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Sandsoft and NetEase Games Team Up for Joint Venture to Publish Games in Fast-growing MENA Region
Sandsoft Games (“Sandsoft”) and NetEase Games today announced a ground-breaking new partnership to establish a new joint venture to conduct game publishing, marketing, live operations and esports activities for the MENA region.
Sandsoft, a subsidiary of Ajlan & Bros Holding Group, is a mobile-first game developer, publisher and investor powered by world-leading games industry talent. The company boasts extensive expertise in international mobile game publishing and an established presence in the MENA region. NetEase Games is the online games division of NetEase, Inc. and a leading global developer and publisher of video game IP across a variety of genres and platforms.
This joint venture, Stellar Gate Games, unites NetEase Games’ scale, highly successful portfolio and international operations with Sandsoft’s global expertise and deep knowledge of the MENA region. The partnership is expected to play an important role in supercharging the growth of the games industry in MENA, one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, and contributing to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for economic and social reform.
Mr. Abdulaziz Al Ajlan, Managing Director, Sandsoft, stated:
“This deal will establish Stellar Gate Games as the go-to partner for launching games in our fast-growing region. NetEase Games is among the world’s foremost gaming companies and we are delighted to cooperate with them to supercharge growth in the MENA games industry. This initiative aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, specifically focusing on the National Gaming and Esports Strategy spearheaded by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It represents another step forward in Saudi Arabia’s journey towards becoming a global gaming leader. We would also like to thank the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for its support of this partnership. Ajlan & Bros Holding Group has a longstanding track record of business partnerships in China that connect the two regions and, as part of the group, Sandsoft enjoys access to extensive, established infrastructure and relationships in China.”
Ethan Wang, Senior Vice President, NetEase, Inc. stated:
“In keeping with our proud spirit of global collaboration, creativity, and innovation, NetEase Games is excited to enter into this joint venture with Sandsoft to transcend boundaries and bring our games to the MENA region and its enthusiastic community of gamers. Furthermore, the opportunity this joint venture with Sandsoft provides for other developers and publishers is something we are keen to embrace. NetEase Games is passionate about our games and our gaming community, so it is a great pleasure to share our game experience more broadly and extend a warm welcome to MENA gamers.”
David Fernandez, CEO, Sandsoft, continued:
“As a global, mobile-first developer and publisher headquartered in KSA, we’re delighted to bring our expertise in the MENA region to this joint venture with NetEase Games. The new company will become a conduit to MENA audiences not just for NetEase Games and Sandsoft’s first-party games, but for developers and publishers worldwide. Players in the region deserve greater access to the exciting array of titles available in the global market, and we aim to play a key role in making this happen.”
Source: ir.netease.com / Nico News
The post Sandsoft and NetEase Games Team Up for Joint Venture to Publish Games in Fast-growing MENA Region appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Team Heretics integrates Chiliz directly onto its platform, transforms engagement and loyalty
Team Heretics transforms engagement and loyalty by integrating Chiliz infrastructure directly onto its platform
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Team Heretics first partnered with Chiliz to launch a $TH Fan Token on Socios.com in May 2020
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The Spanish esports giant is now advancing its Web3 foothold, by launching a Chiliz Chain powered digital asset wallet in its official store and a loyalty programme powered by Chiliz’s Web3 infrastructure
Team Heretics, the renowned esports club, makes a twofold strategic move towards the future of fan engagement: it becomes the first team in its sector to natively integrate a blockchain wallet into its official store, and alongside this, unveils the launch of a new and ambitious loyalty programme. Chiliz, the leading provider of blockchain solutions for the sports and entertainment industry, powers both developments.
The integration of the blockchain wallet into Team Heretics’ e-commerce platform is a major technical advancement, enabling fans to connect their wallets securely and directly, while managing ownership of their $TH Fan Tokens. This functionality is the cornerstone upon which Team Heretics will build innovative and personalised digital and real-world experiences for those supporters who hold this asset.
Building on this technological foundation, Team Heretics is developing an innovative and dynamic loyalty programme. This programme will utilise the club’s Fan Tokens as the primary vehicle to unlock membership tiers, exclusive rewards, early access to products, special discounts, and new ways to participate and interact with the club. The objective is to go beyond traditional utility and create an ecosystem where fan loyalty and commitment are continuously recognised and rewarded within Heretics’ own universe.
“Together with Chiliz, we’ve been working on finding ways to empower our community by exploring the emerging areas of technology. With this new program, in 2025, we’re taking a leap forward in how we connect with and value our community compared to what we’ve done with Chiliz in the past — evolving the experience so that being a token holder truly grants access to exclusive experiences and a say in certain day-to-day decisions at Team Heretics. We want our fans to feel that being active in the community comes with rewards, and with Chiliz, we’ll keep working on that better than ever,” said Alejandro Marcos, CMO of Team Heretics.
What does this mean for the future of sport?
This twofold announcement underscores Chiliz’s and Team Heretics’ vision for the potential of Web3 in sport and entertainment. Having already dived into this type of engagement by letting their community choose elements such as their Superliga name or the design of their official flag with their Fan Tokens, the wallet integration is now the gateway to deeper engagement, while the loyalty programme is the strategy that capitalises on that connection.
“This integration is much more than a new feature; it’s the manifestation of our vision at Chiliz for the future of fan engagement in Web3,” states Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz. “We are demonstrating how blockchain technology enables clubs, like Team Heretics, to build versatile, multidisciplinary, and direct experiences with their communities, using their own channels.”
