Sony Becomes Founding Partner of Esports World Cup, To Produce Behind-The-Scenes Documentary Series

Sony Group Becomes Founding Partner of Esports World Cup

Multi-year collaboration will produce the Anthem and original documentary series of Esports World Cup 2024

The Esports World Cup Foundation ("EWCF") and Sony Group Corporation ("Sony") have signed a multi-year partnership agreement to collaborate on initiatives for the Esports World Cup. With this, Sony Group became a founding partner of the Esports World Cup in March 2024, with a multi-year deal to produce the official anthem and collaborate on initiatives for the event.

Sony's music division, Sony Music Entertainment, will produce the anthem for the 2024 Esports World Cup. The partnership also leverages Sony's gaming products and entertainment expertise

The inaugural Esports World Cup 2024 is slated to take place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

As part of this agreement, Sony Pictures Entertainment will create a behind-the-scenes documentary series showcasing the players and games of the Esports World Cup. Sony, together with Sony Interactive Entertainment, will also look to exploring additional opportunities to support promising creators and talent in the region. Sony Music Entertainment will produce the music Anthem of the Esports World Cup 2024.

Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation (Left) Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Deputy President and CSO, Sony Group Corporation (Right)

"Sony is the perfect partner for the Esports World Cup," said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation. "Our goal is to establish a global platform for esports and gaming that sets new standards for live esports events. Sony's experience in creating stunning visuals, engaging music, compelling storytelling, and state-of-the-art technology will be a game-changer for the Esports World Cup. The EWC aims to take esports to the next level, and we are thrilled to count on Sony's world class expertise in this endeavor."

"We're excited to make the Esports World Cup more fun and engaging for fans globally by harnessing the creativity and technology from across our diverse businesses." said Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Deputy President and CSO, Sony Group Corporation. "Sony has been enhancing the esports experience especially with Sony Interactive Entertainment's initiatives such as PlayStation Tournaments and the annual EVO fighting game series. We look forward to further catering to this growing, global community of players and fans with the Esports World Cup."

With the Esports World Cup, EWCF has created an unprecedented celebration of competitive gaming and esports fandom. This summer, top esports organizations will face off in Riyadh, to compete in a unique cross-game structure for the largest prize pool in esports history. Recently, the EWC has announced the addition of ten popular titles - Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Honor of Kings, PUBG, PUBG Mobile, Overwatch, Free Fire, Rocket League, Fortnite and Rainbow Six Siege - as participating games. More games will be announced soon.

About Sony Group Corporation

Sony Group Corporation is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. Across its six business segments - Game & Network Services; Music; Pictures; Entertainment, Technology & Services; Imaging & Sensing Solutions; and Financial Services - Sony's purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.

About Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup is a global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. For the first time in the history of esports, Esports World Cup features a unique cross-game competition structure that will pit the world’s top elite esports athletes against one another, across multiple game titles for the largest-ever prize pool. Debuting in the summer 2024, gamers, publishers, and fans from around the globe will come together in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to crown the world’s esports champions.

Social Networking App for Gamers Qlan Secures $200K Pre-Seed Funding Led By Marwah Sports, CIIE.CO and Faad Network

Equity Investment by three incoming investors; led by Marwah Sports, CIIE.CO and Faad Network

With more than 100k combined downloads from PlayStore and AppStore, the gamers’ social network showcases its commitment to solution-driven experiences

The early-stage start-up will utilise the capital to expand its gamer community, gain deeper insights into user preferences, and establish a robust product-market fit

Qlan, the exclusive social networking app designed for gamers and esports enthusiasts, has secured pre-seed funding to fuel its expansion and enhance gamer networking, discovery, and content creation capabilities.

Previously operating as a bootstrapped startup, Qlan which now has over 100,000 combined downloads, underwent an extensive six-month beta testing period, culminating in the platform's full-version launch in January 2023. Bolstered by a committed team of over 20 professionals, the early-stage start-up achieved healthy organic growth, attracting a user base of over 50,000 gamers.

Qlan has effectively initiated itself as a thriving hub for gamers and esports enthusiasts with early adopters across the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North & South America, South Africa, and the MENA regions, ultimately leading to a successful pre-seed funding round.

Qlan’s unparalleled approach of making a positive impact on the grassroots of the gaming industry attracted significant support from notable investors which included Marwah Sports, CIIE.CO, and Faad Network in the funding round. These investments will help Qlan in its vision of empowering gamers all over the world with an engaging and seamless networking opportunity.

Expressing his thoughts on the funding round, Sagar Nair, Co-founder, and CEO of Qlan commented, "The pre-seed funding round signifies an exciting new phase for Qlan, and we are delighted to have Marwah Sports, CIIE.CO, and Faad Network as backers. This demonstrates the remarkable potential of Qlan and the burgeoning global gaming and esports industry. While we are grateful for the worldwide validation of Qlan by gamers, our primary objective now is to scale our platform, optimize user experience, and gain deeper insights into our community's needs. With the invaluable support of our investors, we are poised to elevate Qlan to new horizons and empower the ever-expanding global community of gamers”

The investors backing Qlan have a distinguished portfolio of having supported and nurtured successful ventures in the past. Marwah Sports, the sports arm of the more than 60-year-old enterprise Marwah Group, has backed several marquee ventures including sports hardware manufacturing companies Square Off and Elevar, and sports tech companies Uactiv and Sporjo.

“Meaningful and engaged communities will form the bedrock of the fledgling Indian and global gaming ecosystem. With Qlan, individuals and organisations can focus on what is most important – retention and engagement. We are encouraged and excited by the progress made by the team – this is only just the beginning!” – Pranav Marwah; CEO - Marwah Sports & Director of Marwah Group.

CIIE.CO is the Innovation Continuum spreading from incubation, acceleration, seed, and growth funding to research. CIIE.CO has accelerated over 1000 entrepreneurs/startups, funded in over 300 startups, mentored, and coached over 5000 startups

”Esports in India is witnessing "green shoots" of tailwinds. With the government priming up with recognition, regulatory frameworks should follow suit. Parallelly there is a sharp rise in esports athletes, teams, events, sponsors turning to franchises etc. There will be a need to bridge these facets with a community-driven solution and enable growth. This is where Qlan fits in and would be ripe to tap into what we feel is a sunrise sector in India today.” - Chintan Antani; VP Seed Investing - CIIE.CO.

Faad Network Limited, a well-renowned investor network, has a substantial portfolio in the Esports domain that includes India’s first cloud gaming service, the Gaming Project, and Esports XO which is one of the country’s fastest-growing organizations.

“India has over 400 million online gamers, with a total market size of over 4 billion dollars. Not only do 90% of these gamers transact, but they also maintain an active social profile to connect with other gamers. This is where we found a fit in Qlan, which is building a comprehensive solution to join gamers and esports enthusiasts. The stellar team understands these gamers' space and pulse and will drive home a scalable business.” – Aditya Arora; CEO – Faad Network Limited.

According to the latest research by SkyQuest Technology, the Global Esports Market was valued at USD 1.08 Billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach a value of USD 2.8 Billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 14.50% over the forecast period (2022-2028). Esports is becoming increasingly popular as a result of global digitization and the low cost of advanced gaming technologies.

Emphasizing the importance of establishing strong fundamentals, driving growth, and attaining product-market fit, Qlan plans to utilize the funds raised in the Pre-Seed round to not only expand its platform to a wider community but also to bolster its team and leverage its technologically advanced product, which is meticulously crafted with a focus on user-centric principles.

ABOUT QLAN:

Qlan is dedicated to cultivating an engaged and sustainable gaming and esports ecosystem that prioritizes accessibility and exploration. By uniting all key players in the industry, Qlan aims to establish a vertical community where gamers and esports enthusiasts can effortlessly enter, discover new avenues, and thrive.

