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New Metaverse Game Star Life by iCandy’s Flying Sheep Receives German Government Funding

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Flying Sheep Studios, a subsidiary of iCandy Interactive, an Australian-listed international games studio, is proud to announce it is developing Star Life, a social massively multiplayer online (MMO) game focused on cooperation, and community-driven experiences that will prioritise socialising and being the party and event part of the metaverse, eventually hosting events and concerts.

iCandy Interactive has an international footprint of having other video games studios across Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia) and Flying Sheep Studios is its first major investment made in Europe.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has agreed to support the development of Star Life with a generous funding of approximately EUR 1.1 million (approximately USD 1.2 million). Flying Sheep Studios, known for its expertise in HTML5 web-based game development, is utilizing its skills to create a sophisticated web-based metaverse game.

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High-Availability Metaverse

One of the key features of Star Life is its high accessibility, making it conveniently playable from any browser on any device without needing downloads, installations, or high-end technology.

Players can start entering the Star Life metaverse with just one click via a web browser on both desktop and mobile devices. The game also prioritizes diversity, offering players various options for character creation, shopping, and community-driven events, such as concerts and exhibitions.

In addition, Star Life will incorporate optional blockchain-enabled items, or NFTs, giving players more ownership and agency over their virtual belongings. These belongings can be transferred and used on different platforms, making the process streamlined and convenient. Star Life will be a free-to-play game available to everyone.

“We are grateful to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action for their support and trust in our project. This funding demonstrates the federal budget for video games working as intended, fostering the development of cutting-edge technical know-how ‘made in Germany’ and creating and securing jobs,” says Thomas Rössig, Founder and Managing Director of Flying Sheep Studios.

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Addition of Senior European Industry Talent

For the development of this groundbreaking project, Flying Sheep has also hired additional talent, including four industry veterans:


Renke Bahlmann
Lead Game Designer

With 12 years of experience working on browser games for industry leaders such as Bigpoint, game development allrounder and media technology expert Renke Bahlmann is the perfect fit for the position of Lead Game Designer. He will guide the team in creating a highly engaging game experience.

Frank Reitberger
Lead 3D Developer

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Flying Sheep’s new Lead 3D Developer Frank Reitberger is renowned for his work as a Designer and Programmer. In the past two decades, he has worked for well-known brands and customers such as Porsche, IBM, and Activision Blizzard.

Daniel Schemann Head of Back-End Development

Cultivating his passion for multiplayer experiences in the early days of MUDs, Daniel Schemann founded his studio Silent Future in the early 2000s and would later work on free-to-play MMO Earthrise. In his new position as Head of Back-End Development at Flying Sheep, he will create the foundation for the multiplayer experience of Star Life.

Nina Kiel Head of Diversity & Inclusion

As one of Germany’s foremost game diversity experts, Nina Kiel has worked in various industry-related fields such as games journalism, game development, game event management, game studies and media education for over a decade, and published several books. Now they’ve joined Flying Sheep as Head of Diversity & Inclusion to support the studio in making diversity and

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inclusion a key part of their endeavors.

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SOFTSWISS Steps In to Assist Southern Poland After Severe Flooding

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SOFTSWISS, a global tech supplier of software for the iGaming industry, along with its employees, has actively aided communities affected by the recent flooding in Southern Poland.

In September, Storm Boris brought devastating floods to Central and Eastern Europe, causing widespread damage. Torrential rains left thousands of homes submerged, severely impacting numerous cities in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. In Poland, the southern regions were hit the hardest, with dozens of towns requiring urgent evacuations and support for affected communities.

To provide immediate relief, SOFTSWISS made a financial donation to the Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, a well-known Polish charity organisation. SOFTSWISS has two development offices in Poland, allowing employees to quickly join the relief efforts and offer their assistance during the flood.

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Under the company’s coordination, Polish employees packed boxes of over 100 kilograms of essential items, including food, hygiene products, and necessities such as matches, candles, and batteries. SOFTSWISS handed these supplies to Caritas Polska, a charitable organisation spearheading relief efforts for the affected areas.

Earlier this year, SOFTSWISS also organised a large-scale charity and awareness campaign to support flood-hit regions in Brazil. 

“Unfortunately, natural disasters happen, and we don’t want to stand idly by. We strive to help in any way we can. This aligns with one of our core values, We See People, which applies not only to our employees. We always see the people beyond the business, and I believe our ESG initiatives reflect this,” said Natalia Perkowska, Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS.

