One of the leading mobile game developers, publishers, and investors in the gaming industry, Sandsoft, has opened a new mobile game development studio in Barcelona.

Team of experts

Alexandre Besenval, a new member of the team and newly appointed VP of Studio Barcelona, will lead the project. The main idea behind opening the new studio is to become a global gaming powerhouse, and opening a studio in Europe marks a significant milestone towards that goal.

The office in Barcelona was opened almost two years ago, in January 2022. Back then, the company’s team grew by joining two big industry names, David Fernandez, a CEO, and Pasqual Patalla, COO, who previously was employed at Socialpoint, the famous subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive.

Sandsoft is known for employing local experts and globally famous names in all markets they’re expanding to, and this isn’t the exception. Now, when the new Barcelona studio is opened, this Riyadh-based company will become one of the leaders in this key European market. As expected, in the next three years, the company will create about 60 new positions for local residents.

Besenval, the new head of the Barcelona studio, is a former Head of New Games and Studio Manager at Madbox. His experience in the mobile gaming industry is impressive, considering that he was also a VP of product at Socialpoint and Gameloft’s studio manager.

Expansion to the global market

When it comes to Sandsoft, Besenval will work with the company’s leadership, including Yahsir Qureshi, a VP from Riyadh studio and former EA and Zynga employee. They will be working closely to establish the right global expansion strategy, and the main focus in the upcoming period will be creating innovative and unique social games that will help the company upgrade the player experience and help people from all around the world socialize and enjoy Sandsoft’s impressive portfolio.

David Fernandez, CEO at Sandsoft, said: “Barcelona is a city that’s close to my heart and which already houses a thriving community of game makers. It’s also a perfect place for talented devs from across Europe to come and be part of what we’re building at Sandsoft. As a relatively new company, this is an opportunity to be part of making brand-new games and creating new IPs at a time in the industry where new titles are scarce. I can’t think of anyone better to lead this exciting phase of our growth than Alexandre.”

Alexandre Besenval, VP of Studio Barcelona at Sandsoft, added: “Sandsoft has the ambition to build a truly global and diverse gaming company, and I’m excited to play my part. I was instantly impressed by the team’s commitment to creating engaging experiences for players across the world, and the opportunity to shape these from an early stage alongside talented colleagues was a big draw. A studio is only as good as its people, and we want to surround ourselves with the best talent to build a mobile gaming dream team.”

Source: Sarkany, Adrienn. “Sandsoft opens Barcelona development studio to work on brand new mobile titles”. European Gaming. December 12, 2023.

The post Alexandre Besenval VP of New Sandsoft Studio in Barcelona appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Brandon Moreno (21-6-2) came out as the winner of the Championship quadrilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo after beating him by TKO in January, thus making it 2-1-1 against his archrival. He won the Figueiredo war, and now it’s time for a new battle – on Saturday, June 8, he’s defending his UFC Flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja (25-5).

This is going to be Moreno’s eighth 5-round bout in his career, while Pantoja is taking part in such a fight for the first time since joining the UFC in 2017. What’s interesting is that neither fighter has ever been finished. Will that change for one of them on July 8? Or will the UFC 290 co-main event go the distance as well?

We’ll try to answer all of those questions (and more) in this Moreno vs. Pantoja prediction, so keep on reading!

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja Odds

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Friday, June 30, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
• Time: 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
• How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass

Brandon Moreno Going for the Flyweight GOAT Status

He might be trailing behind Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson on the all-time flyweight greats list, but Moreno is still very young. The 29-year-old could establish himself as the GOAT of this weight division if he keeps on impressing.

He’s got a 14-3-2 record since moving to the flyweight division from bantamweight in 2014. All three of those losses happened by decision, including the one against Alexandre Pantoja in 2018. He did suffer one stoppage loss, but it happened in an exhibition fight in The Ultimate Fighter 24. Guess who beat him? Pantoja!

This guy also has two draws in his portfolio, which happened against Askar Askarov and Deiveson Figueredo, two fighters who are almost as equally good as him on the floor.

Fighting on the ground is his forte, as evident from the fact that he’s got 11 wins by submission since the start of his professional MMA career in 2011. However, both of his last two wins happened by TKO, which is evidence that “The Assassin Baby” has become a very well-rounded fighter.

He’s got an amazing set of martial arts skills, looking equally great when it comes to wrestling, grappling, and striking. On top of everything, he also has incredible stamina, the proof being that he’s fought for 25 minutes straight in three fights so far. Pantoja has never done such a thing.

Can Alexandre Pantoja Beat Moreno Again?

Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja defeated Moreno two times already, but can he do it again? In their second fight (in 2018), he landed more strikes than his opponent, causing just damage to win over the judges. He did great striking-wise in that fight, but since then, Pantoja’s been focusing more on the ground game.

The 33-year-old Brazilian got to challenge the title after winning three straight fights. He beat Manal Kape first, by unanimous decision. Then he went on to finish (submission) Brandon Royval and Alex Perez in the following two bouts, winning the Performance of the Night bonus each time.

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja Prediction

Brandon Moreno is the better fighter, being superior to Alexander Pantoja in practically every aspect of MMA. He’s also very motivated to win, not only in order to keep his championship belt, but also to exact his revenge for the 2018 defeat.

Pick: Brandon Moreno to win

The post Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja UFC 290 Odds, Time, and Prediction appeared first on Keno Wizard.