Marco Alessandro Minoli, Publishing Director of the British video game publisher Slitherine, was awarded this evening the prestigious Outstanding Individual Contribution prize at the 2025 Italian Video Game Awards hosted by IIDEA, the trade association of the Italian video game industry.

The award recognises Minoli’s ongoing commitment to promoting, supporting, and mentoring Italian developers, making a tangible contribution to the growth and professionalization of the sector in Italy.

“Especially over the past four years, since I began collaborating with IIDEA, the focus has been on sharing,” said Minoli during the ceremony. “Once our team reached a certain level of experience, I felt it was essential to share that knowledge with those just starting out and in need of support. There’s no magic formula for selling more copies: the more we share within the video game community, the more we increase the chances of success and of showing the world what Italian companies, developers, and talent can create.”

Beyond his work with IIDEA, Minoli has provided free coaching to Italian developers over the past two years and has been invited to give lectures and talks at leading academic institutions, including Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, IED – Istituto Europeo del Design, NABA – Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti, and IULM. In these forums, he has shared the story of the publisher and, in particular, the unique role of Slitherine’s Italian office, a rare case in the national landscape: a young team of 16 people based in Milan who manage every aspect of the publisher’s global marketing operations.

Words are followed by action: in the past year, Slitherine has started collaborating with two Italian studios, Futurats and Volcanite Games, joining the over 50 developers the company works with worldwide. Notably, on the same evening, Vulcanite Games was awarded Best Italian Debut Game.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Slitherine has an annual turnover of approximately €150 million and specializes in the production of strategy video games. Its best sellers include Starship Troopers: Terran Command, inspired by Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film, and Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance, set after the latest movie in the iconic franchise.

Slitherine’s journey is far from over: on Thursday, June 19, the British publisher will release the highly anticipated strategy game Broken Arrow, currently ranked 25th (out of more than 15,000 upcoming titles this year) on the Steam wishlist charts—the world’s leading digital video game store.

For more information: Slitherine Press Office – [email protected]

S8UL becomes one of India’s first to compete across 12 top esports titles, redefining the global presence of Indian esports

The team is set to compete in Riot Games’ upcoming Legends Ascend tournament where the winning team will qualify for the LOL Championship Pacific (LCP) Wildcard Playoffs

S8UL Esports, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, has officially announced its entry into League of Legends (LOL) with the acquisition of one of South Asia’s leading rosters. This move marks yet another milestone in S8UL’s ongoing expansion into some of the world’s biggest esports titles, reinforcing its commitment to building a formidable international presence across multiple competitive ecosystems.

The team features captain Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot), Aakash Shandilya (Infi), Ahmed Shahid (Nero), and Mihir Ranjan (Angelslotus) from India, along with Mehrab Uddin Ahmed (RTO) from Bangladesh and Tharuka Fernando (KratoZ) from Sri Lanka. The core roster has already established itself as a dominant force in South Asia.

In a milestone achievement, Akshaj, Aakash, and Mihir represented India in LOL at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, where esports debuted as an official medal event. After topping the regional qualifiers, they advanced to the quarterfinals and secured a commendable fifth-place finish, competing against the best teams in Asia.

Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, said, “League of Legends is one of the most iconic esports titles in the world, and we believe this is the right moment for S8UL to step onto that stage. Our vision has always been to lead from the front, both in performance and in growing the ecosystem, and this move is a significant step in that direction. This roster has already shown what it’s capable of, consistently dominating the regional circuit. Now that they are under the S8UL banner, we are excited to support them in their journey to greater heights and help pave the way for South Asia to make its mark in global League of Legends esports”

In 2024, under the banner of Temple of Kings, the roster won major titles including the Skyesports WD Black Cup 1 & 2, Pro League, and the SMG South Asia Cup 1, 2, and 3, in addition to TEC’s July and August Opens. In 2025, they continued their winning streak with four tournament victories under Asterisk. The team now joins S8UL with a proven record of success, synergy, and regional pride.

“Joining S8UL is a defining moment for us. We’ve been grinding together for years, and to now be part of India’s biggest esports organisation gives us the platform to take things to the next level. With the support S8UL brings, we’re ready to prove our mettle at the highest level,” commented Akshaj ‘Kat Bot’ Shenoy, captain of S8UL’s League of Legends team.

