Industry News
How to avoid network and server infrastructure issues during the development cycle
Mathieu Duperré, CEO, Edgegap
Regardless of whether you’re an indie developer or a AAA publisher, making games is never simple. Taking a game project from the initial concept to launch is a huge undertaking, especially when you begin incorporating multiplayer and social elements. Despite eye-watering budgets and huge teams of developers, countless games fall flat on release.
Thankfully, many of the common obstacles can be easily avoided and disruption to your release timeline kept to a minimum if you’re aware of the potential network and server infrastructure issues at key stages of development: the main development cycle, pre-launch, the launch period itself and once the game has launched.
Problems during the main development cycle
Some of the most common problems you’ll encounter on the tech side of the main development cycle can be the result of:
- Imperfect or hurried CI/CD pipelines. It can take days to push a new release for testing when you should be able to launch a few releases every day.
- Dev teams taking on too much in-house rather than seeking outside assistance (netcode, game engine, backend services).
- Trying to save funds through open-source projects that eventually become outdated, unsupported during your dev cycle or ends up in engineering money pits.
- Developers waiting until post-launch to focus on important elements such as crossplay.
- QA teams lacking constant access to the game build.
Any of these sound familiar? If so, it might be time to rethink your core strategy and whether you’re adhering to the DevOps methodology. Do you have a structured approach or are you lurching leftfield and drifting off course?
While developing your own netcode and game engine in-house can seem appealing, it’s important to consider the potential risks that might emerge further down the road. If problems with your netcode or a proprietary game engine present themselves at a particularly busy stage of development, you’ll wish you’d have outsourced them.
Considering where you can offload certain aspects of development to external partners can help reduce your team’s workload and improve their efficiency so they can focus on more pressing matters.
Mistakes to avoid just before the launch
One of the biggest mistakes you can make just before launch? Underestimating your CCU (concurrent users worldwide) and employing a low percentage buffer of around 10%. Misjudging your CCU is going to put too much strain on your servers and overall backend services and is one of the most common reasons players experience crashes around the launch. Similarly, don’t underestimate the number of regions you’ll need servers in too. A global game launch requires an equal distribution of worldwide servers to avoid latency issues.
When it comes to servers, it’s always best to plan ahead and scale back, rather than the other way around. Prioritise network partners who offer pay-as-you-go options for server access, so if you do need to scale back (or up) you can do so easily. This should always be the preferred option and will prevent you from being charged for servers you’re not using. It’s important to be aware of the risks associated with overestimating, as this can lead to studios signing long-term contracts and ultimately being overresourced.
Finally, one issue that can cause developers and studios a lot of trouble is data protection regulation laws. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about studios turning a blind eye to privacy laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Make sure you’ve checked the specific rules regarding data collection in your region as early as possible to avoid a frantic rush of paperwork towards the end of development or, worse, incurring costly fines.
Obstacles on launch day
It can be easy to think that you’ve made it through the worst once you reach launch day, but this is usually the stage where major issues can suddenly appear. You may notice a bombardment of negative responses from Twitter, Steam and other platforms addressing critical issues with the game – make sure you address these rather than ignoring them. These responses can be important indicators of how the players are responding to your game and if you’ve factored their feedback in the development phase.
Once the game has launched, you will have the clearest indicator of how many servers you’ll need to support the players. This is where your planning will prove to be correct or wide of the mark if you’d reserved say 1000, but you only need 200.
A 24/7 support plan is an important consideration when the game is live, this will enable rapid fixes to negate as many disruptions as possible. A low-cost DDoS solution is also a crucial facet to bear in mind. A server orchestrator will help developers manage influx of traffic along with capturing crucial data that can be incorporated into the game as part of the observability phase.
Post-launch issues
Now that your game is in the world, there can be a strong temptation to introduce a plethora of new elements to the game to enhance the player experience. While on the face of it these are good ideas, new mods or minor updates can prove problematic and contain major bugs. Responding to these new issues can be distracting and take weeks or even months to solve.
