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Leveling the Playing Field for Women in Gaming across Asia and MENA
Women are the fastest growing demographic in gaming, both as players and increasingly as industry leaders. Niko Partners finds that this growth is often complimentary. As more women Identify as gamers, more are pursuing careers in the field. And, as more women work in the field of gaming, we see more games developed that appeal to and better represent women both as players and as characters.
Niko Partners’ Female Gamers in Asia report estimates 37% of gamers in Asia are women, and the number of women gaming is growing by 11% annually – almost double the rate of men. Some parts of the region demonstrate this shift more strongly than others. Southeast Asia has a gamer population that is 53% female, and the Philippines leads the way with a percentage of 63%. While markets in MENA, South Asia, and China are less balanced, we still see strong growth across the Asia and MENA region.
Mobile phones have been a huge boost for women’s access to gaming, with 97% of female gamers in Asia using their mobile device to play. According to Niko’s research, puzzle games, multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA), battle royale, simulation, and RPG games are the most popular genres among women. PC and console games also attract women, with 40% of women playing on PC and 16% of them playing on console.
For developers hoping to ignite demand and grow their engagement with women, considering genre, gameplay, storyline, and style, can be great ways to tap into this demographic. Social media is also an important strategy for reaching female players, as more than half (53%) of the women we surveyed see social media as their primary information source about gaming.
Although female gamers in Asia are predominantly casual players, the younger generation of women (Gen Z and beyond) is participating in competitive gaming and esports. Esports is a potential growth driver for female gamers, as it complements the social and cultural elements of gaming. We are seeing increasing representation of women as gamers though livestreaming and even among esports professionals. Women are also engaging with esports and streaming as fans, and are more likely to spend money, play longer, and consume gaming content if they do engage with esports, compared to those who do not.
Women’s achievements in esports are also promising. Najd Fahad is the first Saudi women to win a FIFA tournament at GCC Games, Michelle “Moxxi” Song, was the first woman to work as a play-by play caster at Dota 2’s The International, Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon, was the first female player in Overwatch League, and Li “VKLiooon” Xiaomeng, is the first woman to win the Hearthstone World Championship. These kinds of trailblazers are among a growing number of inspirational figures in the pro gaming scene paving the way for future gamers.
Trailblazers in women esports glory (from left to right): Najd Fahad, Michelle “Moxxi” Song, Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon, and Li “VKLiooon” Xiaomeng
Despite their significant contributions to the gaming industry, women often encounter barriers working in historically male-dominated environments. Still, women are breaking barriers by pursuing careers as analysts, producers, designers, artists, publishers, and marketers. Individually, they are taking leadership roles such as Tricia Sugita, Chief Marketing Officer of Cloud9, Alodia Gosiengfiao, co-founder of Tier One Entertainment , and Leena Xu, Chief Revenue Officer at Sentinels.
Another important aspect is mentorship and educational programs for women gamers pursuing careers in gaming. Events that offer career mentorship and networking opportunities can help improve this access. Women’s representation in career roles in the gaming industry is strengthened through events such as Women in Gaming Asia gaming career expo, which helps to build community among professionals and provide career support for women in the industry. These kinds of events connect women in the industry to studios and companies, building networks, and also guiding them through the industry, as well as giving them tools to face challenges in the workforce.
We are seeing more of these kinds of events every year. Last year, Riyadh hosted a session called “Breaking the Code: The Challenges for Women in Gaming Leadership” at Next World Forum. Niko Partners has also presented about gender inclusivity in gaming industry at Gamescom Asia 2022. Besides these events, there are also game development academies and competitions hosted exclusively for women developers, such as 2023 She Jams in Saudi Arabia, as well as Tuwaiq Academy, operated collaboration with Apple.
Fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the gaming industry is imperative, and beneficial for the industry overall as women’s perspectives as industry leaders will lead to games with wider appeal. This can go a long way in helping to solve problems experienced by women in the industry, and companies will find that their products reach a wider audience.
Women-only tournament and gaming lounge as safe space for women gamers: VCT Game Changers and sQuad core (Source: Adela Sznajder/Riot Games, Wajod Alkhamis/The National)
Niko Partners is a certified woman-owned business that has been operating in the games industry for over 20 years. We make inclusion and diversity central to our work, through our research, hiring practices, and internal mentorship programs. We hope our work on women in gaming can help spread this message. Our Female Gamers in Asia report is a comprehensive guide on the rise of women gamers in Asia, along with other market reports that include data and insights on the growing segment of women gamers. These reports are based on our gamer survey that include responses from women who game as well as industry leaders. Diversity and inclusion are also an important aspect of Niko Partners in operating its business. Contact us if you want to understand the best strategies for reaching and representing women gamers via our reports and custom research capabilities.
Source: Nico Partners
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Leading iGaming content provider Spinomenal has unwrapped its new title Majestic Santa, signalling the start of the festive season.
Spinomenal’s festive-inspired treat is a 5×3 slot that is bursting with Christmas imagery including red stockings, gingerbread men, and glistening golden bells. The reels are beautifully presented within a golden frame amongst snow-covered rooftops, softly glowing windows, candles, and lanterns. A festive, homely soundtrack wraps players snugly into the action as they look to win.
