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| (Image Source: THE MAGIC RAIN/gamescom) |
Thailand is the official partner country of gamescom 2025 in Cologne, the biggest video games event worldwide. The organizers of gamescom, Koelnmesse and game - the German Games Industry Association as well as the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), have signed a partnership agreement to this effect. As the official partner country of gamescom, Thailand is accentuating its ambition to position itself internationally as an attractive location for the development of games, eSports and the digital creative industry. Beyond this, new tax incentives for foreign studios and targeted funding programs for the domestic industry are to further strengthen the competitiveness of the Thai games industry - particularly in the storytelling, character design, animation and eSports sections.
The merger between gamescom asia and the Thailand Game Show from this year onwards, emphasizes the growing significance of Thailand as a games location in Southeast Asia. The new joint event is to be staged in Bangkok in future and the position of the country as a leading gaming hub of the region further consolidated. The partner country role at gamescom 2025 in cologne picks up on this development and places an even stronger focus on Thailand's international potential. With an estimated market volume of around US$1.3B (1.3 billion US dollars) in the year 2023, Thailand is considered to be one of the ten biggest and fastest growing gaming markets in Asia. Almost 32 million people in Thailand regularly play video games - almost half of the population. Gaming is deeply anchored in the everyday culture and is not only lived out commercially, but also creatively: with a vibrant indie scene, aspiring developer studios and a growing infrastructure. At gamescom 2025, Thailand will be represented with a country pavilion in Hall 4.1 for the first time.
Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association, states, "Thailand is one of the most exciting and most dynamic games markets and is a driving force in the Southeast Asia region. We are thus looking forward to not only celebrating the new strong partnership at gamescom asia in Bangkok, but also by participating as the partner country at this year's gamescom in Germany." Koelnmesse Chief Operating Officer Oliver Frese said, "With Thailand as the partner country and the merger between gamescom asia and the Thailand Games Show we are setting a strong signal for our successful international growth strategy. The Thai market is a key element of this. It combines economic potential with strategic relevance for the entire Asia region. We are looking forward to a trusting cooperation with our new partners." DITP Director-General Sunanta Kangvalkulkij comments, “Thailand’s participation as gamescom’s partner country is a launchpad. It is our chance to showcase Thai innovation, creativity, and investment potential — and to invite the world to join us later this year at gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show in Bangkok.”
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Global eSports Tour Lima To Kick Off 2025 Season
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| (Image Source: Global eSports Federation) |
The Global eSports Federation (GEF) officially announced that the Global eSports Tour Lima (#GET25Lima) is set to debut on June 2025, marking the start of the highly anticipated GET Season 5. GET25 Lima joins GET25 Mumbai, the first-ever Global eSports Tour event in India, as part of the expanding global circuit. The event is supported by the Federación Deportiva Peruana de eSports and the Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD).
Lima, the capital city of Peru, will host top professional eSports teams as one of Latin America’s fastest-growing eSports hubs, bringing world-class eSports competition to a passionate and dynamic gaming community. The tournament will feature elite-level gameplay alongside a showcase of cutting-edge technology and innovation in eSports entertainment. “Lima is an exciting addition to the Global eSports Tour annual calendar. Peru’s capital city, Lima, has a booming gaming culture, and Peru’s growing eSports scene makes it an ideal destination to launch GET Season 5,” said GEF Global eSports Tour Commissioner Eric F. Brinkley. “GET25 Lima is a milestone for eSports in Peru. This event showcases our community's growth and talent, giving Peruvian players the chance to compete at the highest level. We are proud to host a tournament of this magnitude and confident it will be a defining moment for eSports in the region,” said Federación Deportiva Peruana de eSports Director of Marketing and Communications Josue Ferrando.
The Global eSports Federation continues to expand its reach, strengthening eSports communities and creating new opportunities for professional players and fans around the world. With GET25 Lima leading the 2025 season, the Global eSports Tour further reinforces its commitment to fostering eSports’ growth across diverse regions. The Global eSports Tour is GEF’s premier series of professional eSports competitions staged in iconic cities worldwide. Each stop on the GET brings thrilling eSports action to global audiences while celebrating the local gaming culture and industry.
