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Second Chamber, Greg Ciach’s new studio, will specialize in creating AA games of a new genre
Greg Ciach and Krzysztof Czulec established Second Chamber, a studio dedicated to creating double-A games in the genre of Wanderer Adventure Game (WAG), which allows you to experience adventures in a world that lives independently of the player. WAGs will be constructed modularly, which will allow optimization of the production costs of subsequent titles. Ultimately, the company will be listed on NewConnect instead of Pixel Crow Games.
Second Chamber will be a company operating in the area of AA games. Grzegorz Ciach and Krzysztof Czulec, who run the company, are experienced specialists, previously associated with Techland, Amber Studio, and Platige Image, among others. The project is co-created by triple-A game developers who have worked on world-class hits (The Division, The Division 2, Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2, Pure Farming 2018, Motorstorm, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Mortal Kombat 11, Gamedec, Sniper Contracts 2, Medal of Honor, The Sims and FIFA). Other key players in the project will be revealed after their binding contracts expire.
As the result of the review of strategic options, Movie Games together with the president of Pixel Crow Games Damian Gasiński, and the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Pixel Crow Games Maciej Miąsik, decided, for the benefit of the cooperation, upon the sale of shares in the daughter company to the new managers of Second Chamber.
The new entity will receive support from Movie Games in the form of opportunities to use Pixel Crow Games for the development of the studio. The creators of Second Chamber will become the owners of Pixel Crow Games. Following the closing of the transaction, Movie Games will hold a 12.5% stake in the new entity.
“As a result of the current review of strategic options, Pixel Crow Games’ debts have been discharged, and thus significant funds will return to the Movie Games capital group. Subsequently, Movie Games will no longer consolidate the losses of Pixel Crow Games resulting from the reverse acquisition, which will have a significant impact on the consolidated result of the capital group,” comments Mateusz Wcześniak, president of the Movie Games capital group. “Most importantly, we will have shares in a large project, which will include world-renowned specialists. Movie Games will not only play an advisory role but will also be a beneficiary of the know-how that will appear in the capital group,” Wcześniak adds.
On behalf of Movie Games, Mateusz Wcześniak (new Chairman), Dr. Kamil Gemra, and Piotr Gnyp will sit on the Supervisory Board of Second Chamber.
Legendary gaming journalist Dariusz Michalski, or “Sir Haszak,” will also join the Supervisory Board. He was associated with cult Polish gaming magazines such as “Bajtek”, “Top Secret” and “Gambler”.
“The involvement of top Movie Games managers in the supervisory body is a reflection of the high faith in the long-term effects of the appearance of such an experienced project in the capital group,” explains Dr. Kamil Gemra, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Movie Games.
Second Chamber has created a three-stage development plan for approx. 5 years, modeled on such specialized developers as Paradox Development Studio, which became the pioneer and leader of the grand strategy genre. Second Chamber will operate in the area of the genre it has identified.
“There is an as-yet-unnamed type of game on the market that attracts millions of players. It is represented, for example, by Mount&Blade 2: Bannerlord or Sid Meier’s Pirates. These titles have more in common than just loyal fans and great reviews. The set of genre features that connect them allows you to experience a great adventure in a vibrant, multi-layered world. However, these games are still described with a set of generalities: RPG, survival, open world, simulation, etc. Second Chamber has its own name for the genre: Wanderer Adventure Game,” says Greg Ciach, CEO of Second Chamber. “Using a strategically planned modular production process, we plan to define its features, iteratively produce larger and larger titles and dominate the genre in less than a decade, so that every new title released in this area will be compared to our games.”
The main features of Wanderer Adventure Game titles are:
- a committed gaming community, producing many mods and ensuring the long life of games;
- open world cheaper to produce than competing solutions thanks to the symbolic representation of the journey on a visual map instead of a fully modeled world;
- emergent gameplay and narrative, i.e. scenarios and situations that naturally result from the actions of the player and the game’s NPCs living their own lives;
- the sandbox nature of the game, allowing you to play dozens of unique campaigns lasting hundreds of hours;
- a narrative mode that supports the sandbox, in which the player receives a compact, several-hour story that uses the same systems.
Initially, the studio is going to have 40 employees. Then, within three years, it will develop a second team and increase the staff to approx. 100, in order to lead three teams with a total of about 150 people within five years. The first game will be a test of the modular approach to the production of games in the genre. It will be followed by a game that will serve to develop and polish the tools. The third title is to define the genre and to establish Second Chamber as its dominant force.
Movie Games will provide support through its managers in the field of marketing, production, and quality control. Cooperation will be carried out as early as the concept stage to ensure full synergy and coordination of activities in every area.
