The ambition was substantial: to create an interactive experience that went beyond the usual streaming session. Lucien Melki, founder of Jump Influence, recalls the challenge set by Ankama: “We developed and created an extension directly on Twitch. For 3-4 months, there was design and development work with Dofus and the Jump teams.”

The result exceeded all expectations. On the very first day, over 66,000 people used the extension, a near-record on Twitch. Throughout the event, 167,500 users downloaded the extension, turning each live stream into a collective adventure where viewers fed Gargandyas, the mighty Titan of Osamodas, to evolve it from level 1 to level 100.

Bruno Vicaire, Influence Manager at Ankama, highlighted the results that “exceeded our wildest expectations”: over 100,000 unique users in less than a week, zero audience erosion during the first week of the game (a first for the Dofus category), and “a unique interactive and immersive experience.”

The campaign mobilized 350 creators (pro streamers) and over 600 streamers who shared the extension with their communities. In total, 250,000 people participated in this operation, making “Feed the Beast” one of the largest collaborative experiences ever carried out on Twitch. As Lucien Melki pointed out on LinkedIn, “We simply created the most popular interactive extension in the world on Twitch.”

The extension offered four types of interactive events that occurred regularly during the streams. Every 30 minutes, Forgemagic runes appeared on the overlay, requiring viewers to click quickly before they disappeared. Bosses also emerged, requiring players to answer quizzes about the Krosmoz universe correctly or cast the right elemental spell. Finally, some monsters could only be defeated by spamming the chat. This cross-stream approach allowed players to contribute to collective progress regardless of the channel they were watching, creating true synergy between the different communities.

Dofus audience statistics on Twitch testify to the effectiveness of this campaign. In July 2025, at the launch of “Feed the Beast,” the game recorded a spectacular 120% increase in average viewers compared to the previous month, rising from 893 to 1,964 average viewers [attached: statistics]. The peak number of viewers reached 12,244 on July 22, the day the event launched.

In August, despite the event gradually winding down on the 12th, the audience remained strong with 2,009 average viewers (+2.3% compared to July) and 1.49 million hours watched. The average number of streams increased from 31 in July to 38 in August, a 22.5% rise.

Ankama’s strategy for this campaign was part of a desire to enhance the viewer experience for organic content creators rather than investing large budgets in external creators. This approach paid off, creating a virtuous circle where the existing community became the main driver of the game’s promotion.

“This year, we chose to enhance the viewer experience for our organic content creators instead of spending large budgets on external creators.” – Bruno Vicaire

A strategy that generated an authentic and engaged audience, far removed from the ephemeral spikes often seen in traditional influencer campaigns.

Historically, the Welsh & Shedar project was initiated in 2012 by Ankama’s Japanese studio, in collaboration with talents like Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi, but it was abandoned due to difficulties with Japanese partners and the closure of that studio.

ToT presents the project as “an old project rising from its ashes,” an original series developed in Japan.

ToT explains that the idea dates back over 15 years, just after seasons 1 and 2 of Wakfu. A first teaser had even circulated on YouTube at the time. The project was initially intended for France Télévisions as a 26-episode, 26-minute serialized quest, but the channel changed its request at the last minute to standalone episodes, which led to the creation of Dofus: Treasures of Kerubim instead.

ToT admits to having “a hard time healing” from this abandonment, having invested a lot emotionally in the characters: “they needed to come out at some point.” The project remained “in the drawers” as “something to fulfill.”

The meeting with Widad Noureddine, a producer based in Japan for 20 years, reignited the idea: ToT presented him with revised scripts, and although Noureddine was initially unfamiliar with the Krosmoz universe (Dofus, Wakfu…), he was immediately won over after reading: “I read it and, honestly, I was really hooked.”

A real mutual trust-building effort was necessary, as the two work cultures, according to Noureddine, were “completely opposite in terms of work culture, artistic vision, and humor.” ToT emphasizes the importance of not imposing Western methods on Japanese teams: “I’ve tried many times before. Every time, it’s complicated, it doesn’t work.” The challenge was to “find connections” between the two approaches so that the Japanese teams could fully take ownership of the project.

