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Assassin's Creed Shadows is Europe's best-selling new title so far, according to new data
Esports

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Europe’s best-selling new title so far, according to new data

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Europe’s best-selling new game so far this year, according to new data from GSD.

As reported by The Games Business, Ubisoft’s latest title beat the likes of Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Split Fiction is the best-selling IP of 2025 so far, which reached No.6 on the Top 20 chart.

This comes from data collected by GSD up until July 28, 2025. However, this excludes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the game’s publisher does not share its sales data with GSD.

As for Nintendo titles, the publisher also doesn’t share its digital sales data.

Looking at the overall chart, Monster Hunter Wilds ranked at No.7, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was at No.10, Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered came in at No.11 followed by Elden Ring Nightrein at No.13.

While AC Shadows is the best-selling new game, EA Sport FC 25 took the ultimate top spot following its release last September.

Elsewhere, 71 million PC and console games have been sold across the continent so far this year, reflecting a 6% decline year-over-year, according to additional data shared by GSD analyst Sam Naji.

This included 52 million digital games (down 3%) and 19.7 million physical games (down 9%).

During the first 19 weeks of 2025, games spending dropped 2% to €1.33 billion, with unit sales declining 9%. This was reportedly “due to an 8% increase in the average selling price of games” with “gamers spending on average €29 per game” compared to €27 last year.

Digital spending rose by 8% (compared to a 6% drop in unit sales) due to a 15% rise “in the average selling price of digital games” from €22 to €29.

Physical spending was down 16%, with unit sales declining a further 17%. The price of physical games has slightly increased by 2% compared to the same period last year from €39 to €40.

Here are the top 20 games in Europe from GSD data collected until July 28, 2025:

Position
Title

1
EA Sports FC 25 (Electronic Arts)

2
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)

3
Grand Theft Auto 5 (Rockstar)

4
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar)

5
Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros)

6
Split Fiction (EA)

7
Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)

8
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Activision Blizzard)

9
Mario Kart World (Nintendo)*

10
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (Plaion)

11
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (Bethesda)

12
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (EA)

13
Elden Ring: Nightrein (Bandai Namco)

14
It Takes Two (EA)

15
Grand Theft Auto Online (Rockstar)

16
NBA 2K25 (2K Games)

17
F1 25 (EA)

18
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (Ubisoft)

19
Mario Kart 8: Deluxe (Nintendo)*

20
Battlefield 1 (EA)

*Digital data unavailable

Games bundled with hardware is included (including digital and physical games)

Data covers Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.



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Crypto Trends

Kraken Becomes Latest to Win a License Under Europe’s New Rules

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In brief

  • The license allows Kraken to operate under MiCA across the EU.
  • It follows Coinbase’s own approval in Luxembourg last week.
  • MiCA came into full force at the end of last year, establishing clearer rules for the industry across the region.

Kraken has secured a regulatory license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework, the company announced Wednesday. The authorization, granted by the Central Bank of Ireland, enables Kraken to offer crypto services across 27 EU member states, as well as three EEA member states.

“Securing a license from the Central Bank of Ireland… [is] a powerful signal of Kraken’s commitment to expanding the crypto ecosystem through responsible innovation,” Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken, said in a statement.

“Being the first major global crypto platform to receive authorization from the CBI affirms Kraken’s commitment to building for the long term,” he added. “This license reflects that effort and places us in a strong position to expand our product offering, grow our institutional and retail client base, and deliver secure, accessible, and fully regulated crypto services to millions more people across the EU.”

The euro currently accounts for 17.5% of global fiat spot crypto trading volume, more than double compared to a year earlier, according to the exchange.

An eye on Europe

The approval comes just a week after rival exchange Coinbase announced it had received a similar license in Luxembourg. Both moves highlight how major crypto platforms are racing to align with MiCA ahead of its phased implementation.

MiCA, which has been fully enforced since the end of last year, introduced a unified regulatory regime for crypto asset service providers across the EU.



However, in recent weeks, the ability of firms licensed in one member state being able to offer their services across the entire bloc without needing separate approvals elsewhere has drawn criticism.

Some industry participants and regulators warn it may encourage firms to seek approval in jurisdictions with lighter-touch regulatory regimes, then expand operations more broadly, an issue that has also been seen in other industries.

Peter Curk, CEO of UK-based ICONOMI, previously warned that this could lead to a “race to the bottom” in regulatory enforcement standards. 

The European Securities and Markets Authority is currently reviewing Malta’s licensing practices and is expected to release a report on its findings.

Kraken already holds Virtual Asset Service Provider registrations in Ireland, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury firm plans to raise $340m to buy more BTC
NFT Gaming

Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury firm plans to raise $340m to buy more BTC

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Adam Back-supported Bitcoin Treasury firm, Blockchain Group, wants to raise $340 million through ‘ATM-type’ shares as a way to raise capital with the intention of boosting its BTC holdings.