The Web3 Advantage: Beyond the traditional model
Fundamentally, Chiliz’s Web3 infrastructure provides the necessary flexibility, security, and autonomy for Fan Tokens to act as genuine digital assets, whose utility can be integrated and exploited to their full potential by each club. This takes fan engagement to a new level of personalisation and control, managed directly by the club, helping them to take the reins of their fan experience and build their own ecosystems.
This initiative with Team Heretics is a clear example of hyper-personalisation, adapting Chiliz’s infrastructure to the club’s specific language and objectives. This sets a precedent that, in the near future, other clubs might follow regardless of whether or not they are digital natives.
An autonomous ecosystem for greater loyalty
With these advancements, Team Heretics and Chiliz – as a pioneering company with collaborations with teams of the calibre of FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, and Inter Milan, among others – propose a model where blockchain technology serves as a catalyst for a closer, more participatory relationship between the club and its fans.
The foundations are being laid for a future where supporters are not mere spectators, but active participants in the life and development of the club, through loyalty programmes that truly understand and reward their passion.
The post Team Heretics integrates Chiliz directly onto its platform, transforms engagement and loyalty appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Xanada Investments Reveals Strategic Backing of Sweepium, Targeting the U.S. Sweepstakes Landscape
Xanada Investments, a leading ideological investment fund focused on the iGaming sector, has officially revealed its early-stage investment in Sweepium, a breakthrough B2B platform and game aggregator redefining how sweepstakes casino brands launch, operate, and scale in the U.S. market.
The decision to invest in Sweepium was driven by a clear alignment of vision: a bold team building real sweepstakes infrastructure for an underserved and fast-growing segment, while providing a serious competitive advantage to existing platforms.
Purpose-built for the complexities of the U.S. regulatory landscape, Sweepium delivers a fully integrated, turnkey platform that includes a bank-approved payment architecture, CRM, customer support, content management, game aggregation, and promotional tools. Its standout capability — its bank-approved payment system — the first of its kind in the U.S. sweepstakes sector — enabling operators to process transactions with institutional-grade compliance and reliability.
Over the past year, Xanada’s support extended far beyond capital. Acting as strategic advisors and active mentors, the fund worked closely with the Sweepium team to strengthen their operational and go-to-market strategy to accelerate brand onboarding and commercial traction.
Today, Sweepium is live with multiple operators, supports integrations with over 50 game providers, and enables new clients to launch in just 8–10 weeks from contract to first processed payment — a speed and standard unmatched in the space.
“From day one, Sweepium showed both clarity of vision and precision in execution,” said Vladimir Malakchi, CEO & Managing Partner at Xanada Investments. “Our decision to invest was driven not only by the unique positioning of the platform but by the team’s operational discipline and long-term thinking. Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with Sweepium to evolve their business infrastructure, guide strategic decisions, and help unlock market growth — and the results speak for themselves.”
Daniel Mitton, Founder & CEO of Sweepium, commented: “Partnering with Xanada Investments brought more than capital — it brought strategy, structure, and scale. Their team helped us align operations with long-term growth goals, navigate licensing, and open doors commercially. With Xanada’s support, we’ve accelerated our market readiness and laid the groundwork for sustainable expansion.”
As Sweepium enters its next phase of growth, the company is focused on expanding its partner base, deepening product capabilities, and continuing to lead in compliance-first innovation within the U.S. sweepstakes space.
About Xanada Investments
Xanada Investments is an ideological investment fund targeting PreSeed, Seed, and Series A funding rounds for innovative projects and leaders in the iGaming industry. With a focus on long-term success, Xanada is committed to providing not only capital but also strategic guidance and support to help businesses scale quickly and efficiently.
About Sweepium
Sweepium is a B2B platform and game aggregator enabling the launch of sweepstakes casino brands under a white-label model. The company supports over 80 game providers, offers full operational setup, and is the first provider of bank-approved white-label payments for sweepstakes in the U.S. market.
The post Xanada Investments Reveals Strategic Backing of Sweepium, Targeting the U.S. Sweepstakes Landscape appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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BEGE Expo Announces “Gaming Start-UP Challenge 7.0” — A Premier Opportunity for Gaming Innovators
For the 16th edition of BEGE, one of the most important events in the gaming industry in the Balkans, the expo proudly brings back the “Gaming Start-UP Challenge 7.0” as a highlight of this year’s event. This exciting entrepreneurial competition returns to the BEGE and EEGS stage, offering start-ups a unique platform to showcase their innovations to industry leaders and investors.
The challenge is open to start-ups developing groundbreaking solutions relevant to the gaming industry. Whether your focus is on advanced payment methods, online gaming platforms, cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, security solutions, or cutting-edge game development tools, your innovation has a place here. The competition also welcomes pioneering work in augmented and virtual reality, esports and live streaming, and responsible gaming technologies. In essence, any technology that enhances or revolutionizes the gaming or gambling experience fits the spirit of this challenge.
Participants will have the exclusive chance to pitch their start-up live on the EEGS stage, gaining invaluable exposure during the two-day BEGE exhibition. Beyond the stage, this event provides a vibrant networking environment to connect with potential partners, investors, and key stakeholders across the gaming ecosystem.
To apply, startups are required to pay a nominal participation fee of 100 euros to secure their spot. Selected applicants will receive a short questionnaire and be invited to prepare a concise presentation for the competition.
Don’t miss this opportunity to propel your gaming start-up into the spotlight and join the forefront of gaming innovation.
Apply now and take your place in shaping the future of the industry!
The post BEGE Expo Announces “Gaming Start-UP Challenge 7.0” — A Premier Opportunity for Gaming Innovators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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