“For Movie Games, this is another step on the path of implementing the strategy of moving the company towards the AA area, which was announced some time ago. This, apart from the huge monetization potential of such titles, will ultimately significantly distinguish us on a market rich in companies creating indie games,” says Mateusz Wcześniak, President of the Management Board of Movie Games.
“You can observe that the current game dev market is saturated with indie companies. Observation of listed companies, on the other hand, shows that AA studios are more frequently noticed and appreciated. Therefore, the cooperation around Second Chamber fits in with our business strategy,” comments Dr. Kamil Gemra.
“I met Greg a few years ago while working for another publishing house. We always wanted to work together, so when I heard that he was going to set up his own studio, I immediately thought of Movie Games as a capital group providing an opportunity to implement such ideas. I am glad that after several weeks of talks, this idea is becoming a reality,” says Piotr Gnyp, CMO Movie Games.
For some time now Second Chamber has been quietly recruiting for its first production.
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Better Collective North American talent-led media brands surpass 1 billion views and downloads, providing new ways for partners to reach sports fans
An expanded focus on talent-led media and live events complements Better Collective’s broader strategy of diversifying revenue streams, engaging sports fans, and strengthening its position in key growth markets such as North America.
Talent-led media has become a core strategic focus for Better Collective, providing new ways to engage fans and create value for the company’s partners. Through shows hosted by world-class athletes and personalities such as Shaquille O’Neal, Jalen Brunson, Angel Reese, and Jeff Marek, Better Collective is able to reach highly engaged audiences across North America. These trusted voices not only help Better Collective stay relevant with younger sports fans but also offer partners authentic, direct access to these communities. Since the beginning of last year, content from Better Collective’s talent-led media brands have generated over one billion views and downloads and were significant contributors to the company’s global sponsorship revenue of more than 45 mEUR in 2024. Talent-led media has also further strengthened the commercial opportunities for partners and reinforces Better Collective’s position as a leading digital sports media group.
Karl Pugh, Group SVP of Revenue at Better Collective, said: “As a market leader operating at the intersection of sports media and sports betting, Better Collective provides partners with unparalleled global reach and commercial opportunities. Through our brands and their shows, we are not only reaching millions of engaged sports fans, but creating meaningful value for our partners by offering them direct access to these highly relevant audiences. With more than one billion views and downloads from fans across North America since the start of 2024, our brands have proven over time to be in high demand and an essential platform for partner activation. I look forward to continuing to grow these partnerships and unlocking new ways to drive revenue, audience engagement, and long-term business value together.”
All three of Better Collective’s leading North American brands, Playmaker HQ, Action Network and The Nation Network, have increased their audience with the help of talent-led media and live events.
- All five of Playmaker HQ’s shows have crossed 2 million total followers on social media, total over 15 million hours of consumed content on YouTube, and average 75 million monthly views across all accounts. The shows have gone viral several times, such as when Unapologetically Angel was named one of Spotify’s best new podcasts of 2024.
- Action Network’s content from leading betting experts has spurred growth as well, evident from its 600k+ hours of consumed content from fans this year. Additionally, the brand’s podcasts totalled 6 million downloads during the last NFL season, and will total 8 million total downloads in 2025.
- Within Canada, Better Collective has also experienced growth among its users thanks to The Nation Network (TNN), which has firmly entrenched itself as the leading destination for premier, digital sports coverage. Across its content this past year, TNN saw 71 million total streams, 5 million total watch hours, and 342 million total impressions on YouTube. These numbers reinforce Better Collective’s belief in Canada as a massive growth opportunity and market with immense potential.
North American brands are providing additional avenues for partner success
These three North American-based brands have each contributed to the company’s rise in the talent-led media space, growth in audience, and value generated for both endemic and non-endemic partners. Across the three brands, leading consumer and sportsbook partners include StockX, Dove Men’s+Care, Tommy John, DraftKings, bet365, Ford, Tim Hortons, Coca-Cola and Budweiser, exemplifying the value Better Collective offers its wide variety of partners in reaching new audiences in modern, engaging ways. These partners are not only getting value out of sponsoring podcast episodes, but also by helping create live activations that form deeper connections and more awareness among fans and potential consumers. Listeners and fans are also highly engaged with each brand’s content, leading to elevated brand exposure, increased content consumption, and higher turnouts at events. Examples of this can be seen with Action Network’s over 75% completion rate of its podcasts – above the average industry standard – as well as Playmaker HQ and TNN’s attendance at their live events, showing not only that fans have an appetite for the content, but that partners will get more exposure through their sponsorships and branded activations.
