Weekly News 37/26

This week news about the Finnish Game Industry is… led by Channel37’s 400,000 Early Access sales and Xbox roadmap for The Last Caretaker, MiTale’s move into transmedia publishing, and new developments from Housemarque and Remedy. Neogames is also keeping international talent firmly on the policy agenda: international specialists already make up 35% of The Finnish Game Industry workforce, and our 2027 parliamentary election objectives call for a more predictable path for international talent to stay and work in Finland. Also this week, European developer organisations are challenging Apple’s latest EU business terms, new funding opportunities are open, and September continues to keep everyone reasonably busy.

Subscribe to Neogames’ weekly newsletter directly to your email

📣 Neogames Dones & News

• Neogames continues to highlight key priorities from its 2027 parliamentary election programme, including attracting and retaining international game-industry talent in Finland. International specialists account for 35% of the workforce in The Finnish Game Industry. Read the full policy programme

📰 Game Industry News, thoughts & discussions

• Visionist’s September “Good Game News from Finland” roundup highlights recent developments across The Finnish Game Industry. The monthly overview covers company news, releases, upcoming games and other developments from Finnish studios and developers. Read the September roundup
• Finland ranks among Europe’s leading game-industry countries relative to its size, according to the latest EGDF data. Finland ranks 8th in the EU by talent base, 7th by number of studios and 5th by combined industry turnover, with Helsinki ranking 9th among European game-industry talent hubs. Read the latest European industry data
• European game developer organisations are challenging Apple’s new EU business terms. EGDF and 17 other organisations argue that the revised terms still undermine effective competition under the Digital Markets Act. Read EGDF’s statement
• Applications are open for Finnish Game Incubator 2026 until 18 October. The free remote programme is for Finland-based teams already developing a game. At least one team member must speak Finnish, and the required skills assessment and game-business plan must be submitted in Finnish. Programme details and application
• Aalto University Executive Education’s Game Executive programme has an online info session on 7 October. The programme focuses on management and leadership in the game industry and starts in January 2027. Game Executive programme and info session

🎮 News from and about Finnish Game Companies

• Channel37’s The Last Caretaker will reach 1.0 and launch on Xbox in spring 2027, with Game Pass availability from day one. The Helsinki studio also reports more than 400,000 copies sold since Early Access launch. Read more
• Housemarque has announced the free Zenith update for SAROS. The update adds new replayable modes, progression options and accessibility features later this year. Read the State of Play announcement
• Remedy Entertainment has published the final PC requirements for CONTROL Resonant ahead of its 24 September launch. The specifications cover standard, ray-tracing and path-tracing configurations. Read more
• Skyward Entertainment’s Second Stone received a positive hands-on preview from Gamereactor following gamescom. The preview takes a closer look at the Helsinki studio’s upcoming action RPG. Read the preview
• Iceflake Studios has launched the first episode of its new “Under Construction” developer-video series for LEGO Skylines. The episode introduces the Tampere-based team and development of the upcoming city-builder. Watch Episode 1
• Finnish studio MiTale is expanding from independent game development into transmedia publishing. The company will publish games and other media, with external submissions opening in early 2027. Read more
• Finnish publisher VRKiwi has released Detective VR on Steam and PlayStation VR2. The investigation game launched on 9 September. Read the launch announcement.

😍Upcoming NEW Finnish game releases

• Gladio Mori leaves Early Access and launches in full on 16 September. The Oulu-developed fighting game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Gladio Mori on Steam

💰 Funding

• Business Finland’s new continuous Sprint Grant offers small Finnish companies €75,000–€100,000 for early-stage R&D projects with international growth potential. The grant covers 75% of eligible project costs. Review the funding call.
• AVEK’s DigiDemo application window closes on 21 September at 16:00. Companies may apply for €10,000 or €20,000 towards a demo or pilot. DigiDemo application guidelines

📝 Jobs & Recruitment

• Looking for work or talent in The Finnish Game Industry? See Finnish game-industry job resources

