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A new era for Pixel Federation: CEO moves across the organisation to take the Creative Lead
An outstanding year of growth for Slovakian based game development studio Pixel Federation, has led to impressive investment back into the company and a forward-thinking restructuring. After over a decade as CEO, Simon Sicko now steps away from directing and into a newly defined creative role. In turn, the leadership of Pixel Federation will enter a new era of team management. Taking on the challenge of leading the Research and Development team, which he himself launched in 2019, Simon is determined to get back to his roots with conceptualising new innovations within the development process.
“After many years as CEO, representing the company, I’ve grown from the ground up, I’ve found myself craving a move to roll up my sleeves and immerse myself back into the creative process.” said Sicko. “With a fantastic team at my disposal, I can get back to the roots of Pixel Federation creation and trust in the brilliant leadership to continue progressing Pixel; we are already working on a new ‘Build Tycoon’ game which we can’t wait to launch very soon.’
As an innovative, pioneering and successful CEO, Simon’s leadership saw the company grow from a small group of game enthusiasts to one of the biggest free-to-play mobile game development studios in Central Europe. Starting as just 4 founders, and a dog, in a leaky warehouse, to now boasting more than 230 employees, the company reached a cumulative turnover of more than €50 million for the year March 2020 – March 2021. However, determined not to let its success spill over into its ideology, Pixel Federation is turning its revenue inwards and focusing on games for its incredibly dedicated community, building the creative processes and research and development teams further: all in the name of creating games, from players to players.
Simon’s move away from CEO will not leave Pixel Federation lacking stability: in fact the company’s growth has meant a shift towards a multi-person management team at the top tier. Pixel Federation’s strong belief that community and transparency are the key to success will now be reflected all the way through the company, with three of the current top managers working together to lead the studio collaboratively. This new era of leadership comes with an ambition to increase the company’s performance twofold within just a few years, and the experience and motivation of the new leadership team will strive to do just that. With excellent financial and cultural conditions to drive change at the moment, Pixel Federation is expected to go from strength to strength as the year continues.
Awarded various prizes during his time as CEO, including The Most Respected CEO in Slovakia of 2020, Simon’s true passion for game creation has remained strong. With the ethos of community and dedication that Pixel Federation upholds at the core, Simon’s vision now is to dedicate his time to innovation and creative development. His first step will be immersing himself in building a new hit game that could earn €20 million annually in revenue for Pixel Federation. Leading the graphics teams, Simon will draw on his experience as an architect and his detailed eye for aesthetics to pave the way forward for Pixel Federation game designs.
‘I am looking forward to the challenge of delving deep into the culture of Pixel Federation with a small team and driving the creative process again. I have every faith and trust in the new management team and I am excited to continue bringing value to a company I believe has so much potential in the future of game development.’ concludes Simon, former CEO.
With a number of games in development for launch later this year, Pixel Federation will continue going from strength to strength, driving change in the gaming world and beyond.
Latest News
Tom Horn Gaming Unwraps a Frosty Treat with Santa Yetti
Reading Time: 2 minutes
This December, Tom Horn Gaming invites players to the snowy mountain peaks in its new release, Santa Yetti, a playful holiday adventure where the jolly king of the mountains swaps his sleigh for snow boots to deliver frosty fortunes and festive fun.
Santa Yetti brings a flurry of excitement to the reels with Expanding Wilds, Multipliers, Respins, and the Respin Booster feature.
The Snowman is a Wild symbol. When it lands on any of the three reels, it expands and triggers a single respin. During the respin, seven win lines transform into twenty-seven ways to win, piling up prizes like Christmas presents. When all three reels are fully stacked with the same symbol, the total win is multiplied by ten, creating a snowstorm of rewards.
Players can also activate the Respin Booster, which increases their total bet by 1.5x and boosts the chance of triggering a respin by 300%. The feature remains active until manually switched off, giving players full control over their gameplay. For those feeling extra lucky, the Star Gamble Ladder appears after every base game win, allowing them to gamble their winnings by guessing the next star’s colour – pink or blue. Each correct guess doubles the prize and pushes the player up one level. The Golden Star can randomly appear at levels two to five to double the win instantly, no guess required.
“Santa Yeti brings together everything players love about Tom Horn games – fun, engaging mechanics, and a great story to match. It’s festive, it’s fresh, and it’s packed with features that keep the excitement rolling. We wanted to end the year on a high note, and Santa Yetti does exactly that with humour, charm, and plenty of win potential,” said Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming.
