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Escape Studios partners with Epic Games and leading European animation schools to deliver world’s largest training programme in Unreal Engine
Mark Flanagan, Education Partner Manager, Epic Games said: “The Summer of Unreal is an incredible opportunity that is open to professionals in animation and VFX all across Europe, and we couldn’t be happier to invite the industry to participate. Escape Studios is a wonderful partner who, along with a number of Europe’s best animation schools, are running this programme, which is set to be the biggest Unreal Engine training that we’ve undertaken to date. We’re excited to help all learners find new ways to tell awesome stories and express their creativity using Unreal Engine.”
Saint Walker, Deputy Dean of Escape Studios, said: “The Summer of Unreal is a fantastic opportunity for animation and 3D CGI professionals across Europe to discover more about the cutting-edge technology on offer with Unreal Engine.
“We’ve worked with top animation companies to create a novel animation-centric way of teaching Unreal Engine, in one of the most ambitious training programmes that Escape Studios has been involved with – our vision of a pan-European festival of learning in Unreal Engine has gained us amazing academic partners in the form of some of the best animation schools in the world. We invite learners across Europe to join us. Make your summer staycation Unreal!”
The Summer of Unreal will be taught online in English and is free-of-charge to professionals working in the animation, motion graphics and VFX industry who want an informal group experience of learning Unreal Engine over the holiday period. The course will feature daily workshops covering all the major aspects of using Unreal Engine interspersed with practice time, teamwork, as well as demonstrations and masterclasses from some of Europe’s premiere companies and artists showing how they use the platform in their work.
Mark Spevick, Escape Studios’ Head of 3D VFX will be the main ‘showrunner’ for the Summer of Unreal. The unique role used in Escapes’ larger courses ensures that tutors get to hear and address the most important questions from the online shop floor through Mark’s advocacy. Mark combines teaching and programme design with senior industry experience, having worked at Peerless Camera, the production house co-owned by Terry Gilliam.
Partner quotes
Timothy Leborgne, Head of Talent & Skills Development, The Animation Workshop/VIA University College
“A course such as Summer of Unreal is very welcome. Whether you look at film, animated series, or games we can all see a growing demand for rapid development and competent animators. And Unreal Engine is one particularly advanced tool and software we can’t avoid as professionals in the future. So, I am excited and happy we bring such a valuable course to professionals in our industry. By partnering with such competent institutions and studios across Europe, we have ensured that the course will deliver the best training.”
Gilbert Kiner, President, ARTFX
“Since its creation in 2004, ARTFX has been dedicated to training students using the latest technology and software. Beyond using this engine for our Games courses, Unreal has also been integrated into the previz pipeline for our VFX programs. We are very happy and proud to have been chosen as the exclusive French partner for this collaborative initiative.”
Felix Balbás, Area Director of Animation & VFX at La Salle-URL
“Unreal Engine is a reality we can’t ignore. No longer only in videogames and recently virtual production, now more than ever the future of any visual content creation and in particular animation and VFX, must take this evolution into account. Not only in previs stage, but also in full production. This is why La Salle-URL’s commitment towards promoting state-of-the-art training along with leader institutions at a European level is reflected in the Summer of Unreal.”
Miljana Jovović, Executive Director, Crater Training Center
“We are happy to join the Summer of Unreal as partners for Southeastern Europe, as we see this project as a great chance to upskill and connect professionals across the continent. We have spent the first part of 2021 educating university professors in Serbia in Unreal Engine so they could implement the newly-gained knowledge to their study programs and introduce the software to their students.”
Katja Schmid, Visual Effects and Post Production Professor, Hochschule der Medien
“Many artists in the industry have been waiting for this course. Now the time has come. At the moment, Unreal is one of the most in-demand tools in the industry. The response to the course announcement has been fantastic. It’s just an amazing opportunity not only to get trained for free but also to be part of a most inspiring community! We are very impressed by this large-scale project and excited to be contributing.”
Gareth Lee, Screen Skills Ireland Manager
“Screen Skills Ireland is hugely excited to be part of the Summer of Unreal. This is a unique opportunity for Irish screen sector professionals to learn about the powerful capabilities of Unreal Engine from industry experts, as well as connect with their peers across Europe.”

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DATA.BET Teams up with Pragmatic Play Sports – Partnership to deliver full esports solution
DATA.BET, the trusted sportsbook solution supplier, has partnered with Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, to expand the gaming provider’s new esports betting product.
Through the collaboration, Pragmatic Play Sports can provide an esports solution that combines premium content with official data and best-in-class streaming technology.
DATA.BET will deliver its complete esports offering, giving Pragmatic Play Sports access to its odds feed and customisable Multi Widget that combines Scoreboards, Pitch Tracker, and low-latency live Video Streaming into a single interface.
Pragmatic Play Sports customers now have access to DATA.BET’s entire catalogue of 30+ esports disciplines, which includes some of the world’s most in-demand esports titles, such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2, EA Sports FC, Valorant, and League of Legends.
