29 October 2020 | By Anzu
Image Credit: CD Projekt Red
Red Bull encourages amateur esports players, Call of Duty shares snacks, while Cyberpunk 2077’s developers plead for extra time to make it well worth the wait…See what news has been making headlines in the world of video games and esports in our weekly news digest!
Scopely, the publisher of games like Star Trek: Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force, has raised $340 million to continue its mobile growth plans as players embrace games during the pandemic. The deal values Scopely at $3.3 billion and gives the company a war chest so that it can continue to make big acquisitions like the purchase of FoxNext Games last January from Disney. It also shows that some big, experienced investors are willing to double down on games as they become a giant industry in the midst of COVID-19. Find more exciting details on VentureBeat.
The long-running FPS franchise Call of Duty is teaming up with Totino’s Pizza Rolls for a special promotion to unlock in-game content in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Running from now until April 1, 2021, specially-marked bags of Totino’s snacks will come with codes for double XP, an Operator skin, and a calling card. Moreover, there will be some retailer-exclusive loot as well. Totino’s bags at Kroger will come with an animated emblem upon the first purchase of an 80-count bag, while Wal-Mart customers will have a code on their receipt for a “mega XP boost.” According to Dot Esports, this is the second year in a row that Totino’s has been a partner of the CoD title following the promotion for 2019’s Modern Warfare.
Looks like we’re getting one more NBA game! Korean video game publisher and developer Netmarble has partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to create a new mobile game, reports PocketGamer.biz. The title will feature NBA athletes with easy to pick up gameplay and impressive visuals. It will also mark the first time that the company has developed a game in the West, though its previous releases in collaboration with Korean boy band BTS were a huge success.
Red Bull has partnered with a host of esports celebrities and talent for Red Bull Worlds Simplified, a League of Legends World Championship stream for newcomers. The aim for the production, which airs on Saturday, Oct. 31 on Twitch, is to invite everyone “to experience esports at its most electrifying for the very first time.” While the League of Legends World Championship is already one of the most viewed esports events in the world (last year’s event peaked at 44M concurrent viewers), Red Bull Worlds Simplified has been designed to encourage newcomers to LoL with an “alternative finals stream” which will broadcast as complementary to the main event on Riot Games’ channels, reports the Esports Observer.
Polish video game developer CD Projekt Red has delayed Cyberpunk 2077 for the third time, moving the release date back from November 19 to December 10, much to the disappointment of the fans who have been eagerly anticipating the game. According to the company’s co-founder Marcin Iwiński and studio head Adam Badowski cited by GamesIndustry.biz, Cyberpunk 2077 has already passed certification earlier this month, so the extra three weeks are needed to work on the launch day patch.
Anzu.io is an in-game advertising platform that brings real-world brand ads to video gaming and esports. Backed by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, WPP, and Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Anzu redefines digital advertising through seamless integration of non-intrusive ads into the gameplay. Bringing real-time data and programmatic to the video gaming world, the platform promises native advertising, brand safety and ad viewability. Follow Anzu on
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