👉 Upcoming Events

• 16–18 September – Thriving in Games Group Summit, Helsinki.
• 23–25 September – Northern Game Summit, Kajaani.
• 12–18 October – Finnish Games Week Steam Event, online.
• 19 October – Leadership Day by IGDA Finland, Helsinki.
• 20–21 October – Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics, Helsinki. Mobile and PC and console Big Indie Pitch applications close on 5 October. Use discount code PlayFinland14 for 14% off tickets. Get discounted tickets.
• 22–23 October – W Love Games 2026, Helsinki and online. Registration and calls are open.
• 3–4 November – Game Research Days 2026, Jyväskylä.
• 5 November – Finnish Game Industry DEI Summit, Helsinki and online. Registration is open.

This week news about the Finnish Game Industry is about the winds of change, deals and new games moving forward. Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen is stepping away after 31 years, Supercell and Metacore have signed their acquisition deal, and Lasse Seppänen is leaving Supercell to start a new company in the UK. On the game side, Frostrail has entered Closed Beta, Add Inspiration has revealed Regret & Rewind, Next Games has helped bring Netflix Star: Daily Trivia to the Netflix TV app, and September releases are getting closer. Also this week: Epic funding opportunities (deadline: 5 September at 06:59 Helsinki time), new leadership training from Aalto EE, the upcoming India Market Introduction webinar and the usual autumn calendar slowly filling up.

Subscribe to Neogames’ weekly newsletter directly to your email

📣 Neogames Dones & News

• Applications for the Gamebadges Challenge Sprint close on 9 September. The online pilot runs from 14 to 27 September and assesses competence through participants’ existing work or portfolios. Read more and apply

📰 Game Industry News, thoughts & discussions

• Games & Immersive: India Market Introduction takes place online on 11 September from 10:00 to 11:00 Helsinki time. The webinar covers the Indian market, current collaboration opportunities and the upcoming India Game Developer Conference. Register for the webinar.
• Applications are open for Finnish Game Incubator 2026 until 18 October. The free remote programme is for Finland-based teams already developing a game. At least one team member must speak Finnish, and the required skills assessment, submitted as a game-business plan, must be completed in Finnish. Programme details and application.

🎮 News from and about Finnish Game Companies

• Supercell and Metacore have signed their agreement concerning Merge Mansion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of September, bringing the game and Metacore’s employees into Supercell. Read Supercell’s announcement.
• Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen has stepped down after 31 years with the Helsinki studio. Sami “Haxu” Hakala became managing director on 1 July following a planned transition. Read more.
• Lasse Seppänen has left Supercell after seven and a half years and plans to establish a UK game studio in 2027. His previous roles included leading several Supercell games and serving as general manager of Supercell London. Read more.
• Turku-based FakeFish has launched the closed beta for Frostrail. Players can request Steam access ahead of the Shiro Unlimited-published game’s planned Q4 2026 Early Access release. Closed-beta announcement and Frostrail on Steam.
• Finnish publisher Bonus Stage Publishing has opened a public Steam playtest for Arctic Drive. Developed by Canada-based Pebbles Games and Denmark-based PlayTogether Studio, the playtest includes a new scenario mode. Read the announcement.
• Helsinki-based Channel37 has released Update 5.5 for The Last Caretaker. The Early Access update adds new storage systems, a MOSES quest, locations and memories, alongside performance improvements. Read the patch notes.
• Type the World has released a demo on Steam ahead of Steam Next Fest. The geography-themed typing game by Finnish solo developer Jaakko Maaniemi challenges players to type place names onto a world map. The full game is scheduled for release on 28 October. Play the demo on Steam Read more

😍Upcoming NEW Finnish game releases

• Gladio Mori leaves Early Access and launches in full on 16 September. The Oulu-developed fighting game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with cross-platform multiplayer. Read the release announcement.
• Remedy Entertainment’s CONTROL Resonant launches digitally on 24 September. The Finnish-developed action RPG is coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Read Remedy’s announcement.
• Next Games has helped develop Netflix Star: Daily Trivia, now playable through the Netflix TV app in the US. The Helsinki-based Netflix studio worked with teams across Netflix on the technology behind the experience, including TV remote controls and integration directly into the Netflix home screen. The game is currently available only in the US. Read more from Next Games.

