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Playful Obscura Opens Applications for 2027 African Arthouse Games Residency: Ethiopia
The Playful Obscura: Arthouse Games Residency Africa 2027 has officially opened applications for its third edition, inviting Africa-based artists to participate in a three-week experimental program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Applications are open until November 1, 2026, for the third edition of the Playful Obscura: Arthouse Games Residency Africa, which will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from January 25 to February 14, 2027.
- The residency will select two Africa-based artists specializing in experimental games, interactive storytelling, digital art, or playful media.
- Selected participants receive a production budget of up to €1,000, a €300 stipend, travel support, accommodation, and a dedicated workspace.
A Christchurch Call to Act Against Misogyny in Games
The Christchurch Call Foundation, an international alliance established to combat online violent extremism, has identified misogyny as a critical driver of radicalization and mass violence.
- Between 2018 and 2025, there were 32 documented cases of planned mass attacks motivated by misogyny, contributing to a total of 41 such cases since 1989 that resulted in 226 deaths.
- Data from 2018 to 2026 shows 202 deaths and 440 injuries resulting from violent incidents involving young perpetrators with a median age of 17.5 years who utilized 'gamified' or video game-adjacent elements.
- The EU’s proposed 'KIDS Act' will mandate that online game providers verify the age of all users under 15 and reverse the burden of proof, requiring platforms to demonstrate safety from the outset.
Esports Awards Parent Elevates Producer to Senior Leadership
The Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance (MEGA), the parent company of the Esports Awards, has promoted Morgan Tremaine to the position of Executive Producer.
- The Mobile, Esports and Gaming Alliance (MEGA), parent company of the Esports Awards, has promoted long-time producer Morgan Tremaine to the role of Executive Producer.
- In his new senior leadership position, Tremaine will manage publisher, commercial, and strategic partner relations for MEGA’s events while supporting the company's agency operations.
- Tremaine has served as a producer for the Esports Awards since 2023 and previously held roles at Esports Engine, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and TMZ.
A Note From Stephenie Hawkins, Event Director at GDC Festival of Gaming
The GDC Festival of Gaming, scheduled for March 1–5, 2027, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, marks the 40th edition of the industry-leading event.
- The 40th edition of the GDC Festival of Gaming will take place from March 1–5, 2027, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
- The event is expanding its footprint beyond the convention center to include an opening ceremony at Oracle Park and a city-wide presence.
- Organizers are prioritizing attendee safety through a 24/7 hotline, on-site security, and partnerships with the San Francisco Travel and Union Square Alliance for walking escorts.
Games for Change Is Coming to London
The Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) has announced a strategic partnership with the London Games Festival and the non-profit organization Games for Change to host a inaugural one-day summit in London on April 15, 2026.
- The Video Games Industry Memo, London Games Festival, and Games for Change will host an inaugural social impact summit in London on April 15, 2026, targeting 150 professionals from the gaming, civil society, and political sectors.
- The summit aims to establish a centralized forum for 'serious games' development in the UK and Europe, addressing gaps in consistent support and funding for projects focused on public health, sustainability, diversity, and education.
- The Nintendo Switch has officially surpassed the Nintendo DS to become the best-selling console in Nintendo's history.
Shikenso Analytics Partners With Alliance
Shikenso Analytics, a Germany-based firm specializing in sponsorship evaluation, has entered into a partnership with the Sweden-based esports organization Alliance.
- Esports organization Alliance has partnered with Germany-based Shikenso Analytics to evaluate and quantify the performance of its brand partnerships.
- Shikenso will provide Alliance with AI-driven media valuation services across live streams, social media, and other digital platforms.
- The analytics toolkit utilized in the partnership includes image recognition, audience analysis, audio/voice tracking, and text sentiment analysis.
Team Liquid Partners With Wildcard
Team Liquid has entered into a strategic partnership with Wildcard Alliance, the developer of the player-versus-player collectible card game and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title, Wildcard.
- Team Liquid has entered a partnership with Wildcard Alliance to support the development and competitive refinement of its PVP-focused collectible card MOBA, Wildcard.
- Team Liquid members Lourlo and bobqin will promote the game through streaming and by attending in-person events to help build the title's esports presence.
- The collaboration focuses on leveraging Team Liquid's professional expertise to fine-tune the game's mechanics and competitive balance ahead of its public release.
Activision Blizzard Layoffs Tracker
The Activision Blizzard Layoffs Tracker provides a comprehensive overview of workforce reductions within the company from 2019 through early 2025.
- Between 2019 and early 2025, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft’s gaming divisions eliminated approximately 3,600 positions through multiple rounds of restructuring.
- The January 2024 post-acquisition integration by Microsoft resulted in 1,900 layoffs, followed by an additional 650 cuts in September 2024, primarily impacting corporate and support roles.
- In February 2019, the company cut 800 jobs—roughly 8% of its workforce—despite reporting record annual revenues of $7.26 billion for 2018.
Apex Legends Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Electronic Arts’ battle royale title, Apex Legends, will return as a featured competitive game for the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- Electronic Arts has confirmed that Apex Legends will return as a competitive title at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The 2024 Apex Legends competition at the Esports World Cup featured a $1 million total prize pool, with the winning team, Alliance, earning $600,000.
- It remains unconfirmed whether the 2025 event will be a mandatory stop on the official Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) calendar or an optional exhibition tournament.
Hero Wars: Dominion Era Hits $650 Million in Revenue
The browser-based title Hero Wars: Dominion Era has reached a significant financial milestone, generating $650 million in lifetime revenue over its eight-year operational history.
- GDEV's browser-based game 'Hero Wars: Dominion Era' has reached $650 million in lifetime revenue and 75 million downloads over its eight-year lifespan since October 2016.
- The mobile version, 'Hero Wars: Alliance,' has surpassed $1.5 billion in in-app purchase revenue with over 150 million global downloads.
- A recent collaboration with the Tomb Raider franchise, which added Lara Croft as a playable character, resulted in a 25% increase in new paying users for both versions of the Hero Wars IP.
Hero Wars: Alliance Hits $1.5 Billion in Lifetime Revenue
The mobile battler Hero Wars: Alliance has reached a significant financial milestone, surpassing $1.5 billion in lifetime revenue and 150 million global downloads since its 2017 launch.
- GDEV’s flagship mobile title, Hero Wars: Alliance, has surpassed $1.5 billion in lifetime revenue and 150 million global downloads since its 2017 launch.
- Hero Wars: Alliance generated $300 million in revenue over an eight-month period leading up to July 2024, maintaining its position as the 18th highest-grossing mobile game of 2024.
- The United States is the primary market for Hero Wars: Alliance, accounting for 39% of its in-app revenue, followed by Japan (15%), Germany (8%), Russia (6%), and Taiwan (4%).
Plus: How an Only Up! Clone Made Millions on Fortnite
The emergence of Fortnite as a robust platform for independent creators is highlighted by the massive success of an unofficial "Only Up!" clone.
- Fortnite’s UEFN platform is a major commercial competitor to Steam, with an unofficial 'Only Up!' clone reaching 100,000 concurrent users (CCU) compared to the original game's 11,000 CCU peak.
- The top 100 third-party Fortnite levels now aggregate nearly one million CCU, a scale of engagement that rivals the top ten games on the Steam platform.
- Fortnite’s engagement payout model allows top-tier map creators to generate potential annualized earnings in the millions of dollars.