On the Qlan app, users can establish gaming profiles, connect with gamers possessing comparable skill levels, explore and share gaming content, unlock exciting gaming rewards, and much more.

The objective is to leverage technology in order to address the issues of insufficient discovery, ineffective networking, and difficulties faced by aspiring gamers trying to crack the world of gaming and esports.

Actor Tiger Shroff Invests in Revenant Esports

Global brands AMD, PUMA, CORSAIR and CYBEART have announced associations with Revenant Esports in the past

The youngest action superstar, Tiger Shroff ensured Bollywood's foray into the Indian Esports industry with his decision to invest an undisclosed amount in Revenant Esports, one of India’s fastest-growing esports teams. The decision was announced in a joint press release on Monday.

This strategic investment comes as a huge boost to Revenant Esports who now plans to utilize the latest funding to bolster their Esports rosters, content creators, and bootcamp infrastructure as well as invigorate their ambition of cementing Revenant Esports’ name as the finest Esports organization in India and expanding its footprint globally.

"We are delighted to welcome Tiger Shroff to the Revenant Esports family. Everyone is well aware of his fondness for gaming and connects with the millennial and Gen Z audience. In Revenant he has the perfect platform to be more actively involved with the Indian gaming community. The entertainment industry starting to set foot in the world of gaming is massively beneficial to the industry as it helps spread awareness about its potential and importance among the not-so-informed Indian population. Tiger's massive fanbase and his zeal for gaming will accelerate our vision of creating an enriching and engaging ecosystem for our organization as well as for the Esports community as a whole," said Rohit Jagasia, CEO and Founder of Revenant Esports.

First-gen entrepreneur, Rohit initially started with a single-game roster in BGMI for Revenant Esports in 2021 which has now grown many folds with the organization presently having multiple content creators and multi-game rosters that not only compete in innumerable major Esports tournaments but also win laurels for the country.

Tiger Shroff shares a great passion for fitness, games, and MMA and is also an avid Esports enthusiast had made his passion for gaming known by engaging in various gaming activities in the past. The young superstar’s decision has initiated the coming together of the two most powerful genres in cinema and esports-a cocktail of which has all the ingredients to be the most successful brand alliances.

Speaking on what this association means to him, Tiger Shroff said, “Revenant Esports is one of the biggest names of the Esports landscape in India and I am delighted to be a part of it. They have achieved commendable success in such a short span and with the gaming and Esports revolution taking the country by storm I am confident that Rohit’s and my passion, knowledge, and vision will help us to achieve remarkable success and experience. Being an ardent gamer myself and having followed the industry closely, I also hope to use this association as a launchpad to more meaningful growth in the sector.”

Revenant Esports boasts of being home to some of the country’s best Esports talents as well as the leading content creators. The organization has proved its mettle on the regional and international stage by triumphing in multiple international tournaments such as the BGMI: Master Series(Star Sports) Valorant: Valorant Challengers League South Asia, Pokemon Unite: Asia Champions League 2023, Brawl Stars: ESL Masters Japan, Apex Legends: ALGS Split 2 playoffs, and CODM: World Championship 2021.

In recent times, they have brought on-board three of the most watched content creators in the Indian Gaming scene which are Emperor Plays, Bitty and Ayush is live and plans to add more valuable creators in the upcoming months.

Last year, their Pokemon Unite roster became the very first Indian team to represent the country at the Pokemon Unite World Championships in London.

As per the recently launched FICCI-EY report “Windows of Opportunity", the number of Esports players across all competitive level games in India increased from 600,000 in 2021 to 1 million in 2022, and it is expected to reach 2.5 million in 2023. The number of brands investing in Esports in India grew from 72 in 2021 to 80 in 2022, and it is estimated to reach 100 in 2023.

Revenant had recently onboarded high-profile brand associations with global brands like AMD, PUMA, CORSAIR and CYBEART. This investment from a key Bollywood icon further proves how the entertainment industry can leverage the Indian Esports industry with its limitless potential.

Revenant Esports is an esports organization built from the ground up. From humble beginnings to exponential growth, the objective of Revenant Esports has been to be the leading esports company in India. Revenant Esports was founded in 2020 and it has an active roster in 8 esports titles with home to 45+ athletes, the organization want to create a holistic environment to nurture the development of esports.

The company was founded by Rohit Naresh Jagasia and the company received their last funding of $1 million in May 2021 from Adman turned investor Sajan Raj Kurup. Revenant aims to be the ‘go-to’ destination for casual gamers as well as pro gamers. It wishes to create an engaging ecosystem that enables all endemic, non-endemic and aspirational brands to use the power of esports for advertising and brand building. You can learn more about the organization here: https://revenantesports.com/

Revenant Esports Onboards Distinguished Athlete Tejas Sawant to Reinforce Its Valorant Roster

The renowned veteran's signing further bolsters the Valorant roster of Revenant Esports for upcoming tournaments with the team also roping in the prominent duelist Sahil "1TaPGoD" Duble recently. 

Revenant Esports, one of India’s leading and fastest-growing Esports organizations, have signed Tejas Sawant, one of the most notable names from the Valorant community in order to establish their name as the country's most dominant team in the title.

Sawant, popularly known as "rite2ace" is a celebrated veteran of the Valorant community who is renowned for his attacking supremacy and his consistent triumphs in numerous tournaments. His unique skill set and ability to single-handedly influence games will come in handy for Revenant Esports in their upcoming tournaments.

Tejas Sawant

Tejas Sawant

Revenant Esports is one of India's substantial teams in the Valorant title and has flourished in the Esports title since its roster’s inception. Led by skipper Saaransh Dang (Whimp) their roster consists of players of top notch quality that led them to the Esports Club Community Cup title earlier this year. 

“We are extremely happy to welcome Tejas Sawant to our Revenant Esports family. Everyone in the Esports community is well aware of his name and the signing of such a high-profile player is going to strengthen our team. With Valorant picking up immense popularity in India, we aim to become one of the dominant teams in the title and this signing is a significant step taken in order to accomplish our goal. I am confident that we are going to achieve immense success with Sawant in the team and would like to wish our entire roster all the best for the upcoming tournaments.” said Rohit Jagasia, Founder and CEO of Revenant Esports.

Sawant, a former CS:GO professional has previously represented Team Velocity Gaming and won the Skyesports Pro Invitational, TEC Challenger Series and VCC 2022: Stage 1 earlier this year. In his recent triumph at the Skyesports Pro Invitational S2, he recorded 233 kills and 89 assists in 16 maps and accumulated an impressive K/D ratio of 1.14 in the entire tournament.

Expressing his joy on signing for Revenant Esports Sawant said, “It feels really amazing to join a team of Revenant Esports' caliber which has achieved unbelievable growth in such a short period of time. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Valorant with my previous organization and look forward to this new chapter of my career. I hope that my vast amount of experience can assist the team in achieving glory and emerging as one of the top teams in the title. I cannot wait to meet my new teammates and rigorously practice as well as formulate strategies for the major tournaments in store."

After Sawant's addition, Revenant Esports’ Valorant roster will be as follows,

• Saaransh "Whimp" Dang
• Shailesh "blackhawk" Dalvi
• Kasif "Paradox" Sayyed
• Enrico "Ching" Perez
• Joshua "JoshS" Santos
• Sahil "1TaPGoD" Duble
• Tejas "rite2ace" Sawant

With the additions of 1TaPGoD and rite2ace, Revenant Esports are forging a supreme roster of extremely talented individuals which will help them scale remarkable milestones in Valorant not just in India but also globally. 

About Revenant Esports:

Revenant Esports is an esports organization built from the ground up. From humble beginnings to exponential growth, the objective of Revenant Esports has been to be the leading esports company in India. Revenant Esports was founded in 2020 and it has an active roster in 6 esports titles like BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, Free Fire, Clash of Clans, Valorant and Pokemon Unite.