When asked about the differences in work pace, Noureddine is categorical: “absolutely nothing in common.” The Japanese studio operates 24/7 with day and night teams, a reality completely foreign to the French approach. As a producer bridging the two countries, he is constantly in demand: “they call me all the time, I’m always on standby.” ToT also notes the typical escalation logic on the Japanese side: delivering two scripts leads to a request for three, then four.

Release Date: When Will Welsh & Shedar Be Released?

To date, the exact release date for Welsh & Shedar has not yet been officially confirmed. However, the project has made significant progress since its revival and has already been presented to the public several times. The first episode was notably screened at the Annecy International Animation Festival 2025 and again in 2026, confirming that the series has now entered a public presentation phase.

Additionally, the series was showcased at the Ankama Convention 2026, organized to celebrate Ankama’s 25th anniversary, with the screening of episode 1 and a world exclusive preview of episode 2. These elements indicate that the project is still in active development, but no official release schedule has been announced yet.

Furthermore, Ankama released an official teaser during the Japan Expo, showing that communication around the project has significantly increased. So, stay tuned for upcoming announcements to get a precise release date.

Trailer: The First Images of Welsh & Shedar

To date, no official full trailer has been recently released by Ankama. However, an official teaser was unveiled at the Japan Expo, and the images posted online in June 2026 correspond to those from the first episode. The project has thus reached a major milestone, with unseen excerpts that finally allow a better understanding of the series’ visual universe.

What can be seen in these images confirms a very distinct artistic direction, with Japanese 2D animation that recalls the studio’s identity while asserting a new visual approach. The style stands out with clean lines, vibrant colors, and composition work that enhances the epic nature of the project.

The historic 2014 trailer remains an interesting point of comparison, as it shows the project at a time when it had not yet been abandoned. The current version seems to follow a different, more ambitious, and more accomplished logic, with a genuine desire to place Welsh & Shedar at the heart of Ankama’s major projects.

During the Annecy International Animation Festival 2025, audiences were able to discover the first episode of the series. This screening revealed a universe that immediately evokes the codes of Japanese anime, which is not surprising for a Franco-Japanese production. The collaboration with the Japanese studio Massket also marked the first participation of this partner in the project.

The choice of 2D animation was also justified by Ankama for aesthetic and visual longevity reasons. According to Unification France, this is precisely the quality that led the studio to prefer this format, so that the series ages less quickly and better retains its graphic identity.

The visual style also incorporates elements inspired by the northern French culture and French gastronomy, which may have surprised some Japanese animators. This uniqueness, however, contributes to giving the series its own personality, blending local tradition and fantasy references.

Some comments, particularly on forums like jeuxvideo.com, express disappointment regarding the evolution of the artistic direction compared to the 2014 pilot. Others, on the contrary, praise the new look and the fact that the Ankama audience now seems much more enthusiastic than before.

Plot: What to Expect from Welsh & Shedar?

Regarding the plots of Welsh & Shedar, it is possible to get a general idea based on the available information, even though the project has long been shrouded in uncertainty. The current version, however, seems to fit into a new continuity, with a story set about 30 years after the events of the film, clearly repositioning the series in the timeline.

ToT points out that the writing moves away from the codes of current anime, which are more focused on “dopamine” and fan service: “we’re going for writing that’s truly rooted in fantasy and quite epic,” close to classic adventure anime like The Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記, Rōdosu-tō senki), where heroes go through trials over time.

For Widad Noureddine, the biggest challenge was translating and adapting ToT’s scripts, which are deeply rooted in a “very French” narrative, rich in expressions and culinary references that are difficult to transpose for a Japanese and international audience: “trying to preserve as much of this content as possible so that nothing is lost, that’s the challenge.” Many meetings were necessary, particularly to decode the very respectful and indirect way Japanese people express disagreement.

When asked about the cultural tensions experienced “already in meetings,” ToT describes a clash of communication methods. The Japanese, being very respectful, take extreme caution before expressing criticism: “when they want to tell you that your dialogue is kind of bad, or that they don’t understand, it can take three-quarters of an hour.” These silences and hesitations, which at first could seem like blockages, were actually a meticulous search for the right words: “they’re looking for the words to tell you that what they’re about to say is serious, and they don’t want to hurt you.”