💰 Funding

• Last call: Epic MegaGrants Cycle 2 closes on 4 September at 11:59 PM ET – 5 September at 06:59 Helsinki time. The funding is aimed especially at smaller teams, solo developers and other creators using Unreal Engine, UEFN or related real-time 3D technology. Finnish developers considering an application should act now. Read more and apply.

• AVEK’s DigiDemo application window closes on 21 September at 16:00. Companies may apply for €10,000 or €20,000 towards a demo or pilot, covering up to 80 per cent of eligible costs. Read the application guidelines.

📝 Jobs & Recruitment

• Looking for work or talent in The Finnish Game Industry? Neogames maintains links to Finnish game-company careers pages, GamesJobs.fi and other relevant recruitment resources. Finnish game-industry job resources.

👉 Upcoming Events

• 3–5 September – Siida Game Jam, Inari and online. Remote participation remains available through the organiser’s Discord community.
• 5 September – IGDA Satakunta September Meetup, Pori.
• 8 September – IGDA Helsinki September Meetup, Helsinki. Demo Corner applications close on 4 September at 23:59.
• 11 September – IGDA Lahti September Meetup – Finndie Forge, Lahti. The programme covers funding, team-building and support for independent developers.
• 16–18 September – Thriving in Games Group Summit, Helsinki.
• 17–18 September – WN Conference Cyprus, Limassol. Applications for the free indie showcase and pitch close on 11 September.
• 23–25 September – Northern Game Summit, Kajaani.
• 12–18 October – Finnish Games Week Steam Event, online.
• 19 October – Leadership Day by IGDA Finland, Helsinki.
• 20–21 October – Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics, Helsinki. Applications for the mobile and PC and console Big Indie Pitch competitions close on 5 October.
• 22–23 October – W Love Games 2026, Helsinki and online. Registration and the calls for talks and workshops are open.
• 3–4 November – Game Research Days 2026, Jyväskylä.
• 5 November – Finnish Game Industry DEI Summit, Helsinki and online. Registration is open.

This week news about the Finnish Game Industry is… led by a strong Finnish presence at gamescom, where Iceflake Studios revealed LEGO Skylines, Remedy showcased CONTROL Resonant and MiTale presented its work on quantum computing in commercial game development. Gamescom also offered a strong week of international visibility, meetings and business opportunities for many Finnish developers. Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen visited the Nordic All Stars booth, where discussions covered Nordic game development, upcoming regulation and the wider Nordic game development community, alongside demos from Simucube and Murska Digital and a discussion around Remedy Entertainment’s upcoming CONTROL Resonant. Elsewhere, Rovio is closing its Copenhagen studio following the cancellation of Sonic Blitz, while Frozenbyte has delayed Trine 6 to March 2027. Lohkare Games’ Last Drop, meanwhile, reached #1 on Steam’s Finnish top sellers chart after its Early Access launch. On the ecosystem side, The Finnish Game Industry’s new policy programme for 2027–2031 is out, KooPee Hiltunen has been re-elected to the EGDF board, EGDF has published its latest European industry insights, and new regional initiatives in Espoo and Pirkanmaa highlight continued efforts to strengthen the conditions for game industry growth.