Live events have given our brands more ways to engage audiences
In addition to the popular podcast shows, Playmaker HQ, Action Network, and The Nation Network are all using their strong brand platforms to host live events. These include meet and greets, live shows, watch parties, and fan experiences that bring audiences closer to their favorite shows and stars. A standout example was last year’s live Roommates Show in Central Park, where thousands of fans gathered to meet Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, enjoyed the show, and took part in branded experiences and giveaways from partners.
These events not only deepen fan engagement but also offer partners unique opportunities to connect with audiences beyond digital channels. Previous events have been held in major cities during some of the biggest sporting moments of the year, including the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Final Four, and the 4 Nations Face Off. Throughout the rest of the year, our brands will continue to host exciting events for fans and partners alike, including the upcoming NBA Summer League.
The post Better Collective North American talent-led media brands surpass 1 billion views and downloads, providing new ways for partners to reach sports fans appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The 2025 edition of iGB L!VE opened today (2nd July) at it’s new ExCeL London home. iGaming professionals made full use of ExCeL London’s transport infrastructure with Elizabeth Line and Docklands Light Railway trains full of visitors celebrating the show’s relocation to the Capital.
Organisers are seeking to grow the iGB L!VE attendance and, in the process set another record for the event. The 2024 edition, which was the last to be held in Amsterdam attracted 9,788 unique attendees, surpassing the 7,299 at iGB L!VE 2023 and was nearly double the 5,022 at iGB L!VE 2022. The 2025 edition of iGB L!VE will be the biggest on record, providing attendees with access to over 22,000 sqm of product innovation and inspiration.
Claire Williams OBE, the former leader of the Williams Formula 1 racing team and one of the most prominent and successful women in F1 history provided the iGB L!VE 2025 keynote.
Exploring the best practice parallels which can be drawn between the data-driven worlds of F1 and iGaming, Claire Williams noted: “There are a number of ways that Formula 1 can inspire businesses and provide tangible takeaways for iGaming operators of all sizes, from product innovation to navigating entry into new markets. As well as key requirements such as having a dynamic leadership, a culture of continuous improvement, hiring the very best problem solvers and being the first to embrace technology advances, F1 also demands the organisational agility that’s necessary to nuance strategy in what is an ultra-competitive space. “
Described as the TED of iGaming, iGB L!VE features a mix of highly practical case studies, data presentations and panel discussions on best practices across operators and affiliates. Topics include innovations in in-play betting, how to use IP and branding to protect competitive advantage, integrated marketing and SEO strategies, how to build links when no one wants to talk about gambling, as well as market dives into LatAm, UAE and Italy. The full programme can be viewed at:https://www.igblive.com/event-schedule
The post iGB L!VE opens in London appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia has today announced The Polytopia World Championship with a prize pool of $10,000 USD and a live final broadcast from Stockholm.
The Polytopia World Championship is set to launch this fall, uniting players from across the globe in an epic showdown of fast-paced strategic mastery. The tournament will be themed to Battle of the Tribes. Players will choose to compete with one of Polytopia’s 12 in-game tribes; each with a unique regional theme and skillset.
The tournament will begin with open qualifiers, giving everyone a chance to prove themselves. From there, players will advance through tribe-specific playoffs and head-to-head elimination rounds, each match bringing them one step closer to glory.
The top six players will earn a spot in the live finals in Stockholm on December 6: an in-person event streamed online for fans worldwide. In addition to live commentary of the tournament, the fan event will also provide behind-the-scenes content from the Midjiwan team.
The winner will be awarded a prize pool of $10,000; making this tournament the biggest competitive event in The Battle of Polytopia’s nine year history.
Christian Lovstedt, CEO of Midjiwan AB, commented: “This marks a major new step for Polytopia’s competitive scene, featuring a fresh tournament format and enhanced broadcasting that makes it even more exciting for viewers to watch, learn, and get inspired by the world’s top players.“
The matches will be played on the Polytopia Official Space on the Challengermode esports Platform.
The planned dates are:
September:
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Sep 13–14
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Sep 20–21
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Sep 27–28
October:
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Oct 4–5
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Oct 11–12
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Oct 18–19
November:
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Oct 25–26
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Nov 1–2
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Nov 8–9
Nov 22–23
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Faceoff
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Final Qualifier
Dec 6
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World Championship Live Event
The post THE BATTLE OF POLYTOPIA ANNOUNCES GLOBAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH $10,000 PRIZE POOL appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Better Collective North American talent-led media brands surpass 1 billion views and downloads, providing new ways for partners to reach sports fans
iGB L!VE opens in London
THE BATTLE OF POLYTOPIA ANNOUNCES GLOBAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH $10,000 PRIZE POOL
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