On the other hand, ToT admits to operating in the opposite way, with a more direct and “Latin” temperament: “in France, we have this Latin side where we tease each other, we exchange quickly […] me, I’m a bit like a bull in a china shop, that’s just how I operate, even with them.” Over time, this difference has faded: the Japanese teams eventually adopted this lighter tone and also started joking with him, a sign, according to ToT and Widad Noureddine, that trust had been established: “we kind of got into their heads in the end, after all.”

For ToT, the main difficulty was personal: learning to hold back and trust the Japanese teams with the production, as he usually likes to give his opinion: “the hardest part… was knowing when to shut up.” His top priority, however, remained ensuring that the emotion of the script was faithfully transcribed, which, according to him, was fully achieved: “what was most important to me was that the emotion be transcribed.”

The story centers on Welsh, a young cook from Brassica, whose life takes a turn when a black dragon attacks his village. He is then drawn into a quest linked to the Ivory Dofus, while Zabelle Sheran Sharm, Queen of Bonta and guardian of the Ebony Dofus, seeks to impose her domination over the World of Twelve. Zabelle’s son, Shedar, also plays a central role, as he announces a prophecy that could end his mother’s reign.

This new version thus seems to weave two narrative threads: on one side, a darker epic about power, the Dofus, and the announced fall of a sovereign; on the other, a more intimate and down-to-earth story about Welsh, his daily life, and his hero’s destiny. This blend of tones gives the series a unique identity, both accessible and ambitious.

Originally, the project was deemed too heavy for France Télévisions in 2012, which contributed to its abandonment. With this revival, Ankama seems to want to offer something more mature, freer, and more spectacular, while retaining the foundations of the world it has been developing for years.

The first episode of Welsh & Shedar, presented during a conference at the Annecy International Animation Festival 2025, skillfully interweaves two distinct stories: an epic centered on Queen Zabelle Sheran Sharm and her son Shedar, and everyday scenes featuring Welsh and Mama.

In the year 490 of the Krosmic calendar, Zabel, sovereign of Bonta and Amakna, aspires to unify the world under her rule with the help of the Ebony Dofus. During a meal, Shedar, still inexperienced in the art of combat, expresses his anxiety about the impending war, but Zabel urges him to be braver. Despite the difficult conditions and Shedar’s fears, Zabel remains confident and wins a duel against Barak Zar, thus seizing the Crimson Dofus. Shedar, troubled by a vision of a white dragon named Dardondakal, discovers the existence of a legitimate heir of Bonta destined to end Zabel’s reign. Zabel dismisses this vision as a mere dream caused by fatigue, but Shedar remains disturbed. Later, a conversation between Zabel and a character named Asalar reveals that Dardondakal is a threat, a dragon capable of challenging Zabel. Asalar, loyal to Zabel, agrees to go to Brassica to find this child, despite an illness that weakens him. This part of the plot delves into the mysteries surrounding the Dofus, the dragons, and the tensions between Shedar and his mother, laying the groundwork for a future conflict.

Meanwhile, lighter scenes show Welsh and Mama preparing mushroom pies, with family-like and humorous interactions. The scene is punctuated by the antics of a cat named Mou, who disrupts Welsh. Mama teases Welsh about a possible romance with Béchamel, which embarrasses him, especially when customers joke about their “couple.”

Episode 1 of Welsh & Shedar thus seems to alternate between two tones: an epic centered on Shedar, Zabel, and the Dofus, with themes of power, betrayal, and prophetic visions, and more down-to-earth scenes starring Welsh, Mama, and their daily lives around cooking and the market. These two stories could well intersect in the future, perhaps around the village of Brassica.

The Unification website, which attended the screening and Q&A session at the Annecy Festival, confirms that “[…] it will not be necessary to know [DOFUS] to understand the work. First-hour fans will just get a little bonus. […]” and adds that humor will remain a delicate point to convey from one culture to another.

How Many Episodes in the Season?

For Welsh & Shedar, the planned season will have 12 episodes of 26 minutes each. Ankama seems to have chosen this format as part of its collaboration with Japanese partners for this project revival. To date, there is no indication of any change or extension beyond these 12 episodes for the first season, but this could evolve depending on its success and future announcements.

Widad Noureddine confirms that the animation is almost complete (finalization expected this month, July 2026), allowing for the fine-tuning of graphical details. “We’re very happy with what we’ve done, and we can’t wait to present it.”