The company is founded by Rohit Naresh Jagasia and the company received their last funding of $1 million in May 2021 from Adman turned investor Sajan Raj Kurup. Revenant Esports is a new-gen esports company with the best esports athletes across the globe being part of its roster. The Company aims to enrich the esports ecosystem with player experiences, brand integration, creators economy and contribute to the esports community at large.

S8UL Scripts History; Becomes 1st Indian ESports Organisation to Win 'Content Group of the Year’ Award Globally at ‘Esports Awards'22’

Having established its dominance in the Indian Esports community, the well-renowned organisation has now made its name in the global Esports landscape

S8UL, one of India's leading Esports organisations have made esports history by becoming the country's first Esports organisation to win globally at the coveted 'Esports Awards 2022' in the 'Content Group of the Year' category on Wednesday.

S8UL is the brainchild of the country's esports industry veterans, Naman Mathur aka Mortal, Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug and Lokesh Jain aka Goldy. This triumph was a long-awaited one for the Indian esports community and winning against global sensations from the industry including the likes of 100 Thieves, FaZe Clan, OTK, G4TV, Tribo Gaules etc at a global esports recognition event, is a matter of great pride for S8UL and for Indian esports. This is bound to do good things for them, as well as for Indian esports globally in terms of recognition and respect.

The winner of the Content Group of the Year is... @S8ulesports

CONGRATULATIONS! #EsportsAwards pic.twitter.com/STAlwHqP5E

— Esports Awards (@esportsawards) December 14, 2022

Lokesh Jain aka Goldy, Co-Founder, S8UL while reflecting on this momentous achievement said "I talk a lot with fans, with creators and with everyone, but today I am speechless. The journey we have mapped together as a team seems like a blur and a vivid memory all at once. What looks like a winning moment, is actually made up of those 100s of little moments everyday, where we put in the hard work, miss special personal events, sacrifice sleep, go through lows, brainstorm, rise again and create, create, create content like we mean it. It's such a moment, for all of us. Three cheers for the team!"

Since its very inception, S8UL has been the frontrunner of gaming content in India. They have challenged the status quo at every turn, and have leveraged social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Discord etc to bring together some of the best gaming content creators under a single umbrella, to create outstanding gaming content, watched everyday by millions of viewers. The high calibre of their esports talent which includes Mortal, Scout, Payal, Mamba, Rega, Krutika, Sidd, Kaashvi, and many more is evident from the various esports titles they have bagged over the years and the fandom they enjoy.

“Love us or really love us, but we are, as of 10:35 AM IST today, officially the “global content group of the year” and no one can take that away! So then, do dreams come true? As of now, I can proudly say that they can. We dreamt, we worked and clearly we’ve done something right, to be here today! And that's all I ever wanted, for us to do a lot of small rights, winning the right to win big. This is the biggest motivation to take things only bigger from now on. 2023, here we come!” said Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, Co-Founder, S8UL

Alongside S8UL, their co-founder and the face of Indian gaming and esports Naman 'Mortal' Mathur was also nominated at the awards for the 'Esports Personality of the Year' category where the first place was bagged by Nadeshot, owner of 100Thieves; and the results for second and third positions are still awaited. He is also the only Indian Esports athlete to be nominated in the history of the global “Esports Awards”. In 2020 and 2021, Naman won second place for the Streamer of the Year for two consecutive years.

“If we have learnt anything today, it's that a group of passionate people, sitting somewhere in a ‘developing’ country CAN create history. Words fail me as I see our dream as a dream team come true. Seeing us being celebrated by the global esports community, it's a real feeling. It's really time to pause, reflect and feel happy. But we also have one eye on the future and we hope to break all records. Thanks to the fans who watch us everyday and motivate us to show up with great content, Thanks to the brands who have worked with us as a content group, but most of all, thanks to the creators who work hard all day everyday, this is our moment in the sun!” said Naman Mathura aka Mortal, Co-Founder, S8UL. 

Dedicated to showcasing top-class performance and innovation, the Esports Awards recognises excellence in Esports and ensures that success and achievement in esports is celebrated globally. The 2022 edition of the awards was hosted in Las Vegas where prominent names from the Esports community all over the world were in attendance.

S8UL have recently unveiled their Pokemon Unite and PUBG: New State rosters and aims to dominate India's Esports space with top-notch athletes competing in multiple Esports titles.

S8UL’s social media handles:
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@S8ULGG
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/s8ul.esports/?hl=en
Twitter - https://twitter.com/S8ulesports?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

BCCI and MPL Sports launch the new Official Team India T20I Jersey — One Blue Jersey

Fans of the Indian cricket team come from all genders, age groups and geographies. These fans are now front and center in the new One Blue jersey as it celebrates them and pays homage to the unity, indomitable energy and support they bring to the game. The jersey starts retailing at an affordable price of just INR 1,999.

MPL Sports, the official kit sponsor of the Indian Cricket Team, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today unveiled the official Team India Jersey for all T20 Internationals. Called the ‘One Blue Jersey,’ it celebrates the indomitable energy and enthusiasm that supporters bring to the game. Most importantly, it pays homage to the legions of fans that span different genders and age groups, and transcend geographical borders.

One Blue Jersey by MPL Sports

 

The jersey is styled with a pattern of equilateral triangles—a universal symbol of the blend of energy, spirit and power—that celebrates the unswerving support of the fans who have stood behind the team through thick and thin. Combined with petals found in the BCCI’s insignia, the jersey embodies the loyalty and merit that the game demands. The jersey comes in shades of the iconic and fan-favorite blue color for a look befitting the champions of the game.

The One Blue Jersey will make its debut on the pitch during the upcoming T20 series against Australia on the 20th of September. It replaces the Billion Cheers Jersey at all T20 International competitions. Players will continue to sport the Billion Cheers Jersey at One Day Internationals.

The jersey starts retailing at Rs 1,999 and will be available for purchase at mplsports.in starting today, and all leading e-commerce and retail outlets. Along with this, over 40 SKUs, including player edition jerseys, training gear and athleisure wear, will be available.

MPL Sports is an athleisure, merchandise, and sporting equipment brand. It is the official kit sponsor and merchandise partner for the Indian Cricket Team (Men’s, Women’s and Under-19 teams). The brand offers top quality merchandise across categories, professional-level sporting equipment, and affordable athleisure apparel made for all-round style and comfort.

Ibrahim and Davlish to Represent India At Inaugural Sim Racing World Cup

The duo clinched spots in the Indian team after becoming joint winners at the National Championships, set to fight in the SRWC Continental Qualifiers

Producing brilliant performances, Muhammad Ibrahim and Davlish Singh secured themselves spots in the Indian team for the inaugural Sim Racing World Cup after clinching the Top position by securing same points (43) at the National Esports Championships (NESC), concluded at the INOX Multiplex in Mumbai in a hybrid mode.

The National Esports Championships, conducted by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), witnessed participation of the country’s 250 top sim racing drivers including Sai Prithvi, Prathamesh Yedre, Hari Krupanand and Jamie Shaw. The tournament was conducted in a hybrid model—online as well as offline—with the offline playoffs taking place at Mumbai's INOX Megaplex and IISM Campus.

“We are delighted with how both the online and offline qualifiers were successfully conducted. All of the sim racing drivers displayed a healthy competitive spirit and maintained that till the finals to ensure that all of the races were well contested. I congratulate the winners, Muhammad Ibrahim and Davlish Singh on their remarkable achievement and back them to bring the trophy home. I would also like to thank INOX, IR Esports & IISM for their fantastic support and for making this event possible,” said Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Sports Federation.

The duo will now represent India at the prestigious tournament and fight against players from teams like Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Syria and Sri Lanka in the Asian Continental Qualifiers, scheduled from July 26 to 29. There are 2 slots given to Asian Continent for the grand finals and the two winning sim racers of the Asian Continental Qualifiers will earn themselves a place in the Global Finals to be held in Monaco.

