Forbes 30 Under 30 2025: Esports Host Giniro and Streamer TheGrefg Recognized
- sagarmankar177
- 17 minutes ago
- 3 min read
In a major nod to the rising cultural and economic impact of gaming, several standout figures from the video game and esports industries have earned spots on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Europe list for 2025. The prestigious annual ranking honors young entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders shaping the future across a range of industries—this year, gaming had a strong showing.
One of the most notable honorees is Keltoum “Giniro” Baddaje, a 26-year-old esports host and interviewer who has covered top-tier events for titles like League of Legends, VALORANT, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Rocket League. Forbes highlights Giniro as the first Arabic woman in esports broadcasting, a milestone reflecting growing diversity and representation in the competitive gaming space. Her career began with volunteer work in the UK’s collegiate esports scene before rising to prominence through her work with the League of Legends European Championship (LEC).
Also featured is David "TheGrefg" Martínez, 27, a Spanish content creator and one of Europe’s most influential gaming personalities. With 19 million YouTube subscribers and over 12 million Twitch followers, TheGrefg has shaped online gaming culture in Spain and beyond. In 2021, he was honored with a custom Fortnite skin as part of Epic Games’ Icon Series and previously held the Guinness World Record for most concurrent viewers on a Twitch stream, drawing in over 2.4 million live viewers.
Emma Nicole, 27, a UK-based content creator, also earned a spot on the list for her impact in the Sims community. Known for creating educational and inclusive content around The Sims 4, she has built a following of 750,000 across platforms. In October 2024, she was named Gaming Creator of the Year by ITV, and has since spoken at major events like TwitchCon and VidCon.
From behind the scenes, Nicole Constantine, 26, serves as On-Air Talent Manager at Riot Games, where she oversees a team of 50 broadcast professionals across multiple esports titles. She played a key role in creating Riot’s first all-women analyst desk for the VALORANT Champions Tour and was instrumental in producing the 2024 League of Legends World Championship Final in London—an event that drew 6.9 million peak viewers, making it the most-watched esports broadcast to date.
On the journalism front, Jessica Filby, 24, was recognized for her rapid ascent at Dexerto, where she now serves as Deputy Games Editor. In just two years, Filby rose from staff writer to a senior editorial role, shaping coverage for the site’s 61 million monthly readers and contributing extensively to key gaming stories and events.
Game development was also spotlighted through Wilhelm Nylund, 29, co-founder of Landfall Games, an indie studio he launched in 2015 alongside Philip Westre and Petter Henriksson. The team used profits from their first project, Air Brawl—which began as a high school experiment—to fund the studio’s early growth. Landfall Games has since released over 25 titles, including viral hits like Stick Fight and Content Warning, both surpassing 10 million downloads. Its latest release, Haste: Broken Worlds, continues the studio’s tradition of quirky, innovative games. Since 2020, the studio has generated $64 million in revenue, including $9 million in 2024 alone. Beyond game development, Landfall has reinvested profits into other indie projects, supporting games like Jitter and Isopod.
Incantum Games co-founder Antonio Ramicello and Nicolina de Cristofaro also made it to the list. The studio has pioneered social-media-driven marketing strategies, amassing over 50 million downloads across mobile titles. Their upcoming blockchain game, Crown Chaser, already boasts a community of 50,000 members ahead of launch.
From developers and executives to creators and broadcasters, this year's gaming honorees reflect the depth and diversity of the modern gaming landscape. Their inclusion on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list underscores the fact that gaming and streaming are no longer a niche—it’s a mainstream cultural and economic powerhouse, producing the next generation of innovators across tech, media, and entertainment.