Who Is in the Cast of Welsh & Shedar?

To date, no official information regarding the cast of Welsh & Shedar has been revealed by Ankama. Since the series is still in production, details about the voices or actors involved remain unavailable. The first episode presented was dubbed in Japanese with French and English subtitles, but this does not yet allow for the official identification of the performers.

The production is organized into two parts: the writing, done in France by ToT, and the music, composed by Pierre-Jean Beaudoin and José Pavli. All visual and technical production takes place in Japan, where Widad Noureddine oversees the teams.

A notable anecdote concerns the music: the Japanese teams initially had doubts about the French team’s ability to produce high-quality music. When they finally heard the compositions during studio editing, the reaction was unanimous: “the French aren’t kidding, they know what they’re doing.” Some even compared the audio quality to that of a movie rather than a series, praising “a little gem for the ears.”

The series will be available in four languages (French, Japanese, English, and one more still under consideration between Spanish and Portuguese depending on the quotes received). ToT, a great admirer of Japanese dubbing, believes that French voice actors are only outmatched by their Japanese counterparts, especially in animation (unlike, in his opinion, American voice actors, whom he considers “overacted”). He personally recommends watching the series with Japanese audio and French subtitles to enjoy the performance of the Japanese voice actors, who dub in a single take directly from the script, without a rhythm band: “the best option is still to watch the Japanese subtitled version.”

Regarding the names of the Japanese voice actors, still officially kept secret, Noureddine hints that the most attentive fans have already been able to spot them in the teaser released by Ankama. A Reddit user identified the voice of the character Barak Zar in Ankama’s teaser as that of Akio Ōtsuka, notably known for voicing Rider/Iskandar in Fate/Zero.

On the production side, the Japanese team also relies on the expertise of Yoshiaki Tsubata, character designer and animation director who has worked on Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold, Monster, Kingdom, .hack//SIGN, and Date A Live.

Where Will the Series Be Broadcast?

ToT explained Ankama’s ambition to release one series per year, sometimes on France Télévisions, sometimes on ADN, or even on YouTube. This gives an idea of the possible platforms, but none are specifically assigned to Welsh & Shedar.

Given the series’ new style, it could follow the same path as Radiant, another Ankama series. Internationally, broadcasting on ADN or another streaming platform remains plausible, but no official announcement yet confirms a specific window or exclusive broadcaster.

In the video recapping the Annecy Festival, ToT mentions generating significant interest from historical partners, as well as from professionals Ankama had never collaborated with before.

The series’ title will also be adapted depending on the country of broadcast. In France, it should retain its original name, referencing the northern French dish “welsh,” made with melted cheddar. According to a post by Widad Noureddine, producer at the Japanese studio, and confirmed by one of our readers, the name “Aoki Denshō” will be the series’ title in Japan. It can be translated into French as “the blue heirs.”

What Are the Latest Updates?

When questioned about the artistic direction of Welsh & Shedar on X, Anthony “ToT” Roux responded by recalling that Ankama had entrusted the series to a Japanese studio, giving them “100% creative freedom” to shape the project.

Some “lucky” fans got the chance to see the first two episodes at the Japan Expo. Reddit user IsthosTheGreat offered to answer questions following this screening: he expressed his enthusiasm at discovering new characters and the return of iconic figures from the universe, like Joris, with a design faithful to the game. The dragons Asalar and Dardondakal would be present in the first two episodes (though without dialogue between them).

Following the presentation at the Ankama Convention 2026, Uelman, a fan of the universe, states that Ankama would like to go further with a project dedicated to the youth of Mama.

Stay tuned for more news about the Welsh & Shedar series. The article will be updated with the latest significant information. The purpose of the article is to gather reliable information: I cannot update it based on assumptions. Feel free to share your reactions in the comments!

On Friday, June 20, we released screenshots and a video of the series on our networks. These images were part of the elements available via the Oklast platform, which was open to everyone. Ankama has since closed its site and may reopen it in a more secure manner. This is what’s called an “information leak.” Sometimes, information can be published by mistake on official sites or social networks. At the studio’s request, the elements have been removed.

