August

Riot Games Reveals Legends Ascend South Asia

Riot Games has announced the launch of Legends Ascend South Asia, an amateur League of Legends tournament designed to foster grassroots competitive growth across the region.

• Riot Games is launching 'Legends Ascend South Asia,' an amateur League of Legends tournament series, in partnership with Aftermath Ventures.
• The competition features a total prize pool of INR 10,00,000 (approximately $11,695 USD).
• The tournament winner earns a qualification spot in the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) Wildcard Playoffs, providing a path to the LCP promotion and relegation tournament.

Esports World Cup Schedule Revealed

The Esports World Cup Foundation has released the official schedule for its 2025 multi-title competition, which is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 10 to August 24.

• The 2025 Esports World Cup will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 10 to August 24, featuring a total prize pool of $70 million USD.
• The seven-week multi-title competition will be held across four arenas and culminate in the New Global Sport Conference for industry executives on August 23–24.
• Participating organizations will compete in various titles throughout the event to accumulate points for the overall Esports World Cup Club Championship.

Esports World Cup to Feature $70 Million Total Prize Pool

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced a total prize pool exceeding $70 million for its 2025 event, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24.

• The 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will feature a total prize pool exceeding $70 million, running from July 7 to August 24.
• The prize distribution includes $38 million for individual game championships, $5 million for 'Road to EWC' qualifiers, and $450,000 for MVP awards.
• The event is funded by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund and operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group.

AppLovin vs. Unity: How AppLovin Has Been Winning It All

The mobile advertising landscape has undergone a significant shift since the failed merger between AppLovin and Unity in August 2022, resulting in AppLovin’s emergence as the dominant force in the market.

• AppLovin has achieved dominance in the mobile advertising market by capturing approximately 80% of the mediation market through its MAX platform, creating a significant customer lock-in effect.
• AppLovin’s competitive advantage is driven by its ability to leverage granular, first-party data to improve ad-ROAS, which has effectively marginalized competitors since the failed merger with Unity in August 2022.
• Unity has struggled to compete due to poor operational execution, internal fragmentation, and weak algorithmic performance following its acquisition of IronSource.

Communications Workers of America File Complaint With National Labor Relations Board on Behalf of Raven Software Workers

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Raven Software, a Wisconsin-based studio owned by Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard.

• The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Activision Blizzard, a subsidiary of Microsoft, regarding the alleged illegal disciplining of a union member at Raven Software.
• The CWA alleges that management violated the National Labor Relations Act by prohibiting a union member from discussing a disciplinary investigation with colleagues or the union, creating a chilling effect on protected labor activities.
• This filing follows a broader August 2024 complaint in which Raven Software union members accused Activision Blizzard and Microsoft of bad-faith bargaining and retaliatory practices, including the discriminatory treatment of employees regarding pay, promotions, and work-from-home policies.

Azerion FY and Q4 2024 Interim Financial Results Presentation

Azerion Group’s 2024 interim financial results demonstrate a strategic focus on profitability through operational scale, cost management, and business integration.

Digital Turbine Form 10-Q: Q3 Fiscal Year 2025

Digital Turbine’s financial performance for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 reflects a period of significant operational transition amidst challenging macroeconomic conditions.

• Digital Turbine reported a net loss of $23.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to a $14.1 million loss in the same period last year.
• Total net revenue for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, declined to $134.6 million from $142.6 million in the prior year period, with segment profit falling from $72.3 million to $64.7 million.
• The company is executing a transformation program, including workforce reductions in November 2024 and January 2025, aimed at achieving over $25 million in annual cash expense savings by the first quarter of fiscal year 2026.

Current Report No. 1/2025

The Management Board of 11 bit studios S.A. has established the official publication schedule for its financial and periodic reporting throughout the 2025 calendar year.

• 11 bit studios S.A. will release its full-year 2024 financial report on April 10, 2025.
• The company has scheduled its 2025 interim performance updates for May 15 (Q1), August 28 (H1), and November 20 (Q3).
• The reporting schedule is designed to satisfy Warsaw Stock Exchange regulatory requirements for publicly traded companies.

The New Rising Revenue King of the Merge Genre: How Gossip Harbor Conquered the U.S. Market

The analysis identifies the merge genre as a rising revenue driver in 2024, with Gossip Harbor emerging as the leading U.S. title after surpassing Travel Town’s $117 million in-app revenue.

• Gossip Harbor has become the leading U.S. merge genre title, surpassing Travel Town’s $117 million in-app revenue and reaching 15th place in global Google Play revenue rankings by November 2024.
• Microfun’s strategic focus on Merge-2 titles, such as Gossip Harbor and Seaside Escape, has successfully captured significant U.S. market share by pivoting away from the saturated match-3 sector.
• Consistent advertising efforts, utilizing 600–800 creatives, doubled the game's U.S. daily active users from 60,000 to 120,000 between July and November.

Gamescom '25: We'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse

The Flemish Games Association (FLEGA) is coordinating a comprehensive participation program for Belgian game studios at Gamescom 2025, scheduled for August 20–24 in Cologne.

• The Flemish Games Association (FLEGA) is organizing a Belgian presence at Gamescom 2025 in Cologne, held from August 20–24, with a final registration deadline of May 9 for B2B booth space.
• B2B participation options include a small showcase space for 1,300 EUR, individual customizable space at 450 EUR per square meter, or meeting packages ranging from 350 EUR to 700 EUR.
• Studios targeting the B2C Entertainment Area can apply for the Indie Arena Booth by April 9, provided they meet specific criteria including VAF funding and a release window within 6 to 9 months of the event.

Riot: No Game Changers at Esports World Cup in 2025

Riot Games has officially confirmed that the Valorant Game Changers program will not participate in the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

• Riot Games has officially confirmed that the Valorant Game Changers program will not participate in the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
• Negotiations regarding the inclusion of other Riot titles, such as League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Valorant, remain ongoing and are not yet finalized.
• Riot clarified that any potential inclusion of its titles in the eight-week event would be licensed to a third party and would not constitute an officially sanctioned league event.

More Games Added to 2025 Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup Foundation has expanded the roster for its 2025 competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by adding Chess.com, the racing title RENNSPORT, and the battle royale games Crossfire and PUBG: Battlegrounds.

• The Esports World Cup Foundation has added Chess.com, RENNSPORT, Crossfire, and PUBG: Battlegrounds to the 2025 competition lineup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Chess.com will feature a $1.5M total prize pool and include participation from Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, with the Champions Chess Tour serving as the primary qualification path.
• The 2025 Esports World Cup is scheduled to run for eight weeks, beginning in early July and concluding in late August.