The countdown to BLAST Premier Bounty Malta starts now!

The action begins online on July 21, as 32 Counter-Strike 2 teams enter one of BLAST’s flagship tournaments. The competition then returns to Malta from 30 July to 2 August, one year after BLAST Premier made its debut on the island.

Eight of the world’s leading teams will progress to the LAN playoffs at BLAST Studio Arena in Ta’ Qali, competing across the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and grand final.

With €1.15 million prize pool at stake, the tournament brings BLAST’s distinctive Bounty format back to Malta, featuring single-elimination, best-of-three matches, and a best-of-five final.

BLAST Premier Bounty is one of BLAST’s Tier 1 flagship events, placing Malta at the centre of the international esports calendar. The tournament brings leading teams, broadcast crews, production specialists, fans, suppliers, and industry decision makers into Malta’s gaming ecosystem, while showcasing the island’s capacity to host and produce esports competition at the highest level.

The tournament forms part of the multi-year partnership between GamingMalta and BLAST, created to bring Tier 1 competitions to the island, developing Malta as a hub for esports activity, and strengthen the infrastructure supporting the sector.

This is Malta Vision 2050 translated into action: attracting international investment and activity, building world-class digital and production capabilities, creating opportunities across the wider gaming economy, and strengthening Malta’s position as a globally competitive esports destination.

BLAST Premier Bounty Malta takes place at BLAST Arena Studios from 30 July to 2 August.

Another international stage awaits a Maltese game studio.

Next week, Anvil Game Studios will take the stage at Unity’s Brighton offices to share the story behind Holdfast: Nations At War, giving developers from around the world an insight into the journey of a game created in Malta.

Founded by twin brothers Andrew Farrugia and Julian Farrugia, Anvil is no stranger to international recognition. Following last year’s launch of Holdfast on PS5 and Xbox Series, the game reached the PlayStation bestseller list and recorded more than 8,000 concurrent players, more than doubling its previous peak.

Their journey began as a bedroom project before becoming one of the first studios to grow through GamingMalta’s base_camp. Today, Anvil operates from its offices at SmartCity and continues to show what can be achieved by building games from Malta for a global audience.

Being invited by Unity to share their story is another milestone, placing a Maltese success story in front of one of the world’s leading game development communities. It is recognition not only of the studio’s achievements, but also of the strength of the video game ecosystem being built in Malta.

Anvil Game Studios’ journey reflects the ambitions set out in Malta Vision 2050, supporting homegrown talent, creating high-value careers, and helping Maltese companies compete on the global stage while remaining rooted in Malta.

Congratulations to Andrew Farrugia, Julian Farrugia, and the entire Anvil Game Studios team. We look forward to seeing Malta represented once again on the international stage.

Malta’s gaming industry is built by people who keep moving the sector forward, one product, partnership, and decision at a time. The MiGEA Awards give that work a public stage, placing the focus on the people and companies that translate ambition into measurable progress.

GamingMalta was proud to be a Participating Entity at the Malta’s iGaming Excellence Awards 2026, organised by Dynamic Events Malta at The Xara Lodge. GamingMalta CEO Ivan Filletti, Chairman Alistair Dalli, and Ecosystems Manager Adrian Caruana were among the award presenters on the night, taking the stage to recognise the companies, teams, and individuals contributing to the strength of the sector.

These awards are another example of how Malta Vision 2050 works within the sector, by recognising the talent, technical skill, leadership, and entrepreneurial drive that make Malta more competitive on the international stage.

Congratulations to all winners and nominees, whose work continues to strengthen Malta’s gaming ecosystem and carry its reputation beyond our shores.

Malta will be at Develop:Brighton 2026, showing the game development community what a small island with a global mindset can offer.

The GamingMalta team will be present throughout the event at Booth N14, which kicks off on 14th July, connecting with developers, studios, publishers, and industry leaders who are building the next generation of games.

The Make it in Malta campaign truly comes to life in these global settings. We are inviting indie studios to look at our island as the place where their own Make it in Malta success story can begin, grow and reach international markets.

During the event we’ll explain exactly what to expect when operating from Malta, including access to talent, industry knowledge, a strong digital infrastructure, and a gaming ecosystem that was built to scale. These are the same foundations behind Malta Vision 2050, where talent, innovation and high-value sectors are central to the country’s long-term growth.

Let Malta be the stage for your global ambitions! Meet the GamingMalta team at Develop Brighton 2026 to discover how we can help your studio take the next step in operating and growing from Malta.

Seven students from the Institute of Digital Games – University of Malta just gave us a masterclass in taking a title from a semester project in Malta to winning Best International Game at Expovit 2025 in Costa Rica.

Congratulations to Team DIEnosaur, made up of Paul Psaila, Roxanne Poggi, Ema Grech, Zofia Matczak, Kyriaki Kostopoulou, Marvic Catania and Pietro Noceti. Their game, Internal Affairs, has successfully made the journey beyond the classroom and onto the international stage.

Last year, the team also joined GamingMalta at European Game Night 2025 during gamescom in Cologne, where they pitched Internal Affairs alongside selected indie studios from across Europe to publishers, investors and industry leaders.

Internal Affairs won Best International Game at Expovit 2025, after being selected from a field of international entries, including games from Canada and Malta.