Organised by the International Esports Federation in association with Monaco Esports Federation, Sim Racing World Cup will feature one of the world's most popular sim racing titles, Assetto Corsa. There are a total of 39 countries participating in the Continental Qualifiers for Sim Racing World Cup 2022 and only the TOP 12 are going to MONACO!

The Grand Finals of NESC featured a total of two races with the winner being determined based on the total points accumulated from both races.

Ibrahim started on pole for the first race and maintained that position throughout the race, courtesy a brilliant drive. The second race started with a reversed order of the Top-8 finishers where Davlish finished on top followed by Ibrahim.

With both Ibrahim and Davlish tied on 43 points each in the summit clash, both emerged as joint winners of the national qualifiers.

“This is an excellent opportunity to represent your country on an international platform. Winning the qualifiers amongst 250 players overall gives me immense satisfaction and feels like a huge achievement but it also increases the pressure of performing well in the next stage for me. Undoubtedly, I will be practising a lot to achieve the best for my country with the upcoming Continental Qualifier also on my mind," said an elated Ibrahim, who has also won the McLaren Logitech G Challenge earlier this year.

Davlish, who has been playing sim racing since 2019, added: “I believe this was one of the largest sim racing events in India yet where ESFI gave participants from all over the country a chance to fight for a spot to represent their country on the international stage. The event was very well organised with some very quick, competitive and fair racing from all the top drivers. The double sprint race formats with reversed grids made the races even more exciting."

ESFI continued its partnership with the country’s top sports and Esports specialised communication firms, Artsmith - Concepts & Visions, which will continue its support as their communication partner for the prestigious Sim Racing World Cup. The number of slots (slots = number of sim racers qualified) per continent for the Grand Final in Monaco is as follows:

• Europe: 3
• Africa: 
• America: 2
• Asia: 2
• Oceania: 1

Wildcards for Monaco and Slovakia = 12 best sim racers in Monaco.

CII Conducting their 1st Ever E-Sports Conference 2022, ‘Rise of Esports – The Emerging Frontier’

CWG Federation CEO Katie Sadleir among global sports administrators to discuss Esports in India and its potential globally in CII conference on Friday

International Esports Federation along with Olympic Council to be part of the Esports conclave

Led by the Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir, top global sports administrators will discuss the growth of Esports in India as well as its potential future globally as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will be conducting the Esports Conference 2022, ‘Rise of Esports – The Emerging Frontier’, on Friday.

Since taking charge last year, the former Olympian swimmer Sadlier has encouraged the development of Esports globally and has also initiated the inclusion of the sport at the Commonwealth Games, considering the active engagement of under-30 age group in Esports. According to the Commonwealth’s website, an estimated 60% of the Commonwealth’s total population of 2.5bn people come from below the age of 30.

Earlier, the Commonwealth Games Federation announced Esports as a pilot event at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Asian Games has already announced it as a regular medal sport from the upcoming 2022 edition.

Among other leaders, who will also be joining the conversation are: Vlad Marinescu, President of International Esports Federation, Darren Kwan, President of Australian Esports Federation, Vinod Tiwari, President of Esports Federation of India and Director, International & NOC relations, Olympic Council of Asia and Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Board Member & VP, Asian Esports Federation among others.

The conference will be conducted virtually.

“Esports is among the most exciting developments in the Indian sportscape. There are already firm data that points that Indian sports fans are ready to take to esports in a big way and that India is among the most significant emerging markets for this genre across the world. We embrace this opportunity and capitalize it with the right knowledge and institutional approaches and frameworks. The CII esports conference will have the best global sports administrators sharing their perspectives and insights on the rapid growth of Esports in the world as well as in India.” said Anupam Goswami, Chairman, CII National Committee on Sports & CEO of Mashal Sports & League Commissioner, Pro Kabaddi League.

A day-long conference will begin with the inaugural session which will be followed by below sessions,

Session 1: Esports - More than a Recreational Sport

Session 2: Esports – A Global Perspective

Session 3: Taking Esports Mainstream through OTT & Streaming

Session 4: Building Esports through key investments in India

CII, an Industry body, has been shaping India's development journey and contributing transforming the Indian industry's engagement in national development for more than 125 years.

Interestingly, India too has seen a tremendous increase in the Esports industry over the years. The number of Esports players in the country is expected to cross the 1-million mark by this year.

Notably, the total size of India’s esports industry is also expected to touch Rs 1100 crore by the financial year 2025, according to the EY Report of 2021. With the continuous growth, 100 brands are expected to invest by 2022 compared to 72 of last year.

The discussion will also witness perspectives of top Indian Esports players such as the 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Tirth Mehta and FIFA pro Lokmanyu Chaturvedi alongside the popular gaming creators including Animesh ‘8bit Thug’ Agarwal, Founder & CEO of 8-bit Creatives, Karan Mahesh Pathak, Associate Director, Esports of Krafton Inc and Anirudh Pandita, Founder of Loco as well as Hiren Mody, Vice P, resident, Strategy and Partnerships one of India’s leading grassroots multi-sports organisation—Sports For All.

The discussion will be available to watch live on CII’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowCII.

The audience can register themselves and watch the conference on CII HIVE – https://www.ciihive.in/Login.aspx?EventId=ESPORTS22

S8UL Becomes the 1st Indian Esports Organisation to be Nominated for the Global “Esports Awards 2022”

The country’s most popular Esports group will compete with top international esports organisations including 100 Thieves and Faze Clan; Naman Mathur aka mortal gets the nomination for ‘Esports Personality of the Year’

Proving yet again, its stance in the global esports landscape, S8UL became the first Indian Esports organisation to get a nomination for the prestigious global "Esports Awards" in the ‘Content Group of the Year’ category while its co-founder Naman Mathur aka Mortal has been nominated for ‘Esports Personality of the Year’.

The esports awards are regarded as the most popular and significant annual awards in the Esports industry globally. It is the world’s top honour for the excellence and accomplishments of athletes and teams in the Esports industry worldwide.

S8UL is the brainchild of the country's three veteran Esports players, Naman Mathur aka Mortal, Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug and Lokesh Jain aka Goldy, who created this organisation with an aim to shape the Indian gaming industry into a mix of professional gameplay and engaging content for the audiences.

“A nomination in the "Esports Awards" shows the strong position that S8UL has created in the global Esports circuit. It’s the result of the hard work that team S8UL has put in in the last two years. I am very confident that this nomination will be a motivation not just for us but for everyone in India who wants to contribute to the growth of Esports in the country. Mortal, as we call him the face of the Indian gaming and esports community, never misses any chance to make our country proud. I am very confident that both S8UL and Mortal are going to take a giant leap this year with these nominations and we are super excited to add more trophies at our S8UL Gaming House.” said Lokesh Jain aka Goldy.

In two years since its inception, S8UL has not only won major tournaments but has also emerged as a national sensation. With top creators and gamers on their roster, S8UL has been actively promoting the acceptance and appeal of gaming content in India through their online platforms like YouTube, Instagram, discord etc. S8UL is in contention for the award along with nine other top international organisations, such as 100 Thieves, FaZe Clan, One True King and Full Squad Gaming.

“It's our sheer dedication and hard work that our creators have become brands in themselves. We are building an esports community which has put India on the global map. The vision we started with was to compete globally in terms of both gameplay and esports content, and we truly see the vision coming to fruition now. This has been made possible by the trust placed on our creators, the community and the brands alike. Hoping for continued support, to bring the trophies home. This is a big motivation for us to keep entertaining with newer content everyday.” said Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug.

Mortal has been nominated alongside other top athletes like Faker and Goldenboy. He is also the only Indian Esports athlete to be nominated in the history of the global “Esports Awards”. Earlier, he was nominated for the Streamer of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and claimed second place on both occasions.