On top of this, if you haven’t properly planned earlier in the process, major updates to your game servers could potentially lead to maintenance issues and significant downtime for your player base. If players have a bad experience on launch, they’ll likely just move on to the next best thing. When EA launched Battlefield 2042, server issues, loading times and game-breaking bugs plagued the game. Within months, player numbers dropped to fewer than 1,000 concurrent players on Steam.
Of course, there are a number of ways to circumvent these issues. It is crucial to choose a backend that can support multi-versioning A/B testing and facilitate rolling updates without outages. You’d be hard-pressed to find a gamer who enjoys an unplayable game. Automation can also help in the production pipeline, this includes deploying quick fix updates and upgrades which will reduce the human error factor.
Another consideration that is often overlooked is outsourcing for network and platform providers to remove a large in-house team dedicated to DevOps or Engineering. This is intensive work that will take up the time of staff, and outsourcing is a viable option and it makes perfect sense for smaller studios, especially to pursue this option purely from a cost-saving perspective.
Making edge count
Edge computing is often overlooked by game developers, but it can alleviate many of the issues described here, particularly around server provisioning and latency issues. Edge technology brings computation and data storage closer to the source of the data, placing it at the edge of the network where performance gain is most optimal. This reduces unnecessary travel and drastically speeds up the process resulting in close to a lag-free experience.
If you’re looking at cross-play for your game, infrastructure requirements become more complex. Edge computing helps to negate some of the most nagging delay issues that come with playing across different platforms. As cross-play becomes more of a consideration for developers, edge computing along with automation can come to be one of the solutions to some of the associated problems. Developers should consider the automation part of the equation when planning their game project. It becomes even more vital when you add more latency-reliant elements to a game.
Fail to plan, plan to fail
There is no one size fits all approach to game development or the challenges associated with it. But taking some of the steps outlined above can help negate potential issues and lessen their impact, preventing total derailment of a game before it even launches.
Small steps like putting your trust in external partners or looking at technologies like Edge computing to squeeze as much performance out of your game as possible might seem small, but their impact on development can’t be underestimated.
Planning for different eventualities at key stages of development will go a long way in ensuring your game is the best it can possibly be at launch. This will give your game the best chance at becoming a lasting hit, not a flash in the pan that’s marred by server issues or bugs.
The logistical side of creating a game might not always be glamorous or exciting, but it’s unavoidable. If your development pipeline is hit by server issues, you’ll be glad you planned ahead.
Casino Gaming
Maryland Casinos Generate $165.7 Million in Gaming Revenue During July

Maryland’s six casinos combined to generate $165,661,894 in revenue from slot machines and table games during July 2025. The statewide total was down $4,159,416 (-2.5%) compared to July 2024.
Casino gaming contributions to the state during July 2025 totaled $71,857,827, a decrease of $305,727 (-0.4%) compared to July 2024. The July 2025 contributions included $51,742,064 to the Education Trust Fund, a decrease of $272,892 (-0.5%) compared to July 2024.
Casino gaming revenues also support the communities and jurisdictions where the casinos are located, Maryland’s horse racing industry, and small, minority- and women-owned businesses.
Maryland’s six privately owned casinos offer both slot machines and table games: MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County; Live! Casino & Hotel in Anne Arundel County; Horseshoe Casino Baltimore in Baltimore City; Ocean Downs Casino in Worcester County; Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County; and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County.
The gaming revenue totals for July 2025 were as follows:
MGM National Harbor (2261 slot machines, 208 table games)
$68,587,339 in July 2025, a decrease of $3,396,384 (-4.7%) from July 2024
Live! Casino & Hotel (3832 slot machines, 179 table games)
$59,702,771 in July 2025, a decrease of $2,860,124 (-4.6%) from July 2024
Horseshoe Casino (1365 slot machines, 115 table games)
$14,415,536 in July 2025, an increase of $1,098,302 (8.2%) from July 2024
Ocean Downs Casino (900 slot machines, 18 table games)
$10,236,754 in July 2025, an increase of $615,672 (6.4%) from July 2024
Hollywood Casino (731 slot machines, 23 table games)
$7,622,642 in July 2025, an increase of $325,372 (4.5%) from July 2024
Rocky Gap Casino (630 slot machines, 12 table games)
$5,096,851 in July 2025, an increase of $57,746 (1.1%) from July 2024.
