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Pixel Federation goes back to Slovakian roots to ramp up its successful CSR strategy
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The largest game developer in Slovakia, Pixel Federation, has spent the last 14 years growing successfully, now boasting a staggering €47.8m annual revenue in 2020 and 120 million loyal players across international markets, however it has also consistently dedicated itself to contributing to Slovakia’s development. A strong focus on responsible business strategy has always been key to Pixel Federation’s operations and supporting its hometown of Bratislava was core to the CSR. Pixel rose admirably to the challenge of the pandemic, with focus splitting from its long-standing education and innovative development, towards fundraising resources for frontline workers, and now Pixel is adapting its CSR strategy once again, to focus on the environment.
Actively contributing to the green fight swept the games industry last Summer, with initiatives such as Playing for the Planet and Green Game Jams pointing the spotlight onto the impact gamers and respective developers can have on global issues. A sector heavily scrutinised for its environmental footprint and carbon waste, it was an important step for game developers to take towards counteracting their global footprint and joining together to conserve the environment. For Pixel Federation staff and expansive player communities, doing their bit for the planet continues to be a poignant issue and so the company has pledged to dedicate a large portion of its upcoming CSR to a number of environmental projects.
“Education, the environment, culture and sport are still only an appendix on the edge of many Slovakians’ understanding of life skills. It’s a long-term and unchanged situation in non-strength sectors as they don’t have a quick return on investment. We want to ensure that the Slovakia we leave behind is better than the one we were born into,” says Co-Founder, CSR Strategy lead and CLO, Lucia Šickova.
Breath of fresh air
Pixel Federation is a company rooted in strong community values, and the call from the players and staff was clear; the environment is key to our greater survival, and a worthwhile and meaningful investment. Rolling up its sleeves to get back to its founding roots, the company chose to collaborate with Bratislava city on the 10,000 trees project, the first 12 of which, planted through this green initiative, already stand proud on Šancova Street in Bratislava.
“I see this activity as a partnership with the city. Our motivation is not personal or corporate PR, our motivation is impact and something that will outlive all of us,” comments Co-Founder and former CEO, Šimon Šicko
Alongside dedicating time and funds to the 10,000 trees project, Pixel Federation will also work closely with BROZ (Bratislava Regional Conservation Association) which brings together professional conservationists dedicated to the protection and restoration of rare habitats in the Slovakian mountain range, Little Carpathians. These mountains are victim to extensive felling, often of healthy trees, leaving behind a sparse and barren environment. Funding from Pixel Federation will be used to mark healthy trees for forest rescue and rejuvenation of the local habitat.
With these projects already underway, Lucia is determined that Pixel Federation’s support for wider efforts won’t be fixed, to allow for spontaneous aid where needed. “Our CSR strategy has always been a combination of long-term, consistent support for the projects we believe in, as well as one-time support for efforts we see as an urgent need. In recent years, we have also supported the Kramáre Hospital, the well-known Red Nose initiative, and focused our efforts to fundraise for frontline workers when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Slovakia,” affirms Lucia.
The results stand firm
At the birth of Pixel Federation’s charitable ventures, the main ambition was to raise awareness of gaming and provide opportunities for young people to encourage fostering creativity and innovative skills, a field that Slovakian education at the time did not consider worthwhile.
Pixel’s first education project was the Butterfly Effect: a unique and highly valued platform across the nation where successful Slovakian digital companies such as Sygic, Leaf, HubHub and Pixel Federation share their knowledge with young people, and the results are impressive. More than 130 programme graduates have successfully created 22 products and produced four new start-ups full of enthusiastic young talent. With long-term financial support from Pixel Federation, the dedicated people behind Edulienka were able to create a standardized education system that focuses on innovative and comprehensive development of 21st century skills in socially disadvantaged children. Distributed amongst a number of schools in Slovakia, Pixel’s time and funds supported this project to ensure the expansion of the first school from 15 to 100 pupils and enabled those from socially disadvantaged families to study.
Pixel Federation also initiated the pandemic driven platform Who will help Slovakia to aid Slovak medical facilities in the face of COVID-19. Together with a number of other parties, Pixel launched a nationwide fundraising project in a record time of just a few days, gaining wider support from several companies including tech giant Amazon, ČSOB Foundation and many others. In total, Who will help Slovakia, headed by Pixel Federation, successfully raised an incredible fund of more than €1.4 million.
There is little doubt that the results Pixel has derived from its dedication to supporting development within Slovakia speak for themselves. The education projects alone have enabled hundreds of students to develop otherwise unattainable life skills and helped transform Slovakia into a gaming industry to be reckoned with.
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Esports Charts becomes the official viewership analytics partner of the StarLadder StarSeries Season 19
Esports Charts, the leading esports viewership analytics provider, is pleased to announce a new partnership with StarLadder, a veteran tournament organizer.
The companies will partner for the new season of StarLadder StarSeries Season 19 — the legendary tournament series returns to the professional Counter-Strike scene after a six-year break.
As the official analytics partner of the StarLadder StarSeries Season 19, Esports Charts will provide comprehensive, real-time audience data and insights throughout the event for a deeper understanding of the tournament’s global reach.