In a recent press release, the Paris-based company declared that it will be partnering with asset manager TOBAM to raise capital to boost its Bitcoin (BTC) Treasury. By allowing TOBAM to subscribe to ordinary shares issued by Blockchain Group, the firm hopes to raise a total revenue of $340 million which they will use to boost its BTC holdings.

“The Program allows TOBAM, on a daily basis, to subscribe to ordinary shares of the Company by submitting a subscription request after market close. Each request is subject to pricing and volume limits based on the market conditions,” wrote Blockchain Group.

At press time, BTC has gone up by nearly 2% and is currently trading at $107,126. In the past week, BTC has gone up nearly 2.5%. If Blockchain Group does manage to raise $340 million, then it stands a chance to add more than 3171.46 BTC to its Bitcoin Treasury. The Blockchain Group currently owns a total of 1,471 BTC ($157.5 million), including 624 BTC acquired in a recent purchase and 847 BTC held previously.

The program follows a structure called “At The Market” pricing, which is similar to the a model usually affiliated with U.S. companies. Instead of releasing all the shares into the market, Blockchain Group intends to sell shares directly at market prices, in tranches, and only under certain limits.

Price chart for Bitcoin in the past few hours, June 9, 2025 | Source: crypto.news

This means that TOBAM can subscribe to ordinary shares belonging to Blockchain Group on a daily basis, allowing them to submit a request after the market closes.

According to the press release, the company plans to sell the share price at a limit that’s either higher than the stock market closing price or at the volume weighted average price of the trading day before TOBAM’s request.

Based on the company’s shareholder general meeting results, the firm has agreed to issue a maximum nominal amount of €500 million ($570 million) in nominal value. Although, the increase will only take place if it is authorized by the Blockchain Group’s board.

Blockchain Group has adopted a Bitcoin accumulation strategy since November 2024, becoming the first European company to start a Bitcoin Treasury.

Since Bitcoin reached a new all-time high in May, many Bitcoin-focused corporations have been accelerating their Bitcoin acquisition strategy. Most recently, Metaplanet vowed to raise its Bitcoin Treasury to hold 210,000 BTC by 2027.



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Crypto Trends

Europe’s Biggest Bank Rolls Out Settlement Service

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

HSBC has rolled out Hong Kong’s first settlement service that uses blockchain technology. It turns regular bank deposits into digital tokens. That means companies can move money almost instantly.

Payments may cost less and happen faster than on traditional systems, according to Lewis Sun, HSBC’s global head of domestic and emerging payments for global payments solutions.

Tokenized Deposit Program

Based on reports, HSBC’s new tokenized deposit program lets firms swap regular deposits for tokens on a blockchain platform. Companies keep their dollars on the bank’s balance sheet, but they can send and receive them like digital coins.

Sun says this approach can cut out extra fees and delays. It also helps track every payment on-chain, so firms know where their cash is at all times.

HSBC LAUNCHES HONG KONG’S FIRST BLOCKCHAIN SETTLEMENT SERVICE

HSBC debuted a blockchain-based settlement platform using tokenized HKD and USD deposits, with Ant International completing the first transaction.

The service will expand across Asia and Europe later this year.… pic.twitter.com/WNMMqs7Owa

— Crypto Town Hall (@Crypto_TownHall) May 24, 2025

Round-The-Clock Payments

According to HSBC, the service runs 24 hours a day. Corporate clients can send Hong Kong dollars and US dollars between HSBC Hong Kong wallets any time.

That’s a big change from standard banking, where transfers often pause overnight or on weekends. Real-time transfers mean treasurers can react quickly to market moves or urgent needs.

Total crypto market cap at $3.32 trillion on the daily chart: TradingView.com

Pilot With Ant International

Ant International, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, was the first client to test the system. It used Ant’s Whale platform to move funds instantly, HSBC said. After that pilot in May, the bank adopted those lessons into its live service.

Kelvin Li, general manager of platform tech at Ant International, called tokenization a bridge between traditional banking and blockchain. He added that the project aimed to make treasury work more transparent and efficient.

Image: CFA Institute Blogs

Regulatory Support And Expansion

HSBC’s rollout is backed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Supervisory Incubator for Distributed Ledger Technology. The bank is one of several that have run proof-of-concept trials under the HKMA’s tokenization program.

In August, the HKMA set up a central bank digital currency testing regime. Six firms, including HSBC, began experimenting with tokenized money for digital asset deals.

Hong Kong Taps Blockchain

That move pushed Hong Kong closer to interbank blockchain settlements. HSBC plans to extend its service to Asian and European markets in the second half of 2025.

The new system may transform the way large companies handle cash. They won’t have to wait until opening time or be hit with unexpected charges. Instant information on each payment translates into clearer views of liquidity throughout the day.

But the project also comes with challenges. Firms must refresh their back-offices so that they can interact with tokens. And blockchain platforms need to remain secure from intrusions or technical glitches.

HSBC is the largest bank in Europe in terms of assets, according to the latest ranking of the 50 biggest European lenders published by the S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Featured image from PYMNTS chart from TradingView

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