Ankama Games has dropped a bombshell that’s set to shake the nostalgic community: Dofus Retro, the beloved version that takes us back to the pixelated days before 2.0, is about to undergo a major update… and not just any update. In an unexpected and unsettling announcement, the team reveals that Dofus Retro will officially migrate to the 2.0 engine and interface, reliving the great discomfort of the transition from over 15 years ago. Yes, you read that right: get ready to relive that turbulent time, but this time with a retro twist.

A Step Back… To Move Forward?

According to the developers, this decision aims to “plunge players back into the authentic experience of transitioning to 2.0, with all that entails: launch bugs, confusing interface, and cries of despair in guild channels”. Gone are the charming 2D sprite graphics and simple mechanics that made Retro so appealing. In their place are flashy animations, isometric 3D maps, and that shortcut bar that traumatized a generation. “We want you to feel that confusion and slight taste of betrayal again,” explains an Ankama representative with a smirk.

To perfect this experience, Ankama promises to reintroduce the “best” features of the time: “We even found lines of code forgotten since 2009 on an old hard drive, it’s going to be a treat,” adds the technical team. Players will also get to rediscover the joy of searching for their spells in a redesigned interface where nothing is in its place.

Unsurprisingly, the forums are already exploding. Between those crying scandal “It was supposed to be RETRO, not a nightmare remake!” and the masochists praising the initiative “Finally, true immersion in the pain of 2009”, opinions are divided. A player under the pseudonym Xx-SadiDu76-xX even started a petition to “save the soul of Dofus Retro,” already gathering 12 signatures and an all-caps rant.

So, ready to dust off your old insults in general chat and relearn how to play your Iop? May the Twelve help you!

For La Duchesse, Dofus represents thousands of hours of exploration, dungeons, and memorable discussions until the early hours. This MMO was initially just an adolescent pastime, but it became a true epic, punctuated by notable encounters, sometimes even in real life. It was on Dofus Retro, and more specifically on the Boune server, that La Duchesse formed an inseparable duo with Dragon. Together, they discovered a shared passion: not only playing video games but also creating them.

Uno Chill is the result of the hard work of a self-taught developer who, guided by her love for video games, embarked on learning development with the help of her partner, Dragon. After starting the project on Unity, she ultimately chose Godot in January 2024. From programming to music, including card design and trailer creation, everything was done in-house. Over 10,000 lines of code were written to bring this unique game to life. This fangame became their training project, a fun and creative way to learn and master game development.

The development was not without difficulties. On October 31, 2024, less than 24 hours before the release, a fire caused by a neighbor ravaged the apartment of La Duchesse and Dragon, destroying or damaging most of their equipment, including their computers. Despite this setback, the support of their loved ones allowed the project to come to fruition. La Duchesse would like to warmly thank Dragon: for his patience when the meal got cold while she was hunting down a bug, and for his precious help in the final months of production.

Uno Chill takes the classic Uno principle of getting rid of all your cards before your opponents, enriched with elements from the Dofus universe. Face the characters of the Chill guild, a “big family” born on the Boune server of Dofus Retro, and use cards with powers inspired by spells. Action Points add a strategic dimension, while “capricious Dofusian gods” can spice up games by randomly stopping the distribution of points.

The game offers a customizable classic mode and a competitive survival mode where each defeat can be fatal. Players can face 1 to 3 opponents and try to climb to the top of the leaderboard.

The game stands out for its fluidity and perfectly chosen music, which immediately immerses you in the atmosphere. The customization of the UNO game rules is very enjoyable, and the choice to adopt the Dofus 1.xx style is even more so! Uno Chill is the ideal experience when you’re bored or suddenly feel like dealing out +2s mercilessly. And above all, as soon as you have only one card left, don’t forget to shout “UNO!”

Uno Chill is optimized for PC and Mac, compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. A mobile version is available, but some issues persist (orientation change and loss of focus). The developers are actively working on improvements.

Uno Chill is available now on Itch.io.

Feel free to follow DnD Games Studio on their social networks to discover their future projects! They also thank those who share or comment on the game: “every feedback counts.” To Dofus Retro fans, they give an appointment on Boune.