“We’re proud to provide real-time viewership analytics for StarLadder StarSeries Season 19,” said Artyom Odintsov, co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts. “We welcome the return of StarLadder to the Tier‑1 Counter-Strike stage, adding healthy competition among tournament organizers. This season marks an exciting new chapter for a historic series, and our data will help capture audience engagement throughout the event, giving organizers, teams, and sponsors valuable insights into global viewership trends.”
StarLadder has been a driving force in global esports for almost 25 years, since hosting its first tournaments in 2001. The company has organized some of the industry’s most iconic events, including the StarLadder Berlin Major and The DOTA 2 Chongqing Major in 2019. Later this year, StarLadder will also host the Budapest Major 2025 — where it was earlier announced that Esports Charts will serve as the official viewership analytics partner.
The StarSeries tournament series, a key part of StarLadder’s brand, has helped launch the careers of numerous Counter-Strike stars. The last StarSeries event, StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 8, took place in October 2019 in Turkey. After a six-year hiatus, the series is finally set to make its return this fall with a brand-new season in Europe.
“StarLadder’s decision to partner with Esports Charts once again reflects our confidence in their leadership in esports viewership analytics. Their methodology sets the benchmark for accuracy and transparency — from tracking impressions with a true 30-second viewing window to providing insights that go far beyond raw numbers. Together, we are committed to giving brands and fans a deeper statistics of competitive Counter-Strike, powered by metrics that truly matter,” shared Viacheslav Shcherbakov, Head of Sales & Partnerships at StarLadder.
The StarLadder StarSeries Season 19 will run from September 18 to 21 in Budapest, Hungary, featuring a $500,000 prize pool. Eight teams will battle for the title: Natus Vincere, B8 Esports, Passion UA, 9INE, PARIVISION, OG, and Gentle Mates.
The post Esports Charts becomes the official viewership analytics partner of the StarLadder StarSeries Season 19 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The 2025 editions of ICE and iGB Affiliate generated €191 million in economic impact for Barcelona and Catalonia as well as supporting an estimated 3,100 part time jobs, according to a study conducted by Equimore.
The two world leading business to business events which attracted attendees from 186 countries generating 121,000 overnight stays benefitted a wide range of local businesses including hotels, restaurants, transport services, venues and event production with the average daily spend of non-local attendees calculated at €449.
An input-output model was employed to estimate the total direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts resulting from Barcelona hosting ICE and iGB Affiliate 2025.
The analysis also evaluated the employment effects capturing the jobs created and supported as a result of hosting the exhibitions. Direct Impacts consists of expenditures associated with organising, exhibiting, and attending within the Barcelona – Catalonia economy. The indirect or secondary impacts corresponds to the knock-on effect of the event on the Barcelona -Catalonia economy including activity generated by the suppliers and service providers that benefited from the direct impact of the event. Induced impacts which corresponds to the activity generated by the consumption in the Barcelona-Catalonia economy of the wages received by people who worked directly or indirectly on the 2025 events.
Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter said: “After many successful years in London, we made the decision to relocate to Barcelona with a clear ambition: to evolve, to grow, and to offer our global community an even greater platform for connection and innovation.
“The industry’s experience in Barcelona was shaped by several key factors that made ICE and iGB Affiliate 2025 truly exceptional. World-class exhibitors showcased an outstanding cross-section of global gaming innovation. The Clarion Gaming team, collaborating seamlessly with partners at Fira GranVia, demonstrated why they’re regarded as the best in the business.
“The results speak for themselves — a record attendance, exceptional exhibitor engagement, and an impressive €191 million in economic impact for the Barcelona and Catalonia economy boosted by a large international business audience. We can’t wait to see everyone again in January 2026.”
The post Study confirms €191 million economic impact of ICE and iGB Affiliate 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GGPoker to Broadcast WSOP Online 2025 Final Tables Live, Featuring GGPoker.tv Broadcast Debut of Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth
Join Jeff Gross and his legendary co-hosts on September 23 and September 30
GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, today announced it will live stream the final table action of two of the most prestigious events from the ongoing WSOP Online 2025 tournament series. The broadcasts will be available on GGPoker.tv, the brand’s official YouTube channel, and will feature the debut of poker legend Phil Hellmuth as a live GGPoker.tv broadcast host.
The first broadcast, on September 23, will showcase the high-stakes drama from the final table of the $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event, arguably online poker’s most important annual tournament. This landmark event will be co-hosted by frequent GGPoker anchor Jeff Gross and the 17-time WSOP bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth. Known for his “poker brat” persona and unparalleled tournament record, Hellmuth’s inclusion will provide viewers with an unprecedented look into the mind of one of poker’s greatest champions.
The action continues on September 30, with the final table of the $10,300 GGMillion$ High Rollers event. Joining Jeff Gross for this broadcast will be GGPoker Global Ambassador and fellow poker icon, Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu, with his engaging style and deep understanding of the game, will provide expert commentary and analysis, making this broadcast another must-watch for poker fans everywhere.
“We are incredibly excited to bring the WSOP Online 2025 action directly to our fans with these two live broadcasts,” said Paul Burke, Head of Public Relations at GGPoker. “Having Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu on air alongside Jeff Gross to break down the action will be a true treat. This will be more than just watching a final table; it’ll be a masterclass in poker strategy from two of the best to ever play the game.”
The post GGPoker to Broadcast WSOP Online 2025 Final Tables Live, Featuring GGPoker.tv Broadcast Debut of Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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