“Getting nominated in the prestigious ‘Esports Awards’ is in itself a moment of pride. It’s like the Oscars for Esports where winners get selected from the best in the world. It’s the biggest recognition for any Esports athlete or a team. Esports industry has grown rapidly in the recent past and so has the competition level. It’s a great moment for S8UL and for me personally as it’s my third successive nomination, fingers crossed, hope this year "It's Coming Home" said Naman Mathur aka Mortal.

Mortal has represented Soul in numerous PUBG/BGMI tournaments and has also won titles in events like PMIS and PMCO Spring Split: India. He has a massive fan following which includes more than seven million subscribers on YouTube and 5 million-plus followers on Instagram.

Get the country’s flag up on the global stage by voting for S8UL and Mortal in the below link:
https://esportsawards.com/vote/

ESFI Kick Starts the Registrations for the National Qualifiers for 14th World E-Sports Championships

Registrations for National Esports Championship 2022 begin on Wednesday for eFootball 2022, CS:GO & Tekken7; WEC features record $500,000 prize pool

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) announced the registration for the national qualification tournament—National Esports Championships (NESC 2022), to select the Indian esports contingent for the 14th edition of the International Esports Federation’s (IESF) World Esports Championship to be held at Bali, Indonesia.

The National Championships will be held virtually with top athletes from across the country engaging in a high-voltage competition in the popular games: eFootball 2022, CS:GO and Tekken7.

The DOTA team, comprising of veteran athletes like Moin Ejaz (captain), Krish, Abhishek, Ketan & Darshan, which qualified for the 2022 Asian Games, will be part of Team India for the 14th World Esports Championships.

"We urge all esports athletes to participate in large numbers and become a part of the Indian esports contingent for the 14th edition of the World Esports Championships. The increasing interest for esports in our country currently is encouraging us to push the envelope and give the athletes and the audience something new and exciting each time," said Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation.

"This year’s World Championships will be the biggest in history with around 1,000 pro teams/athletes expected to participate. We also have multiple prestigious tournaments coming up like Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, etc. This truly is the esports fraternity’s time as the ‘rising-sun’ and ESFI is all geared up to make India an esports powerhouse globally. I am certain that our esports contingent will not only put up a strong fight but also strive for a podium finish," Suji added.

The Indian contingent, selected based on their performances in the NESC2022, will take part in the World Esports Championships Regional Qualifiers, for which dates will be announced soon by the IESF. The Regional Qualifiers will be organised along with the other continental federations.

The Global Finals of the World Esports Championships will take place in Bali, Indonesia from November 27 to December 9.

Country’s one of the top sports & esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will continue its support to the Esports Federation of India as their official communication partner.

Over 120 countries from all over the globe are expected to participate in the IESF’s flagship event where the prize pool has been increased from $55,000 in 2021 to $500,000 this year.

The registrations for the NESC2022 have started on Wednesday (June 1) with the last date being June 15. Link and other details for registration are available on the ESFI Discord server: https://discord.gg/esfi

The NESC’22 will be played in a double-elimination format. The exciting action from the Championships will be streamed live on ESFI’s official YouTube and Facebook page.

Mokens League Soccer Game Characters Dropping as NFTs

NFT-based eSports platform Mokens League Wednesday announced a limited mint of Genesis NFTs of its in-game characters will go on sale starting July 2022, which will give testers and holders the opportunity to give feedback to shape the game and help fix bugs before its official release in early 2023.

The NFT characters power competitive gameplay for a chance to win tokens within the Mokens League, which will feature a variety of sports games across metaverses, enabling players to connect in their favorite virtual space and use their assets while playing fun games.

When the whole game is released to the public, players will be able to play with a team of ‘free agents’ until they decide to invest in characters of their own. Genesis NFTs will grant holders unlimited access to matches and competitions.

“NFTs and tokens can be enticing for players to play our games, but as always, what will retain gamers is fantastic gameplay and eSports mechanics. The longest played games in the world right now are competitive eSports. That’s why our main priority is to make a game that is fun to play, easy to get going, but hard to master,” said Martin Repetto, Founder, and CEO of Mokens League.

“Like Chess or Poker, there will be different levels where people can compete without getting overrun by pros or hardcore players. These games should also be as fun to play as they are to watch because the streaming community is the number one driver of game adoption,” he added.

Developed by Martin Repetto and Max Radice, 20-year veterans in the gaming and technology space who were also the masterminds behind Voxelus, one of the early 3D social VR games to truly empower creators.

The prices for the Genesis NFTs will range from 0.1-1 ETH and will be available for purchase in late July 2022.

Rooter Signs Up Biggest eSports Deal With Godlike, as a Part of Their 100 Cr Investment in Indian eSports Industry

GodLike moves from Loco to Rooter, making it a deal stated to be the biggest in Indian esports market

From stepping into India’s game streaming arena two years ago to becoming the biggest game and esports streaming platform, Rooter has unfurled a massive wave in India’s eSports landscape, in a flash. The platform is now taking a major leap by signing the country biggest deal with the country’s most prominent and powerful eSports team GodLike. The partnership deal provides Rooter exclusive live streaming rights for GodLike’s BGMI, Free Fire, CODM, and new forms of live gaming content. This partnership is stated to be the biggest eSports deal in India’s history.

The partnership between the two entities will not be limited to game streaming, as Rooter will also serve as a sponsor for GodLike in all the upcoming tournaments and events. Fans can catch the currently active content creators from GodLike on Rooter. They currently include, ‘Jonathan’ Amaral, Abhijeet ‘Ghatak’ Andhare, Abhishek ‘ZGOD’ Choudhary, Vivek ‘ClutchGod’ Horo, Suraj ‘Neyoo’ Majumdar, and Ashpreet ‘Gill’ Singh. All these streamers will now exclusively be seen streaming live streams on Rooter, as a part of this collaboration.

 Dipesh Agarwal, Co-Founder & COO, Rooter shared his excitement around the partnership stating, “GodLike is one of the most popular teams in the Indian eSports ecosystem and we foresee building a long-term relationship with them. Having their roster of professional gamers as part of our massive community will give the fans tons of exclusive content and a chance to interact with their favourite streamers. This is the biggest deal ever signed in India’s esports ecosystem, and by joining forces with GodLike, we look forward to building an enormous and competitive community of streamers and influencers on our platform.”

Amar Sanjay Chandgude, Director, Godlike esports said, “We are thrilled to partner with the country’s most popular game streaming platform. The speed of innovation and the incredible gaming experience Rooter offers reaffirms its commitment to scale eSports in India. GODLIKE ESPORTS is known for exploring and nurturing gaming talent across India. They have created India's leading teams in BGMI, FREE FIRE AND CODM. The team is on a mission to build the most successful eSports ecosystem the world has ever witnessed.”

The eSports market size in India, although is at a nascent stage, has quickly scaled to INR 3 billion in FY2021. A recent report released by EY stated that the market is expected to reach INR 11 billion by FY2025. However, esports has a much more significant economic impact and the potential to generate an economic value of around INR 100 billion between now and FY2025. Rooter aims to capture this opportunity by teaming up with prominent eSports teams and emerging as a lubricant in making India a global gaming powerhouse.

About Rooter

Founded in 2016 by Piyush Kumar and Dipesh Agarwal, Rooter has quickly grown to become the largest game streaming platform in India. In January 2022, the company announced that it had raised $25 million in its series A funding round led by Lightbox, March Gaming, and Duane Park Ventures. In December 2021, the streaming platform roped in renowned Indian cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Riyan Parag who streams exclusively on the platform. The company also teamed up with Team Orange Rock, Orangutan and Revenge Esports. Recently, it has also bagged an exclusive media right deal for South Asia's biggest esports tournament organizer, Skyesports.