A broader rollout of additional disciplines is scheduled for upcoming phases through 2026. The collaboration equips Pragmatic Play Sports with reliable, premium esports content supported by strong infrastructure and seamless integration to meet the growing needs of its operators and customers.
“This is a long-term alignment where we will grow in the esports space together and deliver a strong, revenue-generating product to Pragmatic Play Sports and their clients,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET. “We are eager to collaborate with such a forward-looking team and continue delivering tools that help drive global growth. For DATA.BET, the project reinforces its strategy of delivering modular, scalable integrations to global leading partners.”
Gareth Crook, SVP of Sports at Pragmatic Play, said: “We’re delighted to expand our new esports product in conjunction with DATA.BET. This partnership delivers a complete esports solution powered by official data, giving operators reliable pricing and extensive event and market uptime. Alongside this, Pragmatic Play provides a premium range of managed services – including trading and risk management of esports – to ensure operators have the confidence and support they need. Esports is one of the fastest-growing global betting verticals, and this launch reinforces our commitment to an official-data approach while adding a truly dynamic new product to our already extensive portfolio.”
This collaboration marks another step in DATA.BET’s roadmap for scaling esports accessibility across the betting industry.
The post DATA.BET Teams up with Pragmatic Play Sports – Partnership to deliver full esports solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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XSOLLA WEB SHOP AND SINGULAR JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER CROSS-PLATFORM LTV AND ROAS MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS
Xsolla Web Shop And Singular S2S Integration Bridges The Gap Between Mobile Marketing And Web Transactions For Complete Campaign Visibility
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that helps developers launch, grow, and monetize their games, today announced a new mobile-focused Server-to-Server (S2S) integration with Singular, a leading marketing analytics and attribution platform. The integration unifies mobile marketing data with direct-to-consumer web purchases, enabling developers to measure campaign performance and player value more accurately than ever before.
As mobile game makers increasingly turn to Web Shops to expand revenue streams beyond app stores, one challenge has persisted: how to tie those off-platform transactions back to mobile marketing spend. The Xsolla Web Shop + Singular S2S integration closes this gap by treating Web Shop purchases as attributable events, giving developers true Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) and comprehensive Lifetime Value (LTV) insights.
Key advantages of the Xsolla Web Shop + Singular S2S integration:
- Capture both mobile and web purchases as part of a single funnel
- Link revenue directly to user acquisition and re-engagement campaigns
- Reveal the complete LTV picture across app and Web Shop transactions
With this integration, Web Shop purchases are transmitted to Singular as server-to-server events, then mapped back to the correct install source or re-engagement campaign. This provides growth teams with a single, trusted view of performance across all platforms.
“Having launched more than 600 mobile Web Shops, we’ve seen developers demand actionable data that connects web monetization with mobile marketing,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla. “Our new S2S integration with Singular delivers that missing link, giving teams the clarity to optimize and scale their Web Shop strategies confidently.”
“Our goal at Singular has always been to simplify complex data and make it actionable for growth teams,” said Gadi Eliashiv, CEO and Co-Founder at Singular. “By partnering with Xsolla, we’re giving developers the full-funnel visibility they need to measure ROI and maximize revenue across every platform.”
Learn more about the S2S integration for Xsolla Web Shop and Singular at: xsolla.pro/singular
The post XSOLLA WEB SHOP AND SINGULAR JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER CROSS-PLATFORM LTV AND ROAS MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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eGaming Integrity Welcomes Hayley Ashton as Compliance Manager
eGaming Integrity is proud to announce the appointment of Hayley Ashton as its new Compliance Manager, effective immediately. Hayley joins the firm in response to growing client demand for enhanced compliance support across the Isle of Man’s eGaming sector.
Hayley’s career reflects deep expertise across the regulatory and financial services sectors. She has gained extensive experience in anti-money laundering frameworks, risk assessment, and governance best practices, with a proven ability to support organisations in maintaining the highest compliance standards.
With diplomas in Anti-Money Laundering and Governance, Risk and Compliance from the International Compliance Association, alongside a BA in Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status from Leeds Beckett University, Hayley combines technical knowledge with strong skills in training, leadership, and operational delivery.
Emma Shilling, Director at eGaming Integrity, commented: “The demand for practical, outcome-focused compliance advice continues to grow as the GSC elevates standards and the island prepares for MONEYVAL. Hayley’s appointment reflects our commitment to meeting that demand, and her experience and proactive style will ensure clients get the support they need where it matters most.”
Hayley Ashton added: “I’m passionate about fostering compliance cultures that are both effective and sustainable. Delivering practical, outcomes-focused guidance tailored to real-world business contexts is where I believe compliance adds its most valuable contribution. I’m looking forward to working closely with our clients and helping them put robust, workable compliance practices in place.”
Hayley’s appointment strengthens eGaming Integrity’s team of industry experts and former regulators, reinforcing its leadership in mock audits, remediation and internal audits for the Isle of Man’s egaming licence holders.
The post eGaming Integrity Welcomes Hayley Ashton as Compliance Manager appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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