The team is set to compete in Legends Ascend 2025, India’s first publisher driven amateur LOL tournament. With a total prize pool of INR 10 lakhs, the tournament will culminate on August 3, and its champion will earn a coveted spot in the LOL Championship Pacific (LCP) Wildcard Playoffs which is the gateway to LCP’s promotion and relegation tournament. S8UL’s entry marks a bold move by the Indian organisation to dominate the regional circuit and reach the global stage.

With this, S8UL strengthens its competitive roster portfolio, now fielding top-tier lineups across 12 premier esports titles. These include Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India, Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EAFC 25, Fatal Fury, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Pokémon UNITE, StarCraft II, Tekken 8, VALORANT, and now League of Legends.

As the first and only Indian organization set to compete at the upcoming Esports World Cup in Riyadh, S8UL continues to build on its legacy of pioneering global representation for Indian esports.

Ten Square Games S.A. reports continued growth in the performance of its proprietary web-based platform, the TSG Store, which in May 2025 accounted for 30% of combined bookings in Fishing Clash and Hunting Clash – the company’s two flagship products. This result marks a major milestone in the development of the platform and brings the Group closer to its strategic target of 25% share in total bookings across the TSG portfolio.

From launch to record-high share

The TSG Store was introduced in May 2023, initially for Fishing Clash, followed by Hunting Clash in September 2023. Designed as a browser-based direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, it allows players to purchase in-game content outside of traditional app stores. Since its launch, the store has grown steadily in terms of user engagement and transaction volume, supported by ongoing feature enhancements such as dedicated currency, loyalty packs, and exclusive promotions.

In March 2025, the store reached a monthly share of 19.1% in total bookings of the TSG Group. Within that result, Fishing Clash reached 26.1% of its bookings through the TSG Store, while Hunting Clash reached 17.5%. In May 2025, 30% of combined bookings in Fishing Clash and Hunting Clash came through the TSG Store marking the highest levels of bookings through the store to date and bringing it closer to its ultimate goal.

Building value through player communication

The success of the TSG Store has been driven not only by technical enhancements, but also by clear and consistent communication with players about the value and benefits of using the direct-to-consumer platform. A major priority from the outset was ensuring a seamless gameplay experience. This was achieved by introducing dedicated in-game currencies for each title – Fishbucks in Fishing Clash and Deerbucks in Hunting Clash – and by designing a user interface aligned with the look and feel of the games.

The platform’s development was also guided by ongoing discussions with the most engaged user groups, particularly VIP players, who not only provided valuable feedback but also helped promote the store within their clans and player communities. This close relationship with the player base proved essential in building trust and driving store adoption.

– The success of the TSG Store reflects not only product innovation, but also our long-term approach to building a more resilient and profitable business model. What made this possible was close cross-team collaboration – from product and monetization to tech, design, analytics, and community management. Creating your own store that strengthens both the player experience and the company’s financial foundation requires more than infrastructure. It requires shared vision, strategic alignment, and deep understanding of what drives player value. I believe this is just the beginning of what we can achieve.” – commented Grzegorz Gierczyk, Head of Game Services in Ten Square Games S.A.

A strategic tool for profitability

The TSG Store was created as a strategic tool to improve game profitability by reducing commission fees paid to third-party platforms. In the current mobile gaming environment – marked by increasing user acquisition costs and growing competition – optimizing margins has become essential. The store enables Ten Square Games to retain a larger share of player spending without altering its user acquisition strategy.

Players benefit from competitive pricing, bonus content, and additional value, while the company gains improved unit economics, more flexibility in shaping monetization strategies, and a direct relationship with its most engaged users.

Changing market dynamics support long-term growth

In a market shaped by evolving privacy regulations, platform policies, and monetization models, owning part of the payment ecosystem becomes a competitive advantage. The TSG Store is now an integral part of Ten Square Games’ long-term strategy to build a more resilient and profitable business model – one where financial performance and player experience go hand in hand. Following recent legal rulings in the United States and ongoing antitrust proceedings in other jurisdictions, the outlook for DTC platforms has significantly improved.