Asian Games 2022 E-Sports National Qualifiers: Charanjot Singh, Mayank Prajapati to Represent India in FIFA Branded Soccer Games and Street Fighter V

Karman Singh and Ayan Biswas, who stood second in the respective titles, will be included as substitutes in the Indian contingent at the prestigious multi-nation event

Charanjot Singh, one of India’s star FIFA pros, and Street Fighter V athlete Mayank Prajapati produced sensational performances to secure themselves berth for the 2022 Asian Games after winning the titles at the Esports Federation of India’s (ESFI) National Esports Championships 2022 (NESC ’22) on Saturday.

Charanjot outclassed Karman Singh with a score of 4-1 and 6-5 in a nail-biting FIFA22 grand finals. The Chandigarh resident Charanjot, who made headlines last year after winning the AIFF eFootball Challenge 2021, made his mark in the national qualifiers by entering the finals from the loser bracket before he defeated a strong opponent Karman, who made into the finals from the winner bracket.

The on-going NESC ’22 has been played virtually due to the pandemic as the winners will be selected to represent the country at the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled in Hangzhou, China from September 10-25. ESFI has been conducting national qualifiers in a double elimination format for five popular Esports titles—DOTA 2, Hearthstone, FIFA22, Street Fighter V, and League of Legends. Esports will be played as a medal sport for the first time ever at the Asian Games.

 

After winning the NESC ’22 and securing himself a berth for the Asiad, Charanjot Singh expressed his feelings by saying, “I'm really happy and proud of myself for winning the NESC Fifa Qualifiers. It’s a great feeling to represent India in FIFA. Its sheer dedication and hard work resulted in getting the spot in the Asian Games 2022 and it allowed me a chance to bring the laurels to the country. The right mentality and proper grind towards the game make everything possible and a sure-shot path to get success. I can't wait to represent India at the Asian games and do my best to get that medal home.”

Meanwhile in the grand finals of Street Fighter V, Mayank aka “MiKeYROG” defeated Ayan Biswas by 3-0. Out of 15 players who registered for SFV, both Mayank and Ayan showed immense skills in their gameplay. The dominant between the two, Mayank secured his berth for the Asian Games 2022 by showcasing extraordinary skills. He was undefeated throughout the tournament. Delhi athlete Mayank is a popular face in the Indian fighting game community and got into Street Fighter in 2009.

“It’s a dream come true moment for me. I'm super excited for Asian Games 2022. This is really huge and it will definitely put the Indian FGC's name on the global map. This is a lifetime opportunity and I'm going to put every ounce of energy into getting the gold medal for my country. Also, a big thanks to ESFI for handling the qualifiers with such ease and providing Indian FGC with such an amazing opportunity” said elated Mayank Prajapati.

Later in the tournament, the Top-6 in the esports title Hearthstone—Tirth Mehta, Vinayak Subramanian, Karthik Varma Vegesna, Shikhar, Adarsh Shivam and Garv Arora, will battle it out for the title and also a place in the Indian contingent for the Asian Games.

The quarter-finalists from the playoffs who will be fighting it out to compete in the DOTA 2 finals are Team Whoops, Serene Chaos, 1 Misal 3 Pav, Team Avengers, DMC, Digicont, Stylish Gamers and New Gods.

As there are only four teams (Temple of Kings, Support No Vision, Pineapple Cake and Coco Cats) registered for esports title League of Legends, all four are directly clashing in the semi-finals of the national qualifiers.

The winners of NESC ’22 will participate in the AESF’s Road to Asian Games – Regional Qualifiers (June-July, 2022), which are being held for seeding at the main event in China.

ESFI is live streaming the thrilling action of the NESC ’22 on its official YouTube channel. ESFI continued its partnership with Artsmith- Concepts & Visions which will extend its support as the communication partner.

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) is a full member of International Esports Federation (IESF), Global Esports Federation (GEF) and Asian Esports Federation (AESF). ESFI participated in Asian Games 2018, where Tirth Mehta got India’s first bronze in esports (demonstration title).

To promote, encourage, organise, educate, train and control Esports in India and to provide facilities for training in Esports, build and sustain the Esports eco-system in India, not limiting to providing, conceptualising, opening, managing, running, developing, facilitating, and promoting all areas of Esports and to provide all other possible and related form of Esports.

Exclusive NFTs of Tamil Thalaivas Launched by Sportzchain's Blockchain-based Fan-Engagement Platform

Blockchain-based fan-engagement platform, Sportzchain launches exclusive digital NFTs of Tamil Thalaivas

Collectors, digital art enthusiasts, and sports fans can purchase these NFTs on Sportzchain’s unique NFT-page hosted on NgageN

Sportzchain, a fast-growing thought-leader in the country’s blockchain-based fan-engagement ecosystem, has launched exclusive NFTs of Tamil Thalaivas, a leading Indian Pro-Kabaddi team. These exclusive NFTs are now available on Sportzchain’s unique NFT-page hosted on NgageN.

This development will take place in two phases. The first phase includes the digital collectibles of player cards and exclusive moments from Tamil Thalaivas’ last season in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). Those who possess the digital collectibles will be eligible to purchase one-of-a-kind phygital collectibles, which will be Tamil Thalaivas players’ signed memorabilia honoring a notable achievement during last season. The unveiling of these phygital collectibles is scheduled for April 8th, and from April 15th onwards they will be available for purchase.

This will be the first time a Kabaddi team will be offering fans rare and exclusive phygital collectibles in a combination of digital collectibles. Fans and collectors alike will receive several perks post availing these NFTs. In addition, they will also receive premium fan privileges from Tamil Thalaivas and Sportzchain. This includes match day tickets, lucky draws, and many other exciting rewards.

Speaking on this new development, Vinayak Yannam, Co-founder and CBO, Sportzchain said, “As one of India’s most-promising blockchain-based fan-engagement platforms, we are keen to develop the sports NFT market in India. We are extremely thrilled to be the first in the ecosystem to launch the phygital collectibles of a Kabaddi team. Previously, fans had no medium to buy such memorabilia, especially one that honors a team’s achievements. However, we at Sportzchain are changing that forever through the launch of exclusive phygital collectibles.”

Joby Joseph, CRO of Tamil Thalivas, said, "We are truly proud to be one of the first kabaddi teams to launch team NFTs. The exciting bit is, in partnering with Sportzchain, fans will be able to engage directly with the team and own a part of Tamil Thalaivas history. There are so many exciting concepts in store for them, and we are thrilled to be a part of this fan engagement revolution."

NFTs are developing as a revolutionary phenomenon and a prime attraction for collectors and digital art enthusiasts. Worldwide many sports teams, players, and celebrities from different fields are pouring in to become a part of this groundbreaking industry. Apart from Tamil Thalaivas, Sportzchain has collaborated with several other top-tier Pro Kabaddi teams, including Season 8 Pro Kabaddi League champions Dabang Delhi, Gujarat Giants, and Bengal Warriors. NFTs will be available for purchase on https://ngagen.com/sportzchain . Moreover, hardcore fans of Tamil Thalaivas and other Kabaddi teams can easily sign up on https://fans.sportzchain.com/ to receive special fan privileges and other benefits.

About Sportzchain

Sportzchain, India's blockchain-based fan engagement platform connects sports teams and fans through a single thread, which will not only result in radical fan engagement but also lay the foundation of creating a massive invested fan base. The platform aims to revamp fan engagement through a belief that sports fans deserve a basic right to be heard by their favourite sporting teams and also be able to guide and influence some key decisions of their favourite team.

About NgageN by Koinearth

NgageN is an exclusive NFT platform for Brands & Creators. Designed with an underlying philosophy of respecting copyright laws, NgageN assures fans, followers & connoisseurs that the NFTs they are collecting are credibly sourced and backed with trustable provenance. NgageN is an invitation-only platform for brands n creators alike to generate revenue from their digital assets, to drive new forms of fan engagement and to build immortal digital legacies. Created by one of the leading Blockchain companies in India, NgageN assures the security & storage of all digital assets and supports INR transactions only. Their partner Polygon, is globally the leading platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development.