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KRAFTON's inZOI Hits One Million Sales In First Week Of Early Access Launch
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| (Image Source: KRAFTON Inc.) |
KRAFTON Inc. surpassed 1 million cumulative sales of its life simulation game, inZOI, as of April 4, 2025 – just one week after launching in Global Early Access on Steam. This marks the fastest sales milestone ever achieved by a title published by KRAFTON. inZOI released in Early Access last March 28, 2025 via the global PC gaming platform Steam. One day before launch, inZOI ranked 1st on Steam’s Global Top Wishlists, and then rose to No. 1 on Steam’s Global Top Sellers List (by sales revenue) just 40 minutes after its release. To this day, inZOI continues to top sales rankings across regions including North America and Asia.
inZOI has been praised by players across various metrics beyond sales. As of April 4, Steam reviews displayed an 83% positive rating, earning the game a ‘Very Positive’ status. inZOI also reached 175,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch, ranking 3rd in the Games Category. “Canvas”, inZOI’s in-game UGC (User-generated Content) sharing platform, showed strong levels of community engagement as it garnered more than 1.2 million players on the day of launch with over 470,000 pieces of uploaded content. Building up to inZOI’s release, KRAFTON drew attention to the game by showing up at major global game shows, collaborating with international influencers, and actively communicating with the player community. The inZOI global showcase and demo build particularly attracted high interest while leading global media and gaming outlets further raised anticipation worldwide through continuous updates on the game.
KRAFTON’s step-by-step approach in releasing information on inZOI along with its player-friendly operational strategy established a foundation for trust, leading to a widely positive sentiment across the player community. CEO CH Kim stated, “We are grateful and excited to present inZOI to players around the world through Early Access. We will continue to actively communicate with players and foster inZOI as KRAFTON’s long-term franchise IP.” The game’s future updates will introduce new content including mod support and new cities with all updates and DLC provided for free until full release. For more information, visit playinzoi.com.
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Playing For The Planet Alliance Unveils Nature As Green Game Jam 2025 Theme
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| (Image Source: VentureBeat/Playing For The Planet Alliance) |
The Playing For The Planet Alliance, an initiative facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has officially announced the return of its annual Green Game Jam and unveiled the names of the 57 studios joining, which range from TiMi Studio Group, Rovio, Supercell and Ubisoft, from 27 countries who will work to integrate the theme of nature into their titles. This is the highest number of games in the jam since it started in 2019. This year, studios will work to both fundraise for conservation causes as well as a new campaign approach which will engage players to share why nature matters to them in an effort to show support for its protection. These messages would then be shared with policy makers, calling to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 and addressing the fact that 1 million of the planet’s estimated 8 million species is threatened with extinction.
Honor of Kings Chief Game Designer Dean Huang, whose team at TiMi Studio Group joins the Green Game Jam for the first time this year, said, “Honor of Kings is proud to pioneer gaming's environmental frontier through joining Green Game Jam. We believe games can drive real-world impact, and this is a great opportunity to integrate ecological conservation into gameplay. We hope every player will feel a deeper connection to our planet, take small but meaningful steps and embark on the journey from virtual guardians to real-world environmental advocates.” This year will be the sixth edition of the Green Game Jam which since it started has reached an annual average of 100 million daily active users, led to 1.5 million trees planted and $1.5M (1.5 million dollars) raised. It will also build on research undertaken as a collaboration between Dire Lark and the University of Edinburgh who worked with SYBO, Trailmix Games, and Wooga, to conduct a report that would explore effective design for green activations to empower players to take action for the environment. The full report will be released later in April and will summarise how 58,000 players reacted to engaging in environmental content in the games they regularly play and love. UNEP Chief of Youth, Education and Advocacy Sam Barratt said, “The awe of nature often sits quietly in the backdrop of many great games. This year, we want to change that and bring to the front of the stage and provide players with an opportunity to act. We are delighted to see so many returning titles and new ones joining too. We need nature, and nature needs us to protect and restore all that we can.”
The 59 studios in the jam have already started participating in workshops and conversations with experts ahead of the go-live launch date of June 5, World Environment Day. A full list of titles can be found here and includes 24 returnees from previous jams and 27 first-time participants such as Just Dance 2025 and Habbo Hotel. In addition to the campaign goal, the 2025 Green Game Jam will also give their player communities the chance to fund a nature-related cause or for studios to team up with On The Edge, Dots.eco and/or Planet Play. “Rovio is proud to collaborate with the Playing For The Planet Alliance and participate in initiatives like the Green Game Jam for the sixth consecutive year, reinforcing our commitment to environmental sustainability. With awareness creation being a key goal in our climate strategy, we believe in empowering our players to take action for the planet by integrating green activations into our games. The gaming industry has a powerful platform to inspire positive change, and with the Alliance we are better equipped to make that change happen through collaborating with industry leaders," says Heini Kaihu, Chief Sustainability Officer for Rovio, a founding member of the Playing For The Planet Alliance and regular contributor to the Green Game Jam. For more information on Playing For The Planet, including how to become a member, visit https://www.playing4theplanet.org/ or follow the organization on Instagram, LinkedIn or X/Twitter.
