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Gaming is in the mainstream and it’s here to stay
By Tobias Knutsson, CEO, Adverty
It’s taken a lot to finally rub out marketers’ lingering belief that gaming is a thing for kids, a niche media channel, a flash in the pan. The pandemic did some of the final lifting, but in a gaming business that is booming on all sides, absorbing women, older people, obsessive Esports fans, cloud gamers, monthly subscribers – you name it – the numbers are now unignorable: an estimated audience of somewhere between 2.5bn and 3bn+, with a global value of $162.32bn last year. If that’s not mainstream, what is?
Nike, Coca-Cola, Redbull, even Gucci and L’Oréal have all waded into the gaming space, and smaller brands with more modest budgets are beginning to follow. So gaming is having a moment that started some time ago and promises to last – what should its exponents do to maximise it and build strong, sustainable connections with brands?
Hold their hands
Brands that are new to gaming often lack in-house expertise and even background knowledge. As with social media, gaming needs dedicated experts on the client side, and inevitably brands will recruit their own, but until that part of the puzzle falls into place, it is incumbent on publishers and ad tech providers to explain the protocols, the opportunities and the rules of thumb in clear and accessible terms. (In brief: respect the space, add value, but don’t get in the way.)
Bring gaming ads in line with other media
Convincing marketers is one thing, but the gaming advertising business needs to give those executives the tools to win the argument with the finance people. That means the gaming world needs to work hard to standardise its metrics, its formats, its sizes, in order to bring itself into line with the wider ad industry. Gaming is a complex environment for brands, who will ultimately only invest in what they understand. So the emergence of formats that stand direct comparison with those of other media – such as Adverty’s own In-Play branding ads and In-Menu performance ads – combined with robust metrics, strengthen gaming’s pitch for brand dollars.
Never generalise
The gaming audience is indescribably varied and ranges far beyond the young, male stereotype. More than 50% of mobile gamers are older than 34 [source: Mediakix] and 51% are women [source: MoPub]. So the question isn’t any longer about which brands could benefit from targeting ‘a gaming audience’, but exactly how to target your brand’s precise audience through gaming.
Make it worthwhile for users
The predominance of mobile games – which last year claimed $120 billion of consumer spend against home and handheld consoles’ $43 billion [source: App Annie] – indicates a need for strong mobile-friendly advertising models. A weight of research points to the fact that free-to-play gamers understand the value exchange and are comfortable with the presence of advertisers, but tolerance turns to genuine enthusiasm when brands add value to gaming. In-game rewards such as hints and power-ups work well in exchange for watching ads and dovetail nicely with in-game purchases. Further research points to the effectiveness of in-game branding advertising as a driver of positive sentiment.

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Esports organisation G2 returns to Kings League Germany with G2 FC, building on a groundbreaking debut
Reading Time: 3 minutes
- G2, one of the world’s leading global esports and entertainment brands, is back in Kings League Germany for its second season
- G2 FC, the football team created by G2, finished 3rd in Kings League Germany in its debut season and qualified for the Kings League World Cup
- G2’s competitive DNA, innovation, and storytelling has made them the number 1 supported esports team by German fans, with 46.33% naming the team their favourite, according to recent findings from Esports Bund Deutschland
- Season 2 brings back leadership with Ron Stublla as Team Manager and Malik Hadziavdic as Head Coach, building on the strong foundation established in Season 1
- New presidents for 2026 – Mohammed ‘MoAuba’ Harkous – professional EAFC player (World Championship winner and 5x German champion) and Konygebony – German lifestyle influencer and rapper
- By bridging traditional football and esports, G2 FC continues to expand the boundaries of sports entertainment and engage audiences across platforms and generations
G2, one of the world’s leading esports and entertainment brands, has announced the return of its football team, G2 FC, to Kings League Germany for its second season. The team officially kicked off the season on October 12th, building on a debut that saw them finish 3rd in the league, qualify for the Kings League World Cup and were the second most watched team in Germany (via Esports Charts). Quickly winning over fans across Germany, G2 FC blends high-level performance, innovation, and storytelling to deliver a unique football and esports experience.
Kings League Germany officially launched its second season on October 12, 2025, in Cologne with an event announcing the new rosters and pro kits for teams competing in the tournament. Part of the global 7-a-side Kings League, founded in 2022 by former FC Barcelona and Spanish national team player Gerard Piqué, the German league features two groups of four teams competing throughout October and November at MMC Studios Cologne, culminating in the Final Four on November 15. The German Kings League Cup winner will advance to the European Final in Berlin on November 22, facing teams from Spain and Italy at the Velodrom.
This season, G2 FC returns with continuity, tactical expertise, and renewed energy as it enters its second season. The team continues to showcase G2’s commitment to innovation and cross-cultural sports experiences, providing a platform to merge traditional football with esports and entertainment. By engaging fans across live and digital channels and exploring new media genres and formats, G2 FC is helping position Kings League as the future of sports entertainment, where esports meets football.