India's SportZchain Becomes Official NFT Partner of Iceland Cricket Association, To Launch Exclusive Fan Tokens

Blockchain-based fan-engagement platform SportZchain partners with Iceland Cricket Association

Through this partnership, ICA aims to become a member nation of the ICC by leveraging the fast-evolving power of SportZchain’s fan tokens and blockchain technology

Ever evolving in the rapidly growing global fan token and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ecosystems, SportZchain, a pioneer in the Indian blockchain-based fan-engagement industry, has announced its partnership with Iceland Cricket Association (ICA). Through this, SportZchain will now be launching exclusive fan tokens as the association's official NFT partner. The official launch of fan tokens and the NFT collection for Iceland Cricket will take place in the second half of 2022.

It is pertinent to note that SportZchain has signed a three-year deal with ICA. Through this unique partnership, SportZchain will become lead sponsor for the ICA, and its logo will be present on the team’s jersey on the chest.

The association between SportZchain and ICA represents the pinnacle of the new fan-engagement era. At present, the Iceland Cricket team is one of the most outspoken and bold international cricket teams, plying their trade on one of the most rugged terrains. Moreover, the team includes players from all walks of life like refugees and social and health care workers. Needless to say, despite not being an official ICC member, the Iceland Cricket team's fanbase is huge worldwide. With the recent partnership with SportZchain, it will be able to engage with global fans in a much more seamless and exciting manner, allowing them to be a part of their journey and growth story of the sport in the country.

Apart from assisting ICA in creating a more impactful and meaningful relationship with the fans, SportZchain also strives to facilitate the development of its Cricket facilities and integration into the existing international cricketing ecosystem. This will help this emerging Cricket community to get a competitive edge against its peer nations in the future.

Speaking on this occasion, Vinayak Yannam, Co-Founder and CBO, SportZchain, said, "We are delighted to kick off our cricket partnership with a team that already has a global fan following. As a partner focused on fan engagement, SportZchain will play a dual role in supporting the team's aspiration to become an ICC associate member and connect with Iceland's global fanbase. We look forward to launching the Iceland Cricket Fan Token that will serve as a powerful tool to support the team in this amazing journey."

"Fans of Iceland cricket have been instrumental in helping us build the sport in Iceland, and now we are looking to deepen that engagement through SportZchain, our anchor sponsor. This is good for Cricket and all the aspiring nations that want to build the sport in their country", said Bala Kamallakharan, Chairman of Iceland Cricket Association.

"The partnership will help facilitate the necessary developments for us to submit an ICC Associate membership application within the sponsorship period", added David Cook, Secretary, Iceland Cricket Association.

SportZchain has recently received the go-ahead to launch the official NFTs of the Pro Kabaddi team Tamil Thalaivas. Apart from this, SportZchain has leading Pro Kabaddi teams like Season Champions Dabang Delhi KC, Bengal Warriors, and Gujarat Giants in their partner portfolio. It is planning to onboard more teams and players from different sports industries.

About SportZchain

SportZchain, India's blockchain-based fan engagement platform connects sports teams and fans through a single thread, which will not only result in radical fan engagement but also lay the foundation of creating a massive invested fan base. The platform aims to revamp fan engagement through a belief that sports fans deserve a basic right to be heard by their favourite sporting teams and also be able to guide and influence some key decisions of their favourite team.

Tsaaro Sees Heightened Interest From eSports Gaming Platforms for Data Privacy Solutions

Tsaaro, India’s premier data protection as a service provider, has seen a 4X times increase in interest and inquiries from esports gaming platforms for data privacy solutions this quarter. The development is indicative of the fact that the gaming industry is becoming more sensitive towards data privacy issues and wants to have effective protection for user data. Tsaaro has become a one-stop solution for gaming companies, ensuring that they comply with all applicable data privacy guidelines and laws while also having an effective endpoint security system in place.

Gaming has grown into a thriving industry in recent years, with nearly half a billion new players joining the mix in the last three years alone. According to an Accenture report, the global gaming industry will be worth more than $300 billion in direct and indirect revenue in 2021, which is more than the film and music industries combined.

Mr Akarsh Singh, CEO & CoFounder, Tsaaro

Tsaaro equips these platforms with power, control, and simplicity to prevent data privacy violations while providing the necessary tools to facilitate compliance. Penetration testing by Tsaaro helps these platform providers realize where they stand in the event of a real cyber attack on their systems and hence build a stronger system. Tsaaro advises a gaming company to obtain an ISO 27001 certification and use data masking and encryption to protect data from various vulnerabilities.

Commenting on the same, Mr Akarsh Singh, CEO and CoFounder, Tsaaro said: "According to recent reports, the gaming industry has been subjected to 12 billion cyber-attacks in the last 17 months, the vast majority of which occurred during the pandemic. The industry is undeniably thriving and growing in popularity among people of all ages. The most vulnerable are children and teenagers who have shared personal information with gaming companies and are now victims of data breaches. Tsaaro provides turnkey solutions and services to businesses to help them protect the personal information of their customers. It also offers game developers tools to help them better understand data and perform better in the gaming industry."

Big-Screen Video Gaming Experience in INOX Cinemas, To Host ESFI's eSports Tournaments

Representational Image

INOX joins hands with Esports Federation of India to popularize esports in India through big-screen video gaming experience in cinemas

As an exclusive Cinema Partner, INOX will host and promote ESFI tournaments across the country

Indian Esports ecosystem to benefit from this partnership ahead of Asian Games, Commonwealth Championships and IESF World Championships

India’s leading multiplex chain, INOX Leisure Ltd (INOX) and Esports Federation of India (ESFI) on Monday announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that will witness INOX providing a never-seen-before community viewing experience of Esports tournaments, that too on the big screens, for the fans, and provide required exposure to take the game to next level across the country. As exclusive Cinema Partner, INOX will host and promote ESFI tournaments across the country, which should help in building awareness and popularizing esports, besides offering world class cinemas as esports & video gaming venues in cities all over India.

INOX has been intrinsically supporting Indian sports through various collaborations, with the most notable being with their longstanding partnership with Indian Olympic Association. Now, with a goal to revolutionize Esports landscape in India, INOX & ESFI together aims to take esports to masses using INOX cinemas as venues for hosting esports tournaments, streaming of live tournaments, provide training opportunities and offer a talent scouting platform for future global events. More importantly, the partnership would introduce esports enthusiasts to the thrill of a live stadium amidst cheers and applause, while they compete in esports events professionally.

Commenting on this association, Alok Tandon, Chief Executive Officer, INOX Leisure Limited, said, “We are thrilled to bring the action of esports to the cinemas of INOX in collaboration with Esports Federation of India who has been working relentlessly to grow Indian esports and together, make esports, a mainstream sporting activity in India. Our cinemas are present at highly urbane and youth-centric locations servicing the entertainment needs of a predominantly young population in an unmatched ambience equipped with advanced cinema technology. We believe, this advantage, coupled with all our marketing capabilities, will help us popularize esports at a much faster pace in our country. With esports gaining global significance, there cannot be a better time for us to fulfil this responsibility. With this association, we will build more esports IPs and who knows with our initiatives we can unearth a Neeraj Chopra or Abhinav Bindra in esports for our country.”

Alongside Alok Tandon, Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India & Director Olympic Council of Asia – NOC & International Relations and Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) were present at the event along with India’s first & only Esports medalists at the previous Asian Games 2018, Hearthstone player Tirth Mehta, who joined virtually from Bhuj.

INOX and ESFI Partnership

For any sport, experience of watching esports tournaments on big screen is enthralling and engaging. This is an opportunity that will help our esports teams and athletes to build and expand their fan base and create scope for more conversations around esports. ESFI is excited about this partnership, as this will also be a concrete step towards taking esports to grassroots, inspire people and give them a platform to showcase their talent. 