The post Maryland Casinos Generate $165.7 Million in Gaming Revenue During July appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Industry News
Amusnet Sparks Excitement Among Italian Operators and Players with Royal Coins Saga Event

Amusnet has strengthened its presence in the Italian iGaming market with the successful completion of the Royal Coins Saga tournament, held throughout July. Organised in collaboration with over 20 operator partners and featuring a €20,000 prize pool, the campaign attracted strong player participation and delivered significant results across all participating platforms.
Powered by Amusnet’s recently launched Tournament Tool, the campaign delivered a dynamic, competitive experience that enhanced the player engagement. The tool allows full customisation of event rules, duration, ranking criteria and prize structure, supported by a real-time leaderboard and intuitive setup. With flexible mechanics and varied reward types, it empowers operators to run impactful, tailored campaigns. Its strong performance in Italy reaffirmed its value as a trusted engagement solution, praised for its simplicity and measurable results.
The tournament showcased eight of Amusnet’s most popular titles in the Italian market, including Shining Crown, Royal Secrets, Extra Crown, 20 Extra Crown, Coin Gobbler, 20 Golden Coins, 40 Golden Coins and 100 Golden Coins. These titles continue to resonate with local audiences, combining engaging gameplay with proven appeal that helps operators deliver an enhanced entertainment experience.
Branded with the slogan “Gioca, Conquista, Regna” (Play, Conquer, Rule), the campaign received extensive visibility across participating operator platforms.
Polina Nedyalkova, Director at Amusnet Italy, said: “Italy remains a key focus market for us as we continue to expand our footprint and enrich our offering. Campaigns like Royal Coins Saga are an essential part of our commitment to delivering experiences that bring value to both players and partners.”
The post Amusnet Sparks Excitement Among Italian Operators and Players with Royal Coins Saga Event appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance

FDJ UNITED, a leader in lottery, betting and gaming in Europe, announced its results for the first half of 2025.
• First-half revenue of €1867m: up +31% compared with H1 2024 reported and down -2% on a restated basis
• Buoyant performance by the French lottery and retail sports betting BU with revenue of €1290m, up +4% on a restated basis
• Lottery revenue rose by +6% to €1065m. This performance can be attributed to the whole range of games and all distribution channels, particularly digital, which rose by +16% to €160m
• Point-of-sale sports betting revenue fell by -6% to €225m. This change reflects unfavourable sports results for the operator, despite stakes boosted by an attractive football offering (+4%)
• Online betting and gaming BU2 revenue of €466m, down -12% on a restated basis
• This change reflects a very unfavourable 2024 comparison base, due in particular to the Euro football tournament, as well as tax and regulatory impacts in 2025, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Excluding these two markets, revenue would be up 5% thanks to the performance of other countries, including France
• Second-quarter revenue came to €235m, up +2% compared with the first quarter of 2025
• Recurring EBITDA of €441m, representing a margin of 23.6%, or 24.4% excluding the cost of the employee share ownership plan (€14m)
• Adjusted net income of €222m
• This reflects the impact of the financing of the Kindred acquisition on the financial result and the one-off tax contribution on the profits of large French companies
• 2025 objectives reiterated: stable revenue versus 2024 pro forma, with a recurring EBITDA margin of over 24%
• Successful employee share ownership plan bringing the share of capital held by employees to 4.6%
• Taken up by more than half of employees and largely oversubscribed
“2025 stands as a transition year for FDJ UNITED, with the integration of Kindred well on track. In this context, our first-half performance is in line with the expected full-year trajectory. Besides, we are pleased by the success of the employee share ownership plan launched by the Group, reflecting our long tradition of sharing FDJ UNITED’s value creation with all stakeholders,” Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of FDJ UNITED.
The post FDJ UNITED Confirms Strong Half-Year Progress and Maintains 2025 Guidance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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