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Honor Of Kings Launches Green Activations To Drive Global Conservation Efforts Through Gaming
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| (Image Source: InsideSport/Level Infinite) |
TiMi Studio Group and Level Infinite have launched their campaign to unite the global Honor of Kings community in a mission to drive environmental conservation through gaming. Developed as a part of Green Game Jam 2025 organized by Playing For The Planet - an initiative supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - the campaign invites players to unlock rewards, and transforms their virtual achievements into measurable support for critical forest protection projects in the real world. Headlining the campaign is the ongoing Protect Nature, Protect All Life event, running through April 22, which integrates educational content crafted by forest conservation experts.
Players complete daily tasks to earn Forest Breath tokens, unlocking four chapters that explore unique forest ecosystems and 18 plant and animal species — including endangered ones — through interactive storytelling. As players progress, their collective efforts fill a global progress bar. Upon reaching 100% completion, Honor of Kings will purchase and retire high-integrity carbon credits to support four conservation initiatives selected based on the ratings from Sylvera, a global independent carbon credit rating agency, to ensure the quality and impact of these projects. These are the Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project (Indonesia), Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project (Malaysia), Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project (Indonesia), and the Brazilian Amazon APD Grouped Project (Brazil). On the other hand, through a special in-game event Match For Green which runs from now until May 4th, players engage in a fun stack and match game. By completing missions, sharing with friends, and logging in daily, they can earn tokens to unlock the exclusive Legendary Skin Sakeer - Verdant Serenity. This vibrant design celebrates nature with immersive animations, skills, and voice lines emphasizing the importance of healing humanity's connection with the environment.
The campaign was made possible thanks to Play For Good, an innovative platform developed by Tencent Games that enables players to engage in philanthropic activities by turning virtual achievements into meaningful acts of kindness, making the world a better place. Both campaign components - Protect Nature, Protect All Life and Match For Green - are part of this year's Green Game Jam also part of the annual Green Game Jam, hosted by Playing for the Planet Alliance with UNEP support, a global competition inspiring game studios to integrate environmental themes into games. To learn more please visit the official website of Green Game Jam 2025 at https://www.playing4theplanet.org/green-game-jam-2025.
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Record-Breaking 16 Regions To Vie For eSports World Cup 2025 x Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup 2025
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| (Image Source: MOONTON Games) |
The eSports World Cup (EWC) x Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2025 will make history with 16 participating regions — marking the largest number of competing regions to date. MOONTON Games recently announced the slot allocation for the EWC x MSC 2025, which will return in July 2025. This year's edition will see Japan and Vietnam each securing their own dedicated Wild Card slots, further expanding the tournament's competitive landscape and global reach. The EWC x MSC 2025 Wild Card will see Japan return to the international MLBB eSports stage for the first time since the M2 World Championship in 2020. Meanwhile, Vietnam will make its Wild Card debut — the first time since the format was introduced in international MLBB tournaments last year.
The Wild Card brings eight additional teams into the race for the EWC x MSC 2025 Main Stage. This format expansion has paved the way for more regions to make their mark at the world's largest multi-title eSports event. According to Esports Charts, the EWC x MSC 2024 Wild Card hit 373,543 Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV), the highest for any international MLBB tournament. Meanwhile, the EWC x MSC 2025 Main Stage will feature 16 international teams — including the eventual Wild Card winner — vying for the championship title. With the new Wild Card regions, this edition is set to be the most competitive and regionally diverse in the tournament's history. In 2024, the MSC was rebranded (from the MLBB Southeast Asia Cup) to reflect MOONTON Games' vision of fostering global inclusivity in eSports. This saw the tournament's expansion beyond Southeast Asia with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia serving as its host city. The EWC x MSC 2024 was a tremendous success, achieving the EWC 2024's highest viewership with 2.38 million PCV and over 29 million Hours Watched (HW) according to eSports Charts.
MOONTON Games Head of Regional eSports Mike Chu said, "The addition of new regions in EWC x MSC 2025 highlights our commitment to fostering an inclusive MLBB eSports ecosystem. By enhancing the tournament's global reach, we are providing a platform for eSports talent from around the world to compete at the highest level. This expansion not only increases the competitive level on display, it also celebrates the diverse passion that drives the MLBB eSports community. We're excited to team up with the EWC for its second edition — to showcase how two eSports giants celebrate spirted competition together." The EWC x MSC 2024 saw the Selangor Red Giants emerge as champions and take home Malaysia's first-ever MLBB world championship title, alongside the lion's share of the US$3,000,000 prize pool. According to eSports Charts, MLBB was 2024's most-watched mobile eSports title with over 475 million HW across all international, local, and official third-party tournaments.
