June 2, 2025 – This newsletter shares the good news of the Finnish game industry once a month. The content is intended to be a comprehensive news overview for both individual newsletter subscribers and international journalists interested in games.
The June 2025 newsletter highlights the diversity of Finland’s game industry, showcasing new releases and updates such as Stratogun, Kaamos, and Without a Dawn. Pax Dei won the Finnish Game of the Year award reinforcing Mainframe Industries’ position in the industry. Additionally, Metaplay announced a free platform for developers, and Supercell’s CLASH is getting animated Netflix series. These news demonstrate the Finnish game industry’s continuous growth and development.
1. New game launches and updates in May 2025
- Stratogun by Horsefly Games is officially out now on PC and all major consoles. The game is a modern take on classic arcade space shooters with ultra-tight controls and fast-paced gameplay.
- Kaamos by Pepperbox Studios is a new bite-sized turn-based puzzle roguelike game on Steam.
- Gunbot Diplomacy by Sleepy Sentry is now available on Steam. You can kick around nuclear footballs, use fire extinguishers as flamethrowers and all kinds of similarly crazy shenanigans!
- Cats With Standards by Jestercraft launched a demo version of their upcoming horror visual novel where cats claw through filth for bones and whisper lies to mirrors.
- Sledders by Bonus Stage Publishing is now available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is a snowmobile simulator with realistic physics and multiplayer mode.
- Squad Busters by Supercell has just pushed the button on a major game update, which transforms the core gameplay of Squad Busters through the introduction of Heroes and Squaddies.
- Without a Dawn by indie developer Jesse Makkonen has launched in Steam. The game is a dark, psychological, and philosophical visual horror novel featuring hauntingly beautiful pseudo-ASCII art.
- Carillon Games launched Cat Cha Cha game in Google Play and Apple Appstore. The game is designed to entertain curious kitties and their humans alike and transforms your tablet or phone into a paw-some playground.
- Bow Course – Archery Golf by Korpi Games is out now on Meta Quest. Challenge your friends in archery golf with realistic arrow physics across 9 challenging targets.
2. Pax Dei won the Finnish Game of the Year in The Finnish Game Awards
The Finnish Game Awards 2025 honored the best Finnish games and game developers while also celebrating the 30-year history of the Finnish Game Industry. The main award, Finnish Game of the Year, was presented to Pax Dei by Mainframe Industries. The winner, Pax Dei is known as a vast, social sandbox MMO game. It draws inspiration from the legends of the medieval era, where myths are real, ghosts exist, and magic is unquestioned.
3. Metaplay Free plan announced for game developers
Helsinki-based Metaplay has announced a brand new Metaplay Free plan aimed at helping developers in teams of all sizes get their game off the ground on the same solid foundation as top-tier game studios. Metaplay Free gives developers everywhere access to the full backend stack for local development, letting you start building ambitious features for your online game from day one.
4. Supercell’s CLASH is invading Netflix with a new animated series
CLASH is coming to life as a new animated series on Netflix, which has been greenlit and is currently in pre-production.