience through gaming.
Make it worthwhile for users
The predominance of mobile games – which last year claimed $120 billion of consumer spend against home and handheld consoles’ $43 billion [source: App Annie] – indicates a need for strong mobile-friendly advertising models. A weight of research points to the fact that free-to-play gamers understand the value exchange and are comfortable with the presence of advertisers, but tolerance turns to genuine enthusiasm when brands add value to gaming. In-game rewards such as hints and power-ups work well in exchange for watching ads and dovetail nicely with in-game purchases. Further research points to the effectiveness of in-game branding advertising as a driver of positive sentiment.
gaming
Current Games Activates the Nitro on Neon-Soaked Arcade Combat Racer: Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights

Current Games, a new name in indie publishing, based in the Netherlands, announced that it has assumed publishing rights for Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, a heart-stopping, breakneck combat racing game, soaked in a neon lit future where speed and survival are the only routes to success!
A thrilling arcade style experience, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights was first launched in Early Access on Steam in 2024, building a loyal community of dedicated fans passionate in seeing the game succeed. Current Games have heard the call and have spent a considerable amount of time diligently working under the hood, implementing a host of game-changing upgrades, delivering a fully revamped, nitro-powered experience, worthy of the Hot Import Nights (HIN) brand.
With the major update due to go live on July 24th 2025, speed demons are in for the ride of their lives as Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights power-ups on Steam, as well as launching on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and Epic Games® Store!
Make no mistake, this is no mere tweak, from July 24th, a whole host of surprises await fans of the game and newcomers alike. Some of the changes include:
- An all-new sprawling racing track to discover and master
- More cars mean more fun! Discover your favourite vehicles and race like your life depends on it!
- Major balancing changes based on extensive community feedback
- A new single player career mode with championship races
- Overall improvements to the game’s experience and stability
In taking over publishing for Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights Current Games is keen to emphasise their commitment to engaging with and supporting the community. Planned initiatives arriving soon include the reactivation of the games’ Reddit account, a new Discord server and a planned playtest scheduled for pre-launch.
In Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, street legends are built after dark, as gamers brave enough to face the neon-soaked streets of the future, race, fight, and ultimately conquer with up to eight players competing head-to-head in a fight to survive and pass the winning line alive.
Each chariot in Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is equipped with an arsenal of outlandish offensive and defensive weapons, enabling players to outmanoeuvre and outgun their opponents as they speed towards victory. Choose from a diverse range of customizable vehicles across three weight classes, each with distinct advantages. Lightweight vehicles boast speed but sacrifice defence, while heavyweight vehicles offer greater protection at the cost of agility. Weapons can be charged through pickups or by executing perfect drifts, adding a strategic layer to the high-speed action.
Accessible yet challenging, easy to play, impossible to put down, ruthlessly hard to master and never anything less than exhilarating, Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights is racing like you’ve never experienced before!
Roderick Roode, CEO of Current Games commented on the major upgrade and console release of Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights, “We are honoured to assume publishing rights for Cyber Clutch and determined to give this high-impact combat racing experience the love, attention and polish it deserves. Cyber Clutch has attracted a loyal audience in the year since launch, but we know the game is destined for even bigger things, and we’re thrilled to finally deliver a fully levelled-up experience, which we’re convinced will delight combat racing fans. In addition, we’re excited to bring the full Cyber Clutch experience to more gamers than ever, releasing on PlayStation, Xbox and the Epic Game Store, and cannot wait to see players assume their position on the starting grid later this month.”
The post Current Games Activates the Nitro on Neon-Soaked Arcade Combat Racer: Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
German Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär to open gamescom 2025

Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär will take part in the official opening of gamescom on 20 August. This was announced today by Koelnmesse and game – The German Games Industry Association. The minister responsible for computer and video games in the German government will give a welcoming address at the opening of the world’s largest games event. Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, has also already been confirmed for the opening. During a tour of gamescom, they and other political guests of honour will gain an impression of the latest developments and trends in the games industry.
gamescom is the world’s largest and leading event for computer and video games. It brings together the international gaming community and entire games industry in a unique way, both in person in Cologne and digitally. gamescom 2025 will take place from August 20 to 24. The event will kick off on August 19, 2025 with gamescom Opening Night Live. gamescom is jointly organized by Koelnmesse and game – The German Games Industry Association.
The post German Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär to open gamescom 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
gaming
Global release of Trophy Hunter – test your skills in the next evolution of hunting games