Subscribe to Neogames’ weekly newsletter directly to your email

📣 Neogames Dones & News

• The Finnish Game Industry’s proposals for decision-makers for 2027–2031 are now public. Neogames’ new policy programme brings together the measures the industry considers necessary at municipal, national and EU level, covering areas including access to talent, education and skills, startup financing and international competitiveness.
• KooPee Hiltunen has been re-elected to the board of the European Game Developers Federation (EGDF). Hendrik Lesser continues as president for 2026–2028, with the new board representing Germany, Finland, Sweden, Croatia, Poland and France. EGDF’s priorities for the next two years include access to funding and talent, helping European studios move higher in the value chain and strengthening the global visibility of the European game industry.
• Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen visited the Nordic All Stars booth at gamescom. The discussion covered game development in the Nordics, upcoming regulation and the Nordic game development community. Virkkunen also saw game demos from Simucube and Murska Digital, and discussed Remedy Entertainment’s upcoming CONTROL Resonant. Read Neogames Finland’s LinkedIn post.
• Gamebadges Challenge Sprint is looking for participants for its second online pilot. The sprint runs 14–27 September, with selected participants submitting real Gamebadges applications using evidence from their existing work or portfolio. Applications are open until 9 September.

📰 Game Industry News, thoughts & discussions

• Espoo Game LAB concludes with 13 new companies and new jobs created in the Capital Region game industry.The three-year programme involved 108 participants and resulted in 13 new companies and 22.5 person-years of new employment. The programme also organised 38 events reaching around 2,100 participants. Neogames Finland evaluated the Game LAB operating model
• Pirkanmaa calls for stronger recognition of the game industry and content industries as drivers of Finland’s growth. Business Tampere highlights games, audiovisual industries and digital content as areas with significant potential for scalable growth, exports and employment, and calls for stronger recognition of content industries in R&D funding, internationalisation services and national growth policy.
• EGDF has published its 2024 European Video Game Industry Insights. The new report provides updated data and policy context on the European game industry and highlights the sector’s resilience in a challenging global market.
• Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen has joined the PGC Nordics speaker line-up. Hallikainen, who has led the Tampere studio since its founding in 2009, joins the conference taking place in Helsinki on 20–21 October. Session details will be announced later.
• Final reminder: Finnish Games Week Steam Event submissions close on 1 September at 18:00 CET. Finnish companies can submit published or upcoming Steam games for the event running 12–18 October, immediately before Finnish Games Week in Helsinki.

🎮 News from and about Finnish Game Studios

• Iceflake Studios is developing LEGO Skylines, revealed at gamescom Opening Night Live. The new city-builder from Tampere-based Iceflake Studios is being published by Paradox Interactive in collaboration with the LEGO Group and is coming to Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. No release date has been announced yet.
• Rovio is closing its Copenhagen studio following the cancellation of Sonic Blitz. Around 20 employees worked on the cancelled game. Rovio CEO Alex Pelletier-Normand said Sonic Blitz did not achieve the player retention required during soft launch; employees who cannot be reassigned to other Rovio projects will receive transition support.
• Finnish studio MiTale is exploring quantum computing in commercial game development through C.L.A.Y. – The Last Redemption. Quantum circuit simulations are being used in the upcoming RPG’s narrative and procedural systems, including story dynamics and environment generation. MiTale is showcasing the game at gamescom this week.
• Frozenbyte has delayed Trine 6: Together in Time from 17 September 2026 to 4 March 2027. Following feedback from its recent Private Playtest, the studio will use the additional development time to introduce a second puzzle experience and work further on combat, camera behaviour, onboarding and online multiplayer.
• CONTROL Resonant received a new gamescom trailer and another technology showcase. Remedy’s upcoming title was shown during gamescom Opening Night Live, and Nvidia separately presented new CONTROL Resonant gameplay demonstrating path tracing and DLSS 4.5. The game launches digitally on 24 September.
• Lohkare Games’ Last Drop reached #1 on Steam’s Finnish top sellers chart following its Early Access launch. The Jyväskylä-based studio released the 1990s Finland-set open-world game into Early Access on 18 August. Last Drop on Steam.

😍 NEW Finnish games released & upcoming releases

• Gladio Mori leaves Steam Early Access and launches in full on 16 September on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The physics-based fighting game is developed by Oulu-based Plebeian Studio.

💰 Funding

• AVEK DigiDemo funding remains open until 21 September. Demo and pilot support is available in fixed amounts of €10,000 or €20,000 and may cover up to 80% of eligible project costs.
• Supercell continues to invite game companies to approach its investment and partnership team.