Expovit is Costa Rica’s national video game development exposition, bringing together developers, students and industry professionals for three days of talks, exhibitions, interactive experiences, networking and knowledge sharing.

This is exactly the kind of talent Malta Vision 2050 places at the centre of the country’s future.

The GamingMalta team could not be prouder to see local game development education producing work that competes internationally and giving Malta’s next generation of creators the confidence to succeed on the global stage.

Academy of Interactive Media (AIM) which is an initiative by GamingMalta wrapped up an incredible two days of masterclasses with Nicolas Kraj, the celebrated studio founder with 15+ years of experience spanning indie and AAA production and founder of GDKeys.

Across both days, the conversations ranged from the practical to the creative and the commercial realities of building games that can compete in today’s market, with the first day targeting industry professionals and the second opening the conversation to students and aspiring game developers.

Nicolas brought more than career highlights to the room, sharing valuable insight from his experience on internationally recognised titles including Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Space Marine 2 and a glimpse into parts of game development that people do not always see from the outside.

That exchange is at the heart of AIM, giving Malta’s emerging talent direct access to industry experience, while helping build the skills and creative capacity that Malta Vision 2050 places at the centre of a stronger, more future-facing digital economy.

The event was hosted at the American University of Malta (AUM).

The first session of the Academy of Interactive Media (AIM) masterclass is off to a great start as we welcome Nicolas Kraj, the celebrated studio founder with 15+ years of experience spanning indie and AAA production, as well as the founder of GDKeys. Nicolas will be sharing practical insight into what it takes to build stronger games, sharper teams, and more sustainable studios.

This session is designed for game studios, independent developers, designers, producers, and professionals working within the game development sector and game education.

With experience across internationally recognised titles like Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Space Marine 2, Nicolas is guaranteed to bring practical knowledge and a global perspective to today’s session, which is focused on industry professionals.

AIM is an initiative that reflects GamingMalta’s commitment to building the talent, knowledge, and creative capacity behind Malta’s game development ecosystem, aligning with MaltaVision 2050’s commitment for a more innovative and future-facing economy.

The event is hosted at the American University of Malta (AUM).

Our masterclass is fully booked!

This Friday and Saturday, Academy of Interactive Media (AIM) which is an innitative by GamingMalta welcomes Nicolas Kraj, the celebrated game designer with 15+ years of experience spanning indie and AAA production, including major titles such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Space Marine 2, The Crew, Just Dance, and Prince of Persia.

Nicolas, who is also the founder of GDKeys, will be joining us for two dedicated masterclass sessions on game development, design thinking, product strategy, and studio growth.

The strong response to this masterclass is another sign of the strong demand Malta is experiencing for education related to game development, practical industry knowledge, and professional opportunities.

Across these two days, AIM will bring together industry professionals, students, and aspiring game developers for sessions shaped around different stages of the talent pipeline – from emerging talent to those who have already been active in the field for a period of time.

The GamingMalta team is delighted to see a level of engagement that strengthens the local ecosystem while supporting talent development in alignment with the direction towards high-value digital sectors that Malta is taking.

The event is held on the 26th and 27th June at the American University of Malta.

Thank you to everyone who registered. We look forward to welcoming you.

Proud to see Malta recognised on the global esports stage!

Last week GamingMalta and BLAST were among those shortlisted for Industry Development of the Year at the inaugural Esports Leaders Honours 2025-26 as part of Global Esports Industry Week 2026.

We celebrate this recognition as an important marker of theGamingMalta x BLAST collaboration’s growing international relevance. Being shortlisted underscores the value of this collaboration in shaping the future of esports, while also reflecting the work being done to strengthen Malta’s position as a serious destination for world-class esports destination.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to Global Esports Industry Week for recognising the BLAST x GamingMalta collaboration among the most valuable initiatives for Industry Development of the Year.

Today Malta joins the global esports events stage during Global Esports Industry Week 2026.

GamingMalta continues to lead the conversation as our CEO Ivan Filletti joins the panel, From Local Host to Global Stage, The Business of International Esports Events at 11:40AM.

The session looks at what makes a city, festival, or market ready to host esports at international level, with Ivan delving into the process that has transformed Malta’s gaming sector into a global esports hub. The discussion will focus on the business and operational foundations behind major esports events taking place in Malta, touching on destination strategy, fan engagement, and publisher relationships. Ivan will also speak about the role of large games festivals like BLAST tournaments in building visibility.

The panel will bring together leading voices from across the esports and events industries, including Ivan Filletti, CEO of GamingMalta, alongside Edward Tomasi, Esports Advisor at Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau; Bertrand PERRIN, Director of Gaming and Esports Projects at RIVAJ GROUP (ex Fimalac Entertainment); and Zakaria El Asri, Innovation Director at GL events. The discussion will be moderated by Sam Cooke, CEO of The Insights Group and The Esports Radar.

Tonight, the spotlight also turns to the Esports Leaders Honours 2025-26 Event, where the BLAST x GamingMalta partnership will be represented among the nominees, with BLAST x GAMF shortlisted for Industry Development of the Year at the Esports Leaders Honours 2025/26. We’re grateful for this recognition that reflects the strength of our collaboration with BLAST!

Malta’s presence in this conversation reflects the direction set out in Malta Vision 2050, with esports joining other high-value sectors in strengthening Malta’s position as a competitive digital economy.