The aid campaigns in Poland and Brazil are part of SOFTSWISS’ broader global strategy focused on social responsibility and sustainable development (ESG). The company also dedicates to long-term social and environmental projects, with notable initiatives such as participation in World Environment Day, Pink October, Movember, and various environmental protection efforts.

Recently, SOFTSWISS was recognised as The Best Employer of 2024 at the SBC Awards.

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About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS Steps In to Assist Southern Poland After Severe Flooding appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Relax Gaming partners with Grand Casino Luzern to launch in Switzerland

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Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has enhanced its European presence by making its debut in Switzerland with leading operator Grand Casino Luzern and its online platform, mycasino.

This partnership with Relax will see the supplier’s award-winning portfolio of games including Banana Town, Money Train and Wild Chapo now available to Swiss players with more titles to follow.

Founded in 2019, mycasino is operated by Grand Casino Luzern, a renowned casino operator in the heart of Switzerland.

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The country’s leading online casino boasts a cutting-edge offering with exclusive titles regularly being added, as well as seamless deposit and withdrawal functionality. With its commitment to safety, innovation, and superior customer experience, mycasino offers a secure and enjoyable online gaming experiences for Swiss players.

The Swiss market marks the twenty-third global jurisdiction that Relax Gaming now operates in after passing the stringent regulatory processes and obtaining approval from Federal Gaming Board (FGB).

This is Relax’s latest step in extending its reach across Europe with further plans to increase its footprint with additional partnerships planned over the continent in the near future.

Martin Stålros, CEO of Relax Gaming, said: “Our continued growth across the globe is something we are all incredibly proud of. The Swiss market presents many interesting opportunities and I believe we have the right content to appeal to the passionate audience.”

Alexia Smilovic Rønde, Chief Regulatory Officer at Relax Gaming, said: “Entering the Swiss market through our prime partnership with Grand Casino Luzern marks another significant step in expanding our presence in high-profile regulated markets.

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“Switzerland is truly a staple of European jurisdictions and is known for its high regulatory standards, which we are pleased to have successfully met. We will be looking forward expanding our presence in the coming months.”

Wolfgang Bliem, CEO at Grand Casino Luzern, said: “The partnership with Relax Gaming marks an important step for mycasino.

“Their innovative approach and diverse game portfolio perfectly align with our commitment to maintaining our leadership in the market. We’re thrilled to be the first online casino in the Swiss market to partner with Relax Gaming and continue providing top-tier entertainment to our players.”

Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.

Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.

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Thunderkick enters Hungary with LVC Diamond brand Vegas.hu

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Partnership marks studio’s first foray into Hungarian market

Independent slots studio Thunderkick has launched its games with Vegas.hu, an online casino operated by Las Vegas Casino (LVC) Diamond, marking its debut in the Hungarian iGaming market.

Hungary is the third new market entered by Thunderkick in 2024 – following the announcement that its games would go live in Canada and Colombia – highlighting the provider’s commitment to targeted global expansion.

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Vegas.hu is a pioneering platform having become the first legal online casino established in the country in 2017 and has since established itself as one of the most successful and highest-grossing brands in Hungary.

The partnership, which commenced in early August, saw a collection of Thunderkick’s games integrated onto Vegas.hu, including fan-favourites Midas Golden Touch 2, Beat the Beast: Dragon’s Wrath, and Gods of Rock! Reborn.

The game developer has already reported early success among its titles, with this strong performance emphasising the quality of Thunderkick’s product portfolio, which continues to resonate with players across the globe.

Fredrik Ekholm, Head of Sales at Thunderkick, said: “We are dedicated to enhancing Thunderkick’s presence on our home continent, and the debut of our slots in Hungary reaffirms this.

“Since becoming the nation’s first regulated online casino, Vegas.hu has built a reputation as an industry leader, and we are excited to partner with the prestigious brand as we look to expand our European player base.”

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Brigitta Szenczy, Head of Gaming and Studio at Vegas.hu, added: “At Vegas.hu, we have a history of providing exciting gaming experiences to Hungarian players through a portfolio of best-in-class titles.

“Thunderkick’s cutting-edge slots are sure to resonate with Vegas.hu players as we continue diversifying our content offering.”

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