Source: © TwitchTracker – February 2025

In the long term, Dofus’s audience shows irregular growth. Periods of popularity, often observed at the beginning of the year, are followed by phases of decline. Severe drops of more than 50% occur regularly, indicating an unstable audience. However, despite these fluctuations, a general trend of growth is observed, with an increase in average views, the number of viewers, and hours watched. This indicates that Dofus retains a loyal audience and attracts new players.

Dofus’s audience on Twitch is influenced by several factors. Periods of strong growth generally coincide with major updates or the addition of new extensions, thus renewing players’ interest. Events organized on Twitch or by Dofus, particularly tournaments and e-sports competitions, also result in significant audience peaks. Finally, a certain seasonality is observed, with an increase in the number of viewers at the beginning of the year and a decrease during the summer, a cycle that is also observed in the number of game subscriptions.

Between 2020 and 2021, a significant increase in audience was observed, likely linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a general increase in online activity. More recently, the audience seems to be stabilizing, with less fluctuating figures, indicating a stable and loyal audience.

Dofus 3, the Audience Peak

The release of Dofus 3.0 was accompanied by a Twitch Drops campaign, a system that rewards Twitch stream viewers with in-game gifts. This initiative mechanically boosted the audience on Twitch, as players were encouraged to watch streams to obtain rewards. These drops were available from December 3 to 17, 2024. Events like Back to Rush, with the participation of popular streamers (such as Kameto and Squeezie), contributed to drawing significant attention to the game. This event was reported as one of the biggest MMORPG events of the year.

More than 330,000 players pre-registered for the new Dofus 3.0 servers, indicating strong interest that necessarily translates into an increase in the Twitch audience to follow the news and streams around the launch.

Streamers have a significant influence on their audience. For example, when streamers with a large fan base like Squeezie or Kameto play a game or participate in sponsored events, it can lead to a notable increase in audience for that content. However, this increase is often temporary as it depends on the duration of the streamers’ engagement with the game or event.

Popular Streamers

Several streamers actively contribute to the popularity of Dofus on Twitch by gathering millions of viewing minutes each month. Humility stands out with an impressive total of 169,698,375 minutes watched and a peak audience of 29,640 viewers. Huzounet follows with 98,971,665 viewing minutes and a record of 8,961 concurrent viewers. ProTeam accumulates 91,924,575 minutes viewed and a maximum of 8,389 viewers. Finally, BARBE___DOUCE records 68,676,570 viewing minutes and a peak of 6,895 viewers.

Ankama actively supports streamers on Twitch through initiatives like Twitch Drops, partnerships, community support, and sometimes official support, as in the case of Tomakandele, who was recognized as an Ankama affiliate. An observation that can be drawn from the ranking of top streamers is that there are few streamers outside the Ankama universe who could attract new players. The top 5 streamers indeed capture a very large portion of the viewers.

Over a year, the majority of broadcasts are in French (84%), followed by Spanish (7%), Portuguese (6%), and English (3%). This linguistic diversity shows a small international community, although dominated by Francophones.

Source: SullyGnome.com – February 2025

Despite the sharp drop in audience in January compared to December, due to the release of Dofus 3, we will monitor the audiences of the coming months to determine if the number of streamers and viewers of the game increases. However, a game’s audience on Twitch does not necessarily reflect its popularity, although it can contribute to its promotion. This effect can sometimes be ephemeral, as was the case for the MMO from Amazon Games Studios, New World, but it can also help maintain an active community.

After the César Awards for cinema, it’s the video game world’s turn to shine in the spotlight. The Pégases 2025 will reward the best French and international productions of the past year. Organized by the Academy of Video Game Arts and Techniques, this ceremony will award prizes in 18 different categories, highlighting the most notable creations.

Beyond the awards, the Pégases also offer the opportunity to discover unprecedented announcements, exclusive images, and previews of games in development. To attend this event, visit the online ticket office. You can also follow the ceremony live on Twitch and probably on France Télévisions with Salomé Lagresle as the mistress of ceremonies.

This year, Dofus, with the release of Dofus 3, is nominated in the “Best Operational Service” category. This category rewards games for the continuous quality of their new content. Dofus will compete with Renaissance Kingdoms, an MMORPG celebrating its 20th anniversary, and Virtual Regatta, an online regatta platform. How to make you understand that victory is already assured?