📝 Jobs & Recruitment

• Looking for work or talent in The Finnish Game Industry? Neogames maintains links to Finnish game company job pages, GamesJobs.fi and other relevant recruitment resources.

👉 Upcoming Events

• 26–30 August – gamescom, Cologne
• 3–5 September – Siida Game Jam, Inari
• 8 September – IGDA Helsinki September Meetup
• 16–18 September – Thriving in Games Group Summit, Helsinki
• 23–25 September – Northern Game Summit, Kajaani
• 12–18 October – Finnish Games Week Steam Event
• 19 October – IGDA Finland Leadership Day
• 20–21 October – Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics, Helsinki – use discount code PlayFinland14 for 14% off.
• 22–24 October – W Love Games 2026
• 3–4 November – Game Research Days 2026, Jyväskylä
• 5 November – Finnish Game Industry DEI Summit

This week’s news from the Finnish Game Industry has a strong gamescom flavour, with Finnish companies and games appearing across several corners of Cologne next week. Neogames will be at the Nordic All Stars Booth on 26–28 August, together with 13 Finnish game developers, and we will also host drinks at the booth on Thursday at 17:00, sponsored by Housemarque. Remedy’s CONTROL Resonant, now gone gold, will be publicly playable for the first time at the Level Infinite booth, Second Stone by Skyward Entertainment and Sonorous – Deep Down Below by HOONAYA will be at the Indie Arena Booth, and Finnish companies will also be represented at the Creative Europe MEDIA stand. Beyond gamescom, Netflix is planning to close its Helsinki-based Moonloot Games studio, and Nitro Games reported its H1 2026 results alongside continued investment in new growth. On the release side, Lohkare Games’ Last Drop has launched into Steam Early Access. Finnish developers can also apply for €10,000 or €20,000 in AVEK DigiDemo funding until 21 September, and submissions are open for the Finnish Games Week Steam Event on 12–18 October, giving participating games a potential second consecutive week of Steam visibility following Next Fest.

Stay updated on what’s happening in the Finnish game industry by following the Play Finland Facebook group, and help us stay informed by posting your Finnish game industry news there!  Follow Neogames Finland also on LinkedIn.

This week’s news from the Finnish Game Industry starts with Remedy, which is maintaining its 2026 growth outlook despite a weaker Q2 as investments ramp up ahead of CONTROL Resonant’s September launch. There was another milestone for the studio, with Alan Wake 2 surpassing three million copies sold as Control sales continue to grow. This is the week when many in the game industry, including Neogames, are preparing for gamescom, where we will organise the Nordic All Stars booth in the Business Area in Hall 4.1, Stand D-033g  from 26 to 28 August, bringing a sizeable group of Finnish companies to Cologne. The game industry is facing turbulent times, and in that context Neogames’ KooPee Hiltunen discussed the current state and outlook of The Finnish Game Industry on Ylen aamu. From a slightly longer-term perspective, PocketGamer.biz interviewed Suvi Latva about how building a game company in Finland has changed over the past two decades. On the release side, new games keep coming: Netflix Star Daily Trivia, developed by Next Games, a Netflix Game Studio, and Tech Lab Games, has been released, Parta Games’ Choppa: Rescue Rivals launched on Steam and Nintendo Switch, and Lohkare Games’ Last Drop enters Steam Early Access on 18 August.

Stay updated on what’s happening in the Finnish game industry by following the Play Finland Facebook group, and help us stay informed by posting your Finnish game industry news there!  Follow Neogames Finland also on LinkedIn.

