Teni Grigoryan, Galaxsys: “Today’s players don’t want complicated experiences. They want something fast, easy, and natural on mobile”

Ahead of iGB L!VE, Galaxsys’s Chief Sales and Partner Management Officer discusses the company’s FIFA World Cup engagement strategy, the role of gamification in player retention, and the launch of innovative titles such as Instawin and Infinity.

Exclusive interview.- As the industry prepares for iGB L!VE, Galaxsys is set to showcase a portfolio shaped by innovation, mobile-first experiences and engagement-driven mechanics. With the FIFA World Cup creating fresh opportunities for operators worldwide, the company has launched a series of initiatives designed to help partners capitalise on one of the biggest sporting events on the calendar.

In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, chief sales and partner management officer Teni Grigoryan discusses the success of the €300,000 World Cup Series, the growing popularity of titles such as Figoal, and the company’s latest releases, Instawin and Infinity. She also shares Galaxsys’ perspective on player retention, emerging gaming trends and the strategic importance of iGB L!VE as a meeting point for operators and suppliers from across the industry.

Galaxsys is going into iGB L!VE with a strong range of offerings appealing to football fans amid the FIFA World Cup. How have initiatives like the €300,000 World Cup Series and games like Figoal been received?

The response has been very positive. Football is one of the most powerful global sports, and when the World Cup happens every four years, it creates a unique cycle of attention and engagement across all markets.

We didn’t want to miss that opportunity, which is why we launched the €300,000 World Cup Series. The idea behind it was simple – we wanted to help operators make the most of this global moment by giving them tools to engage players through themed content, rewards, and tournament-style experiences. What we’ve seen so far is strong interest from partners because these kinds of activations naturally increase player engagement.

As for Figoal, it is not a new title, but it is one we are very proud of. The main reason is the collaboration with football legend Luís Figo, which gives the game a very strong identity and makes it stand out within our portfolio. It continues to perform well and remains a great example of how we combine sports relevance with simple and entertaining gameplay.

“When the World Cup happens every four years, it creates a unique cycle of attention and engagement across all markets.”

Teni Grigoryan, chief sales and partner management officer at Galaxsys.

How can World Cup engagement be turned into longer-term loyalty?

From an operator’s perspective, the key is to move away from a single large promotion and instead build a series of smaller, independent activations. When you run one big leaderboard or one large competition, you often see that players who fall behind early lose motivation because catching up feels difficult. But when you split it into multiple shorter tournaments, every new stage feels like a fresh start. That changes the dynamic completely.

Most importantly, this approach helps with retention. Instead of engagement dropping after an initial spike, you extend player activity over a longer period. In practice, the excitement doesn’t end with one moment; it continues across the whole World Cup season and beyond.

“From an operator’s perspective, the key is to move away from a single large promotion and instead build a series of smaller, independent activations.”

Teni Grigoryan, chief sales and partner management officer at Galaxsys.

Another innovative recent launch is Instawin. How does this social-like experience address current trends and operator needs?

The idea behind Instawin was very simple. We thought that people were already used to swipe-based interactions in social media, so we wanted to bring that familiar behaviour into gaming. Today’s players don’t want complicated experiences. They want something fast, easy, and natural on mobile. Instawin fits this trend perfectly by removing all unnecessary friction.

For operators, this is important in two ways. First, it helps with acquisition because new players can understand the game immediately. Second, it supports engagement because the experience is quick and keeps players active without interruption. It also feels “social-like” because it is based on the same type of interaction people already use every day on their phones. That makes it feel familiar and easy to adopt. Overall, we position Instawin as the next potential hit in our portfolio, as it combines simple mechanics with strong engagement potential.

How do you stay ahead of what the next generation of players is looking for?

We stay ahead by constantly testing different types of games and formats. Our portfolio already includes a wide range of standout titles, like Tower Rush, Olympian Legends, Ninja Crash, and this variety helps us understand what works best across different player groups and markets.

At the same time, we place a strong focus on feedback from our partners, as their insights on player behaviour, preferences, and engagement patterns are extremely valuable for us.

We combine this feedback with our own product development approach and continuously experiment and create. I would say it’s a mix of innovation, testing, and listening closely to the market needs that helps us stay aligned with what players want next.

“We place a strong focus on feedback from our partners, as their insights on player behaviour, preferences, and engagement patterns are extremely valuable for us.”

Teni Grigoryan, chief sales and partner management officer at Galaxsys.

How important is iGB L!VE for Galaxsys this year, and what are your priorities while attending the event?

iGB L!VE is always an important event for us, even when we are not exhibiting with a stand. It is one of the key meeting points in the industry, where most of our current and potential partners are present in one place.

This year, our focus is very clear. First, we want to spend quality time with our existing partners, understand how their needs are evolving, and see how our products are performing in real market conditions. These face-to-face conversations are extremely valuable for shaping our roadmap.

Second, we are focused on new partnerships. iGB L!VE is a very efficient environment for meetings, so we use it to connect with operators and explore new opportunities across different markets.

Finally, it is also an important moment for us to present our upcoming roadmap, including our newly launched games like Instawin and Infinity, and get direct feedback from the industry.

Overall, iGB L!VE remains a very important strategic event for us because it brings the entire industry together in one place in the middle of the year.

Instawin and Infinity will be among the highlights of your iGB L!VE meetings. How do Instawin and Infinity differ in terms of player experience and positioning within your fast games portfolio?

Instawin and Infinity are designed to offer two very different types of player experiences within our fast games portfolio. Instawin is already live and showing promising results in terms of attention and player interest, while Infinity will be launched just before iGB L!VE.

Instawin is focused on instant interaction. It is very simple, swipe-based, and built around quick decisions with immediate outcomes. The experience is light, fast, and very intuitive, which makes it ideal for players who want something easy to understand and quick to play.

Infinity, on the other hand, is more about timing and decision-making. It is a crash-type game where the key element is watching how the coefficient moves and deciding when to act. It still keeps things simple, but the engagement is different as it requires more attention and timing compared to Instawin.

From a portfolio perspective, Instawin sits on the side of instant, casual interaction, while Infinity represents a more strategic, timing-driven experience. Together, they help us reach different types of players while staying true to simple, fast gameplay.