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, another ceremony existed: the Ping Awards. Notably, the game Krosmaga won the “Ping Award for Best Mobile Game” in 2017. However, the organization of these two events is very different. The Ping Awards jury had 10 members, while the Pégases jury brought together just under 1,000 jurors in 2019, compared to 2,500 today.

The nominated games are not chosen at random. Development studios, publishers, and training organizations voluntarily submit their creations. Then, the members of the Academy, composed of more than 2,500 French video game professionals, vote to award the prizes. Submitting an application costs 240 euros including VAT per game submitted, with a reduced rate of 120 euros including VAT for members of the SNJV and other partner associations.

Among the games in the running, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown leads with 4 nominations, closely followed by The Operator with 3 nominations. Les Fourmis and Beast Bio Exo Arena Suit Team (B.E.A.S.T) each have 2 nominations.

In 2025, all nominated games will be playable for free thanks to the Playruo platform. Each game can be tested for 45 minutes before the academy members vote, but beware, the test will no longer be available once the vote is validated. The test session should be open to the public in the coming days.

This ceremony comes after a year 2024 marked by strikes in several French studios such as Ubisoft, Don’t Nod, Kylotonn, and Spiders, which fought to improve their working conditions.

The anecdotes shared during the evening echoed memories recounted in the documentary “Behind the Walls: Dofus,” available on Ankama’s YouTube channel. This documentary explores the early development of Dofus and the creation of its music.

From the beginning, ToT, co-founder of Ankama, gave Guigui clear direction regarding the game’s music. In the documentary, he explains:

“ToT always wanted music that tells a story. It’s the first thing he told me when we started working together. “Listen, Guigui. I like “music that says something”. I want it to tell a story.”

This demand shaped Dofus’ musical approach, giving each piece a narrative identity.

The flute, which became one of the most iconic sounds of version 1.29, is the result of a specific artistic choice:

“The famous flute of version 1.29 was something ToT wanted. Why the flute? Because it sounded better. Every time I played something for ToT, he said: “That’s good, Guigui. But try the flute!” I tried the flute. “Yes, that’s good. Use that.”

This distinctive sound is now associated with the nostalgic atmosphere of the early days of Dofus.

Secrets and Anecdotes of the Music

Guigui confirmed that some music features Latin lyrics with subtle humor. Inspired by a lack of inspiration for lyrics, these humorous words discreetly integrate into the sound world.

One anecdote revealed that there’s a 1 in 600 chance of hearing an 8-bit version of a song in the game. This nostalgic nod to early video games was well-received by the community.

Guigui has incorporated nods to his family and colleagues in his compositions:

“The choirs in some music include the first names of my children, my wife, and even my colleagues. It adds a personal touch.”

The evening also featured hilarious revelations, like the anecdote where Guigui admitted to working naked in his office during a heatwave to escape the heat. This moment sparked a wave of laughter in the chat.

Another anecdote was about the supposed difficulty of recording choirs with Ankama employees. While this story turned out to be false, it served as a reminder that the real Dofus choirs are recorded by the prestigious Budapest Symphony Choir, adding an epic dimension to the game’s music.

For those who couldn’t attend the event, find Guigui’s music on YouTube and discover Louna_TV’s content, especially her videos exploring the intricacies of transmedia at Ankama.

Blizzard, the company behind World of Warcraft (WoW), a popular massively multiplayer online game (MMORPG), is celebrating its 20th anniversary. However, let’s talk about another anniversary, that of Ankama, the French studio behind the MMORPG Dofus, which has managed to overtake WoW in France. With a different business model and game system, Ankama has expanded in many directions by exploiting the universe of its flagship game, offering numerous spin-offs and adaptations in other media. The second season of the cartoon based on this universe, Wakfu, began airing on France 3 on February 26.

From web agency to the ^first French MMORPG

Dofus was the first massively multiplayer online game (MMORPG) launched in France in 2004, three years after Ankama was founded. At the beginning, Ankama was an interactive communication agency and the game was just a side project. However, Dofus quickly became a public and critical success (450,000 players in 2005), which led Ankama to devote itself exclusively to this project. Not only did they develop the game itself, but they also created a fantastic medieval universe that was designed from the outset to inspire all kinds of fiction. Thus, the founders imagined a world similar to Tolkien’s, with detailed cartography and documentation, so that they could draw on this universe to create future stories.