The exclusive partnership comes at a very right time when Asian Games is scheduled in the month of September and ESFI will soon launch “AESF’s Road to Asian Games” to select the national esports contingent of our country. This partnership will see both ESFI & INOX together nurturing and developing the Indian esports talent pool where in ESFI will bring in more partners to further strengthen this objective and create a robust and thriving esports ecosystem, said Mr Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India & Director, Olympic Council of Asia – NOC & International Relations.

As per the E&Y Report titled Esports In India, published in June 2021, India currently has more than 1,50,000 professional esports players that has generated a viewership of 17 million people across 14 broadcast platforms, and the forecast is to have 1.5 million professional players with 85 million viewership from 20+ broadcasters by FY2025.

Tirth Mehta, India’s first & only esports medalist at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta said, “I believe every sport needs to have good training facilities, awareness, popularity, and support to make it prosper, and ESFI's partnership with INOX is a progressive step towards a brighter future. I am also confident that such partnerships will happen in the future too. I hope this partnership will inspire many esports athletes who have been working hard to represent India and win medals for the country.”

The association will enable INOX to engage and offer an enticing content proposition to the age bracket of 15-24 years by promoting this new age sport that has the potential to garner huge fan base and is expected to reach INR 11 billion by FY2025 as per industry data. With growing scope for alternate content, INOX has been one of the pioneers in movie business to propagate the screening of sporting content, major ones being the ICC World Cup events of 2019 and 2021. Through this partnership, INOX and ESFI will be jointly hosting city tournaments and build various esports IPs in order to intensify its growth, not just at elite, but also at the grass root level. The objective will be to introduce the charm of gamers and gaming enthusiasts, across the country, to take part in online as well as in-cinema tournaments.

About INOX Leisure Limited:

INOX Leisure Limited (INOX) is amongst India’s largest multiplex chains with 159 multiplexes and 670 screens in 71 cities. INOX has redefined movie experiences in India making it truly a 7-star experience. 

Each INOX property is unique with its own distinct architecture and aesthetics. Beyond the normal screens, INOX also has INOX INSIGNIA for the discerning audience or KIDDLES for young patrons or MX4D® EFX Theatre for an immersive experience or the panoramic viewing with ScreenX at select locations. INOX brings the very latest in projection and audio technology with INOX Laserplex, IMAX & INOX ONYX. Some of the key multiplex features include plush, micro-adjustable leather recliners with a butler-on-call facility, gourmet meal choices by celebrity chef, designer staff uniforms. INOX recently launched Megaplex, massive experience-driven entertainment destinations at Palassio Mall, Lucknow, and at Inorbit Mall, Malad, Mumbai, which is home to the most number of cinema formats in the world.

About Esports Federation of India (ESFI):

The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) is a full member of International Esports Federation (IESF), Global Esports Federation (GEF) and Asian Esports Federation (AESF). ESFI participated in Asian Games 2018, where Tirth Mehta got India’s first bronze in esports (demonstration title).

To promote, encourage, organise, educate, train and control Esports in India and to provide facilities for training in Esports, build and sustain the Esports eco-system in India, not limiting to providing, conceptualising, opening, managing, running, developing, facilitating, and promoting all areas of Esports and to provide all other possible and related form of Esports.

Why Are Businesses Fighting Over the Gaming Market?

Decoding the future of the Indian Gaming landscape and what to expect in the coming few years!

Did you hear about the biggest deal that ever happened in the gaming industry, a few days back? No? Take Two Interactive - The company that made games like NBA 2k and Grand Theft Auto (Yeah, your typical GTA) has acquired Zynga Inc. for $12.7 billion.

How much is that in rupees? Well, it’s a little over 9,400 crore rupees, ONLY!

Now that we are into 2022, we can just marvel at the rapid growth of digital gaming in India that peaked over the last 2 years during the pandemic. And while the gaming market might look quite flourishing, the numbers were quite low, prior to the lockdown. Can you believe that?

Now, it was during this time that many people around the nation not only leaned towards the concept of video gaming but also realized that they could make a decent livelihood from it.

If the majority of predictions from the last year are to be believed, India's esports economy will develop even rapidly in the succeeding years.

According to recent research done by Mobile Premier League (MPL) - an e-sports and professional gaming ecosystem company, India's Tier-3 towns and cities have seen a substantial increase in the number of online gamers in 2021, in comparison to 2020. And, the leading 30 of these cities and towns contributed up to 170% additional players. Some tiny cities have experienced a 100% to 200% increase in online gamers.

As a result of this enormous spike, a new wave (Not COVID!) of influencers has emerged, with large numbers of devoted fan-following. Five gamers were even among the top Indian content creators on YouTube's recently announced list of top Indian creators. And it's been a while that things have begun to catch fire.

To name a few, you might have already heard of m0rtal, MythPat, Live Insaan, and even Tanmay Bhat, for that matter!

Where does all this revenue come from?

Mobile Gaming is also the country's major and fastest-growing market. It has a large user base by default. All you'll need is a decent smartphone or tablet to get started. This sector has a lot of scope since the globe has a lot of smartphone users – 3.9 billion as of 2021 — who are eager to spend money on mobile games.

In 2021, Apple generated $85.1 billion from app store purchases, and gaming applications accounted for 70% of all app store income. And less than 10% of all app store customers were responsible for 70% of this money. So it's a limited group of folks that are willing to spend the large bucks.

Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners India, AngelList, Lumikai, and Kalaari Capital were among the major investors, according to Tracxn.

In terms of gaming businesses, MPL received unicorn standing after raising $150 million from a group of investors that included Pegasus Tech Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Times Internet. Alongside, WinZo (Fantasy Games Platform) received $60 million in a Series C funding session; and NODWIN Gaming and Loco received $22 million and $9 million, respectively.

Individuals began splurging on current games between 2020 and 2021, which was a significant advancement. The predominant belief as per the giants was that after seeing significant growth in terms of involvement and customer base in 2020, it would slow down, but it rather hastened.

The larger the market becomes, the more sharks would the market entice!

The following are some of the beneficial aspects that have aided the rise of esports in 2021:

• The debut of popular esports games such as BGMI boosted India's esports landscape many degrees further.
• Amateur players began to view esports events and gaming as a real professional option.
• Fresh and new esports teams gaining popularity because of events and competitions.
• Regional businesses have shown a lot of interest in esports by funding and endorsing.
• Esports competitions are streamed on prominent social media sites such as Twitch, Discord, Facebook, and YouTube.
• Managers of such esports contests are expressing curiosity towards local esports, also known as gully esports, in order to make it as prominent as gully cricket.
• Advertisements from celebrities. For instance, Bollywood actor - Rajkumar Rao promoted Garena Free Fire, and the former Indian Cricket skipper - M.S. Dhoni promoted PUBG - Mobile.

How is India making $1.5 billion revenue through gaming YoY?

User expenditures, such as in-app purchases and real-money games, account for more than 80% of the mobile gaming business, which is further fueled by the widespread adoption of advanced smartphones, low-cost internet, and especially UPI Payments.

Inexpensive Internet access and increased smartphone adoption have been the key drivers of development, which accelerated in 2020. Content creation, monetization, and economic affordability are all continually changing in the gaming industry, alongside it.

The Indian video game industry was anticipated to be worth $1.02 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow to $4.88 billion by 2026, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 20.83% between 2021 and 2026.

What is the future of businesses in the industry?

India is predicted to emerge as one of the world's major gaming industry locations, with one of the world's largest youth populations. The expanding younger population, increased purchasing power, the entrance of new gaming categories, and the fast-rising number of the smartphone-using population are all driving the country's rise.

So you could expect to see a big boom in the future. However, as the industry expands there will be risks too.

Mishaps on eSports event are always a possibility. Furthermore, there are several ways for these occurrences to go awry. Organizers of eSports events must consider all of the possible protection risks that come with facing huge audiences, and insurance plays an important component in that aspect.

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