English
The Paintball Big Game in Mahlwinkel has had turbulent times. After the event had grown bit by bit over the past three years, the German Big Game scene suffered another setback at the end of 2024. The United Big Game (UBG) was over. But now something big is happening in Mahlwinkel in eastern Germany and new players are bringing a breath of fresh air to the topic of Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel. Players across Germany and large parts of Europe are currently eagerly awaiting the latest information on how the Paintball Big Game in Mahlwinkel will continue in the future. We have spoken to those responsible and would like to bring you all the facts today (as of the end of December 2024). This much can be said in advance: the Big Game Mahlwinkel is alive and well and is well on its way to becoming something really big…
The king is dead, long live the king… that's how you could put it, or something similar. A lot has happened since the first Paintball Big Game in Mahlwinkel over 25 years ago. After the EBG (Euro Big Game) disappeared from the market around five years ago, the UBG (United Big Game) soon followed. Unfortunately, after three years of Paintball Big Game in Mahlwinkel and a really successful event in 2024, the UBG also had to stop its event. Financial problems and some disagreements behind the scenes ultimately led to the UBG being laid to rest. So the Big Game fans have been left with big question marks in their eyes in recent weeks and months, desperately waiting for new information about whether and how things could continue in Mahlwinkel in 2025.
The answers to these questions were finally provided by the Airsoft Heroes team at the beginning of December 2024. – Wait a minute, AIRSOFT heroes? What do they have to do with paintball? You're probably asking yourself now… the answer may surprise some people, but it's simple. Since the Big Game in Mahlwinkel was founded, the Airsoft Heroes team has always organized a large airsoft event a week before the Paintball Big Game on Father's Day. This event, called Dark Emergency, started as a modest side event with around 200 players and has blossomed over the years into the largest airsoft event in the world. Over 3,000 players come together every year for this superlative airsoft event. But what does that have to do with paintball? – We'll come to that now. The Airsoft Heroes already provided the entire infrastructure for the event at the UBG. The tents for the exhibitors and the organization, the stage for the evening program, the toilets and showers, even the beer truck for the evening cold drink, all of this comes from the ranks of the Airsoft Heroes. This means that the guys have practically been the "secret" co-organizer of all Paintball Big Games for years and were even primarily responsible for the really smooth processes that the players were able to experience at the last event in 2024.
We met Nick from Airsoft Heroes and wanted to know how the collaboration came about and what the players can expect from the Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel 2025.
PBS Magazine: Hi Nick, thanks for taking the time. The players are excited to see what happens in Mahlwinkel next year. But first of all, how come you are now getting into the paintball business?
Nick (AS Helden): Well, we're not really new to paintball. We've been involved with the topic for years through our shared infrastructure. Everything that the players see here in Mahlwinkel is brought in and set up especially for these events. The paintball and airsoft events thus form a kind of symbiosis and share the costs of the infrastructure. Without the paintball event, the airsoft event cannot take place and vice versa. So it was a logical step for us to step in and continue the paintball event.
PBS Magazine: OK, that clears up the WHY. Now let's get to the WHAT and HOW. Nick, tell us what you have planned for the future of the Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel. Where do you want to take the event? What are your ambitions and goals?
Nick (AS Helden): It is very important for us to say at this point that we don't just want to "keep the event alive", but we want the Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel to continue to grow and eventually return to its former size. We can host events with several thousand players, as we have proven at our airsoft events such as the Dark Emergency. We would like to transfer this successful concept to the paintball event and thus become Europe's largest paintball big game in the long term.
PBS Magazine: That sounds very ambitious. How exactly do you want to implement that and what plans do you have to further expand and improve the event?
Nick (AS Helden): As I said, the logistical basics are already in place. Now it's about getting the paintball scene involved and getting them excited about our event. We've already made a lot of contacts so that we can better understand the paintball scene and respond to the players' wishes in a targeted manner. We have strategic partners on board who will help us organize and run the event. We've brought an experienced partner on board, Karl Plinke from Paintballsports.de. Karl and his team will be one of our cooperation partners who will provide significant support and help organize/design the event.
We are also in contact with various manufacturers in the industry to further expand the trade show on site at the event and make it even more appealing. All of this should contribute to making the Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel an even better and more amazing experience for the players.
PBS Magazine: Can you tell us something about the date and prices?
Nick (AS Helden): The event will take place as usual on the long Father's Day weekend over Ascension Day. Father's Day is and will remain big game time, that was important to us. If you want to take a vacation, you should put May 28th – 31st, 2025 in your calendar. You can find the prices on our homepage. We have simplified the cost structure a bit. As of now, there is no longer a box office and only tickets for the entire event. This simply makes the processes easier for us. The prices for paintballs and First Strike ammunition have also already been set. Just take a look at our website.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Nick for the detailed information about the new Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel and are of course already looking forward to a great event next year. You shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch, but under these conditions and with these actors in the background, it can only be a success. If you've got a taste for it and want to take part in a really big and cool Paintball Big Game on German soil, you should definitely take a look at the Airsoft Heroes website. You can also book your event ticket here!
That's it for now. You can find more information and updates about the Paintball Big Game Mahlwinkel on social media. We have also linked this information to you via QR code. We wish all Big Game fans lots of fun. See you in Mahlwinkel.