Dofus ahead of World of Warcraft

Dofus has 2 million active French-speaking players (who log on every month), with about 500,000 paying subscribers. Ankama claims to be the most played online game in France. If we add the versions in a dozen other languages, the game has 3 million active players worldwide. Spain and Latin America are its second largest market.

By comparison, World of Warcraft, launched in 2004, has attracted 12 million players worldwide (Blizzard does not provide statistics by country), all of them paying. The classic version of WoW costs €15 and Cataclysm €35, with subscriptions costing about €12 per month. This is the first difference with Dofus, which can be played for free, although the free version does not offer access to all locations, objects and enemies. The subscription (€5 per month, €48 per year) also gives priority access to servers, technical support and guilds. Its expansions are free, unlike Wow.

Dofus is also not aimed at the same audience. With its colorful and cute manga graphics, it appeals more to girls (around 20% of players) and young people aged between 12 and 25, with the main audience being between 15 and 17. The game is very popular with children, making it a prime target for TV series and spin-off products, which keep the fervor around the game alive.

Finally, the game system is not exactly the same. Dofus is played by turns, and not in real time like Wow, which makes it more accessible for beginners.

Diversification, one of the keys to success

Ankama, which specializes in video games, derives most of its revenues from its video game business, which generated sales of €40 million in 2010. In addition to Dofus, Ankama publishes other games such as Dofus Arena (a turn-based strategy game), a free online game called Wakfu Les Gardiens, and plans to launch its first console game, Islands of Wakfu, on Xbox Live Arcade at the end of March. A mobile game is also planned before the summer, as well as a second MMORPG, Wakfu, in the spring. Although set in the same universe, Wakfu takes place 1,000 years after Dofus.

In addition to its activities in the video game sector, Ankama has diversified into several areas. They have an animation studio that produces different types of animation, from traditional animation to computer-assisted animation and stop motion. They are also involved in press and publishing, with magazines such as Dofus Mag and IG Magazine, art books, comics (Mutafukaz) and manga (the 15 volumes of the Dofus manga have sold 1 million copies). They also have an events division with the Ankama Convention, a music division with record labels, a media division that includes a web TV and the distribution of video-on-demand series, as well as spin-off products such as figurines, T-shirts and toys. Finally, two film trilogies based on Dofus and Wakfu are in the works. The first two animated films will be released in 2013 and 2014. They will compete with Sam Raimi’s Warcraft, whose release date has not yet been announced.

Wakfu TV series, the driving force behind Ankama’s other activities

Ankama’s animation division is responsible for the creation of the television series Wakfu, aimed at children aged 8 to 12. It is one of the company’s biggest successes, employing 110 people. Since 2008, the series has been broadcast on France Télévisions, which is also a co-producer, and has been sold in several European countries. According to Médiamétrie’s figures, the series is very popular with children aged 4 to 14, attracting an average of more than one million viewers.

Building on this success, the second season of Wakfu will be accompanied by an ambitious transmedia project. It all started in the February 12 issue of Dofus Mag, where the story began. Readers were then invited to visit maxi-mini.fr to discover additional content. From February 26, new episodes will continue to air on television, with bonus content available on maxi-mini.fr and monludo.fr, France Télévisions’ children’s website. New online mini-games will also be posted on Wakfu.fr after every two episodes. Finally, to extend the experience, fans will be able to attend the Ankama convention on March 5 and 6, meet the authors and participate in an in-person, real-world quest. All these interactions will allow die-hard fans to discover parallel stories, better understand the past of certain characters and gain access to exclusive quests.

And that’s not all, as France Télévisions has decided to fully capitalize on this success: the group will also release DVDs of the series and broadcast two or three 52-minute episodes starting in April. It has also just signed up for a new series, Dofus, on which production will begin in 2012, according to Voyelle Acker, Director of New Media and New Formats at France Télévisions.

Comment Dofus a dépassé World of Warcraft en France

Avec son jeu en ligne Dofus et sa série TV Wakfu, le français Ankama a fidélisé plusieurs millions d’enfants et de jeunes joueurs, qu’il alimente en produits dérivés. La société a réalisé 40 millions d’euros de chiffre d’affaires en 2010.