G2 FC is bringing back Team Manager Ron Stublla, whose background in Sports Management and experience in the Youth Bundesliga provide strong leadership on and off the pitch, alongside Head Coach Malik Hadziavdic, a former member of the German National Futsal team and player for FC Liria Berlin in the Futsal Bundesliga, who combines tactical knowledge with hands-on playing experience. The presidents for the club have changed, however, and G2 FC welcomes Mohammed ‘MoAuba’ Harkous, a professional EAFC player who’s a World Championship winner and 5x German champion, and Konygebony, a German lifestyle influencer and rapper. Tarik Haadziavdic, Kevin Moreira, Ahmed Omeirat and Cihan Ucar return to the squad for another season alongside a line-up of exciting new players that qualified for the team after a series of trials in Berlin.
2025 marks G2’s 10-year anniversary, highlighting a decade of growth into a global esports powerhouse with teams across multiple regions and long-standing partnerships with brands such as Mastercard, Red Bull, Ralph Lauren, Jägermeister and Herman Miller. Expansion into traditional sports remains a key pillar for G2, and its strong connection to fans is clear, with 46.33% of German esports fans naming G2 their favourite team. This connection drives its approach in Kings League, offering a fresh way to experience football by blending sport, entertainment, and digital innovation while bringing competitive excellence, creativity, and a fan-first mindset to engage the next generation of sports fans.
Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2, comments: “Our debut season in Kings League Germany demonstrated the potential of combining esports and traditional sports. For Season 2, we are focused on delivering new content, connecting with fans in innovative ways, and pushing the boundaries of what sports entertainment can achieve. G2 FC perfectly aligns to our long-term vision of blending competitive performance with storytelling and digital innovation for the next generation of sports fans.”
G2 FC’s return reinforces the organisation’s commitment to redefining sports and esports. With returning leadership, fresh talent, dynamic content, and a passionate fanbase, the team is ready to make Season 2 its most exciting chapter yet.
The post Esports organisation G2 returns to Kings League Germany with G2 FC, building on a groundbreaking debut appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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PARIMATCH REVEALS ACTION-PACKED NEW UFC AD CAMPAIGN
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Featuring cinematic storytelling and powerful visuals, the content reinforces Parimatch’s passion for pushing boundaries alongside UFC
Parimatch’s latest campaign brings cinematic flair and raw intensity to the screen, capturing the emotion and energy required to compete in the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation. The campaign builds on major sports partnerships that have made Parimatch a global backer of professional sports, with a strong presence across Asia and the MENA regions. Released ahead of UFC 321: ASPINALL vs GANE, it sets the tone for what promises to be an unforgettable event.
The innovative campaign labelled “Get Closer. Feel Everything” redefines fan connection, bringing audiences closer than ever to the intensity of the Octagon®. Raw energy. Elite strikes. Heart-stopping moments. Experience what TV screens can never capture.
“UFC has always been personal – first for me, then for Parimatch,” said Sergey Portnov, CEO of Parimatch. “I grew up dreaming of becoming a pro fighter, training Muay Thai twice a day to the extreme. That passion never left me, and it evolved into years of partnership with the UFC. As someone who lives and breathes combat sports, I know fight fans want more than watching through screens – they want to feel the cage shake, to experience raw, unfiltered access to the Octagon®. This is only the beginning. Campaigns like this will drive our fan engagement strategy as we expand into new regions and strengthen our global presence.
Video: youtube.com/watch?v=T-fTXXrkwCY
Beyond the Screen: Where Real UFC Lives
Most fans watch fights through a screen and miss the thunderous roar of the crowd, the powerful force behind every strike, and the electric tension that fills inside the arena – now Parimatch is changing the game entirely. The campaign delivers cinematic-quality content that brings viewers closer to the Octagon® for every jaw-dropping knockout, lightning-fast dodge, and emotional victory celebration.
The high-octane video captures:
- Recreations of UFC events, showcasing the raw power and precision that makes champions
- Unfiltered athlete emotions – from the focused intensity before the fight to the explosive celebrations after victory
- Crowd energy that makes your pulse race and adrenaline surge
- Music-synced editing that amplifies every moment of impact and triumph
The post PARIMATCH REVEALS ACTION-PACKED NEW UFC AD CAMPAIGN appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch!
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced Evive Australia as the first innovation to take the stage at Pitch! – part of the annual RTG gathering in Sydney in March.
The event will take place at the famous Sydney Opera House on 9 March 2026, as part of the sixth edition of the international regulatory and industry conference.
Evive is an app designed to help people change how they play or seek support for gambling harms. Created by Sam DeMello, a tech specialist drawing on his lived experience of gambling harm, and supported by Jay Robinson, a safer-gambling expert with over two decades of harm-minimisation and prevention experience, Evive Australia aims to deliver personalised tools, resources and pathways for anyone seeking to reduce risk or access help.
“Evive brings together real-world experience, clinical expertise and technology to create an accessible and credible platform for change. Pitch! was conceived to spotlight exactly these kinds of innovations – ideas that challenge convention, improve safeguards and reimagine the future of regulation and industry practice,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game.
“Evive isn’t just another app, it’s a bridge between lived experience, behavioral science and practical support. It shows that compliance and compassion can coexist, and when they do, everyone benefits. The app gives regulators and operators confidence in credible harm reduction tools, while giving people a safe, stigma free path to change,” Robinson said.
The post RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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