Blending simple yet fast-paced gameplay with dynamic mechanics, Santa Yetti offers short, mobile-optimised sessions that are sure to delight both casual spinners and seasoned players. Its engaging format and rewarding features make it a perfect choice for operators looking to boost engagement during the high-traffic festive season. With its playful theme, quirky light-hearted style, and generous win potential, Santa Yetti is set to make this Christmas truly santastic.
The post Tom Horn Gaming Unwraps a Frosty Treat with Santa Yetti appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Ygam appoints Emily Tofield as new Chief Executive
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Emily Tofield has been the appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Ygam, the UK’s leading charity dedicated to preventing gaming and gambling harms among children and young people. She will officially join the charity on the 6 January 2026.
Emily joins the charity following a 20-year career in leadership roles across UK government, local government, higher education and research, the media, and the not-for-profit sector. Her previous roles include posts in the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the University of Sussex, and at the City of London Corporation. With a distinguished breadth of expertise in strategic communications, she is recognised as a leading adviser across strategy, corporate affairs, reputation, marketing, policy, and fundraising.
Emily is an experienced non-executive, currently serving on the board of the Kent homelessness charity, Porchlight. She is Chair Designate of the Girls’ Learning Trust (GLT), the largest all-girls state multi-academy trust in the UK and was recently appointed to the Board of the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
Mike Wojcik, Chair of Ygam, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Emily to Ygam following a highly competitive recruitment process. Her depth of experience and proven leadership across stakeholder and political engagement, and social impact, will be instrumental as we enter our next strategic cycle. Emily joins an exceptionally strong leadership team, and this appointment marks an important new chapter for Ygam as we continue to strengthen our position as a trusted expert voice and sector leader dedicated to preventing gaming, gambling, and digital harms among young people.”
Emily Tofield, Incoming Chief Executive of Ygam, said: “Ygam has reached record numbers of young people as part of its critical mission to protect children and young people from gaming and gambling harms and to help safeguard their digital futures. As a passionate advocate for the benefits of prevention, it is a huge privilege to take on the role of Chief Executive of such a respected national education and prevention charity whose work already makes a difference to so many. High-quality, inclusive, evidence-based, preventative education around gaming and gambling harms remains as important today as when Ygam was founded, and I’m looking forward to working with the impressive Ygam team to further grow its reach, partnerships and impact in the years ahead.”
The post Ygam appoints Emily Tofield as new Chief Executive appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ZEAL and bet-at-home launch joint gaming initiative
Reading Time: < 1 minute
- bet-at-home integrates ZEAL Instant Games titles into its German website
- First selection of ZEAL slots now available
- Partnership boosts reach, portfolio strength, and growth for both companies
ZEAL Instant Games, a brand of the ZEAL Group and a provider of online games, announces a new strategic partnership with online gaming operator bet-at-home. As part of the collaboration, bet-at-home seamlessly integrates the growing portfolio of ZEAL slots into its website. The first titles are already available to customers on bet-at-home.de.
Stronger together: Premium content meets established brand presence
Both partners stand to benefit from the collaboration: While bet-at-home expands its portfolio offering with ZEAL titles – enhancing its appeal and reach within the online games segment – ZEAL Instant Games gains another prominent partner whose market presence accelerates the brand’s dynamic growth and enables access to a broader user base.
In addition to best-selling ZEAL titles such as “The Bookmaker”, “Crime Scene”, “Vegas Blaze“, and other premium slots, the portfolio will continue to grow steadily in the coming months.
Shared perspectives
“Our mission is to make innovative, high-quality games accessible to the widest possible audience,” says Alex Green, Vice President Games at ZEAL. “With bet-at-home, we are gaining a partner that has held a strong position in the market for many years. This collaboration opens up new opportunities for expanding our reach and underscores the enormous potential of our growing games portfolio.”
From bet-at-home’s side: “We are delighted to have ZEAL Instant Games as a partner known for quality, creativity, and reliable performance,” says Claus Retschitzegger, CEO, bet-at-home. “The new ZEAL titles are a great addition to our offering and provide our customers with exciting and varied gaming experiences. This partnership is an important element of our growth strategy.”
The post ZEAL and bet-at-home launch joint gaming initiative appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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