Unwrapping three Christmas wreaths will take players into the Free Spins game. Before the round begins, players spin the Wheel of Fortune to determine both the number of free spins (between 10 and 40) and the symbol that will double during the feature.
Majestic Santa’s bonus feature is triggered when three luxurious gold ribboned presents appear on screen. Players are given three spins to start, and the goal is to complete the metre by collecting Scattered winning symbols.
One segment of the metre is completed with five present symbols and players can win extra spins when they find a +1 symbol. Once the spins end there will be the final payout calculated by the final filled metre cell.
Majestic Santa also includes Stacked Wilds, where Wild symbols can land during spins to elevate the chances of a festive win. In the base game, only Double Symbols can be triggered — transforming all symbols into their double form for even greater payout potential.
Spinomenal CO-CEO, Omer Henya commented: “Majestic Santa is an ode to the magic of the holiday season. Its warming visuals and festive soundtrack perfectly complement the excitement of Stacked Wilds and Double Symbols, delivering unmistakable Christmas cheer and plenty of chances to win.”
The post Spinomenal marks the start of the holiday season with Majestic Santa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Million Games is bringing festive mayhem to the iGaming world with the launch of Rudolph’s Gone Rogue, a fast-paced Christmas slot where Santa’s most famous reindeer takes centre stage in a runaway holiday adventure.
In this 5×3, 20-payline slot, Rudolph bolts into the night sky, dragging the rest of the herd with him and leaving a trail of chaos in his wake. Gifts, sleigh parts, and enchanted carrots scatter across the snowy reels, while the gameplay erupts with Wild Multipliers, Free Spins, and random Wild drops. With an RTP of 96.37% and a maximum win of 2,500x the bet, Rudolph’s Gone Rogue delivers a festive mix of charm, speed, and rewarding volatility.
Features that Drive the Frenzy
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Rogue Reindeer Free Spins: Triggered by 3 Rudolph Bonus symbols, the reels light up under aurora skies as reindeer charge across the screen, dropping extra Wilds and activating Wild Multipliers.
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Snowflake Wilds: Substitutes for all regular symbols to complete wins.
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Wild Multipliers: Multipliers of 2x, 5x, 10x, or 20x add explosive payout potential.
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Extra Wilds: During Free Spins, Rudolph and the herd scatter 1 or 2 extra Wilds on the same reel, creating chaotic, high-energy gameplay.
“Rudolph’s Gone Rogue is all about capturing the wild side of Christmas,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It’s playful, fast, and packed with features that keep players on edge with every spin. We wanted to create a holiday slot that feels unpredictable and fun while still delivering strong replay value for operators.”
With its bold design, electrifying Free Spins, and chaotic mechanics, Rudolph’s Gone Rogue offers a unique seasonal addition to operator lobbies, built to capture attention and drive engagement throughout the holidays.
Rudolph’s Gone Rogue is now available across all Million Games partner platforms.
The post Million Games Launches Rudolph’s Gone Rogue – A Frenzied Christmas Slot of Wild Wins appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ThrillTech makes three additions to senior team to accelerate ‘explosive’ growth
– VP of Growth, Global Sales Director and Head of Technical Compliance recruited
– Additions bring experience from Evolution, Pragmatic Play and Kiron
– Jackpot provider aiming to build on momentum after breakout year
ThrillTech, the global leader in side-bet jackpot technology for iGaming operators and game studios, has strengthened its senior team as it looks to build on a period of “explosive” growth.
Xavier Besseau has been appointed VP of Growth, making the switch from Kiron Interactive. Xavier has more than a decade of experience in iGaming, with previous roles at Sportradar, TrueLayer and Gaming Innovation Group.
Nemanja Grujicic has also joined the commercial team as ThrillTech’s Global Sales Director. Grujicic was most recently head of account management at slots provider Popiplay and was previously in a similar role at Pragmatic Play.
Also joining the ThrillTech team is Rocio Mata, who arrives as the new Head of Technical Compliance. Mata spent more than 10 years with Evolution, most recently as Senior Technical Compliance.
Collectively, the new arrivals bring deep expertise across commercial strategy, compliance and growth acceleration – all core pillars of ThrillTech’s next phase.
Founded in 2023, ThrillTech has enjoyed a successful 2025 and now employs 15 people, working remotely and in offices in Cyprus and Malta.
ThrillTech helps amplify player experiences while boosting GGR for partners with its unique ThrillPots and ThrillDrops products and is now licensed and certified in 10 jurisdictions.
Benjamin Bradtke, co-founder at ThrillTech, said: “A huge indicator that a company is doing well is its ability to attract and retain the brightest minds in the industry, and I am so pleased to say that the three new hires we’ve welcomed across Q4 are an incredible asset to ThrillTech.
“This has been a genuine breakout year for us. We’ve seen explosive growth across our product lines, expanded into new jurisdictions and secured partnerships with operators who are embracing a more creative approach to jackpots and player engagement.
“Bringing Xavier, Nemanja and Rocio into the business now is very deliberate – they’re here to help us accelerate that momentum through the final stretch of 2025 and propel us into an even stronger 2026.”
The post ThrillTech makes three additions to senior team to accelerate ‘explosive’ growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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