On July 3, 2025, Trophy Hunter – the latest game developed by the Ten Square Games team – launched globally across major markets. With this title, the company expands its presence in the fast-growing hunting game segment, where it already has solid experience. Trophy Hunter is the third Ten Square Games project in this genre – this time designed as a skill-based game, offering an accessible yet competitive experience for a broad player base.
“- Ten Square Games was one of the pioneers in the mobile hunting games segment. Since the release of Hunting Clash, the market has grown significantly, and players’ expectations have evolved. Trophy Hunter is our response to those changes – a skill based game that emphasizes fast-paced gameplay, reflexes, and strategic decision-making. We’re building on a world we know well, but offering a new style of play that opens up fresh growth opportunities,” says Jakub Noganowicz, Product Owner of Hunting Clash and Trophy Hunter.
About Trophy Hunter
Trophy Hunter is a hunting game designed for players who enjoy quick, dynamic gameplay and competitive PvP action. Its core mode features three-round duels where precision, reaction time, and decision-making under pressure matter most – rather than exploration or resource management. Players can upgrade their personal base (Hunter’s Lodge), customize weapons, and compete in a structured league system.
“- The launch of Trophy Hunter is a test for both an alternative gameplay model and a more hybrid approach to monetization. We see this moment as the conclusion of the game’s first development phase. Now begins the most important stage – one driven by player feedback. The success of the project will depend not only on how the game is received but also on our ability to scale the title and consistently grow its player base,” says Andrzej Ilczuk, CEO of Ten Square Games.
Trophy Hunter follows a free-to-play model with microtransactions that let players upgrade weapons and ammo. It also features rewarded video ads**, allowing revenue generation from non-paying users. Thanks to hybrid monetization and a lower entry threshold, Trophy Hunter is aimed at a broader audience. Its lower cost per acquisition offsets the lower ARPU* compared to other Ten Square Games titles. The hybrid business model allows room for scalable growth and expanding the game’s reach.
From prototype to global release
Development on Trophy Hunter began in Q1 2024. In the final production phase, the core development team included 10 directly involved contributors.
In late June 2025, as part of pre-launch preparations, Ten Square Games removed the test version of the app from Google Play and the App Store, replacing it with the final version and opening preregistration. Over 500,000 players only on Google platform used the opportunity to ensure the fastest possible access to the game on global launch day. Those who preregistered received an exclusive in-game reward – a replica of the Beretta BRX1 rifle and 10 rounds of special ammunition. This was made possible thanks to Ten Square Games’ collaboration with the globally recognized Beretta brand, originally established for Hunting Clash.
What’s next
At launch, the game includes 9 playable arenas. The release marks the beginning of a new development chapter for Trophy Hunter. The roadmap includes progressive content expansion and ongoing testing of the game’s global scalability. If this proves successful, future updates will bring more arenas, new gameplay modes, a LiveOps system, Battle Pass, and additional features to boost player engagement and expand challenge variety.
* ARPU – average revenue per user
** Rewarded video – an ad format where players voluntarily watch a video ad in exchange for an in-game reward.
The post Global release of Trophy Hunter – test your skills in the next evolution of hunting games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
gaming3 years ago
ODIN by 4Players: Immersive, state-of-the-art in-game audio launches into the next generation of gaming
-
EEG iGaming Directory8 years ago
iSoftBet continues to grow with new release Forest Mania
-
News7 years ago
Softbroke collaborates with Asia Live Tech for the expansion of the service line in the igaming market
-
News6 years ago
Super Bowl LIII: NFL Fans Can Bet on the #1 Sportsbook Review Site Betting-Super-Bowl.com, Providing Free Unbiased and Trusted News, Picks and Predictions
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
Rick Meitzler appointed to the Indian Gaming Magazine Advisory Board for 2018
-
News6 years ago
REVEALED: Top eSports players set to earn $3.2 million in 2019
-
iGaming Industry8 years ago
French Senator raises Loot Boxes to France’s Gambling Regulator
-
News7 years ago
Exclusive Interview with Miklos Handa (Founder of the email marketing solutions, “MailMike.net”), speaker at Vienna International Gaming Expo 2018