This week’s news from the Finnish Game Industry starts with a notable investment, as Heikki Herlin’s investment company Mariatorp has acquired a 7% stake in Remedy Entertainment. Housemarque’s upcoming Saros also received a notable mention from Sony, which says the game is steadily expanding its player base. Next Games, a Netflix studio, released Netflix Minigolf last week, and Managing Director Saara Bergström spoke to What’s on Netflix about the game’s development and the studio’s work on Netflix’s cloud-based living-room games. Dirtnap by Part Time Monkey, Unstable Entity and Nitroyale is heading to Steam Early Access on 28 August, while Kitka Games has soft launched Brinko – Party Royale in Finland and India and Warena, developed by Part Time Monkey and published by Coyote Time Publishing, was released on Steam in July. The August event calendar starts next week with the IGDA Helsinki and IGDA Turku meetups on 11 August, followed later in the month by gamescom dev and gamescom in Cologne.

Stay updated on what’s happening in the Finnish game industry by following the Play Finland Facebook group, and help us stay informed by posting your Finnish game industry news there!  Follow Neogames Finland also on LinkedIn.

This summer’s recap from The Finnish Game Industry brought a colourful first look at what comes next, led by Trine 6: Together in Time in all its kaleidoscopic glory. The latest adventure from Frozenbyte will arrive on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC on 17 September. Rovio unveiled the first official trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 3, and CEO Alex Pelletier-Normand was appointed COO of SEGA Europe’s West Studios. The Finnish industry will soon head to gamescom in Cologne, where Neogames is once again organising the Nordic All Stars booth in the Business Area from 26 to 28 August.

On the operational side, Nitro Games signed a development services agreement worth approximately €2.1 million for an unannounced mobile shooter and transferred the development and publishing of Autogun Heroes to Hyperkani. FakeFish’s frosty survival co-op shooter Frostrail is heading into closed beta on 31 August, and The Last Caretaker received the substantial New Horizons update. The summer also delivered a varied group of new Finnish releases: Antenna Games’ Ogre Chambers 2222, Runoi Games’ debut title Fortune Fragments, Coyote Time Publishing’s cyberpunk body-horror FPS Voltage High Society 1.0, and the Steam Early Access launches of Disc Golf Masters and Bonobo Software’s Taival. However, the summer news was not entirely cheerful, as Tribo Games announced that it is closing after four years. Further ahead, Pocket Gamer Connects Nordics returns to Helsinki on 20–21 October, with Neogames newsletter subscribers receiving 14% off tickets using the code PlayFinland14.

Stay updated on what’s happening in the Finnish game industry by following the Play Finland Facebook group, and help us stay informed by posting your Finnish game industry news there!  Follow Neogames Finland also on LinkedIn.

This two week’s news from the Finnish Game Industry starts with Remedy, as Control Resonant launches on PS5 on 24 September and new CEO Jean-Charles Gaudechon discusses the next steps for Alan Wake and Control as franchises. Neogames has released its new report on game industry growth and entrepreneurship, Game Industry Entrepreneurship Paths from Start-up to Growth. Regarding to industry support, Jyväskylä is forming a shared strategy for games sector development. For game developers, there are several international opportunities to note: the W Love Games scholarship for gamescom dev and gamescom Cologne 2026, the Creative Europe MEDIA stand at gamescom with a 26 June deadline, and China Game Business Boost 2026 at China Joy, with the deadline today. On the studio side, SEGA and Rovio have appointed Toons Max as the official Angry Birds licensing agent in China, Rovio’s Anastasiya Kara discusses the shift from core-first to event-first mobile games. New releases include Tree Men Games’ HELI 100, Jestercraft’s Mining Grounds, MicroDose’s Marble Sort with Voodoo, and Pelimies Remake for iPhone and iPad. The Finnish Society for Game Research has also awarded the 2026 Game Studies Thesis Competition prizes to Vilma Varismaa from Tampere University and Sina Berger from South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, with Mikko Korpela from Tampere University receiving an honourable mentionAlso worth noting: Ari Pulkkinen was recognised to legendary status at the Nordic Game Awards, and the Way Forward Forum takes place in Oulu today.

Stay updated on what’s happening in the Finnish game industry by following the Play Finland Facebook group, and help us stay informed by posting your Finnish game industry news there!  Follow Neogames Finland also on LinkedIn.