Xsolla Announces Multi-Year Strategic Partnership With the Good Game Club Podcast to Amplify Positive Stories From the Global Games Industry

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 19, 2026--

Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, today announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Good Game Club, the independent, global podcast dedicated to sharing positive stories from the gaming ecosystem. The partnership builds on a broader effort to support the developers, publishers, and creators shaping the future of the games industry in a positive way by supporting good stories from the human side of video game businesses. The partnership spans the global events calendar, with joint podcast recordings planned each year at gamescom in Cologne and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260819127662/en/

Xsolla and Good Game Club will collaborate on recurring editorial segments and deep-dive episodes exploring studios and stories from every corner of the industry, from up-and-coming teams to mid-tier and established developers. The collaboration will also bring episodes from the road in Dubai, Berlin, Baku and everywhere in between to highlight studios, creators and industry voices doing standout positive work in their markets. Xsolla will join Good Game Club’s existing partners, the Dubai Films & Games Commission and Tencent.

Hosted by Jude Ower MBE, Chief Strategy Officer at PlanetPlay, and Mathias Gredal Nørvig, Chief Executive Officer at SYBO, Xsolla and Good Game Club will spotlight the people, studios and ideas proving what healthy, positive gaming can do for players, communities and the industry at large. Through the partnership, Good Game Club adds a global commerce partner with reach across studios of every size and in every region, helping the show broaden its lens on where positive gaming stories are coming from.

"Good Game Club is telling the stories our collective industry needs more of, stories about games doing right by players and developers building all the things that matter," said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Xsolla. "Partnering with Jude and Mathias lets us put our global network behind this mission, and gives developers of every size another stage to share what they are building and why it matters.“

“We are excited to partner with Xsolla, which will enable us to cover even more positive stories from emerging developers and markets globally,” said Jude Ower, co-founder and host of the Good Game Club. “Xsolla is providing a crucial infrastructure to support developers of all shapes and sizes - by working together and drawing on Xsolla’s network, we can highlight the people doing great things within the games industry all over the world.”

“Good Game Club is truly global. Covering all regions of the world and all types of games doing good, we are happy to expand our network and benefit from Xsolla’s strengths and reach,” said Mathias Gredal Nørvig, co-founder and host of the Good Game Club. “We can’t wait to tell all the stories ahead of us and inspire more developers to go the extra mile. Games carry the potential to transform the world to be a better place for all.”

New episodes and partnership content will begin rolling out this year, with Good Game Club available on all major podcast platforms.

About Xsolla

Xsolla is a global commerce company that builds and provides all the things developers need to launch, grow, and monetize video games. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company supports studios of every size, from indie to AAA, with solutions across direct-to-consumer commerce, intelligent payments, entertainment-based IP, and player engagement products. Xsolla helps developers fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games at scale. Trusted by more than 70% of the top 100 highest-grossing games, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record across 200+ geographies with access to 1,000+ local payment methods worldwide. Grounded in a deep belief in the future of gaming, Xsolla is resolute in bringing opportunities together and unlocking growth for creators everywhere.

For more information, visit xsolla.com

About Good Game Club

Good Game Club is a global podcast where conversations about good gaming happen, hosted by Jude Ower MBE, CSO at PlanetPlay and Mathias Gredal Nørvig, CEO of SYBO. The show shines a light on gaming's hidden and unexpected benefits and the positive impact digital play can have on people and the planet, featuring conversations with developers, creators, and leaders using games to drive meaningful change around the world.

For more information, visit Home | Good Game Club

© 2026 Xsolla. All rights reserved.

Mathias Gredal Nørvig, Chief Executive Officer at SYBO, and co-founder and host of the Good Game Club

Jude Ower MBE, co-founder and host of the Good Game Club

Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla

Graphic: Xsolla

LEEDS, England (AP) — Seamer Ollie Robinson made another dramatic return for England as he hammered the Pakistan top order on the first day of the test series on Wednesday at Headingley.

Pakistan was collapsing at 150-7 at tea after an extended three-hour session due to the morning cut short by rain.

Robinson took out four of the top five batters — all bowled or unassisted — including a wicket with the first ball of the three-match series, a first in England, which has been hosting tests since 1880.

He had 4-39 from 16 overs in his first test since June at Lord's, where he took a match-winning 7-77 against New Zealand in his first test in two years. A knee injury and doubts about his fitness prevented his return in that series that England lost.

The other three wickets were grabbed by Josh Tongue, who broke Pakistan's biggest partnership then, right on tea, dismissed interim captain Salman Agha and Ali Usman in consecutive deliveries. Tea was immediately called, delaying Tongue's hat trick ball.

Featuring in a four-prong pace attack, Robinson made a sensational start when he pinned Azan Awais first ball with a nip-backer from around the wicket. Then he went over the wicket and trapped Shan Masood trying to drive.

Only 9.4 overs into the game, rain forced a delay of two hours.

Abdullah Shafiq and Imam, together from 6-2, endured a cautious return in the afternoon and gradually became comfortable enough to push the run rate.

But after 91 runs together, Imam drove at a wide ball by Tongue and nicked to second slip. Walking off with 42, Imam castized himself.

From 97-2, Pakistan lost five wickets for 53 runs.

After Shafique brought up his 13th fifty-plus score from 82 balls, Saud Shakeel was given out lbw to Robinson by umpire Allahuddien Paleker, who took his time. Shakeel also took his time to review the decision and was timed out by umpire Chris Gaffaney. Video showed the ball missing the top of leg stump.

Shafique departed soon after, for 61, bowled by Robinson, who by then had wicketkeeper Jamie Smith standing up to the stumps for added pressure.

In the last five minutes before tea, Tongue bowled Agha and Usman and exposed Pakistan's tail with Mohammad Rizwan on 12.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

England's Ollie Robinson celebrates bowling out Pakistan's Saud Shakeel on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Josh Tongue celebrates taking the wicket of Pakistan's Ali Usman on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Josh Tongue celebrates taking the wicket of Pakistan's Ali Usman on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ollie Robinson, right, celebrates bowling out Pakistan's Azan Awais on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ollie Robinson celebrates bowling out Pakistan's Azan Awais on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ollie Robinson celebrates bowling out Pakistan's Azan Awais on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Ollie Robinson bowls out out Pakistan's Azan Awais on day one of the first Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan in Leeds, England, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Pakistan's head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, center speaks during a nets session in Leeds, England, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 ahead of the in the first Men's Rothesay Test Match between England and Pakistan starting Wednesday. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

England's Joe Root and Jofra Archer attend a nets session at Headingley, Leeds, England, Monday Aug. 17, 2026, ahead of the 1st Test match against Pakistan on Wednesday. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

FILE - England's Joe Root leaves the pitch after losing his wicket during the second day of the test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)