Nazara Launches Bodycam in Fortnite Through an Official UEFN Adaptation

The tactical shooter's signature body-camera perspective, close-quarters combat, and high-pressure multiplayer arrive in Fortnite; developed by Virstate and published by Nazara Technologies under agreement with Reissad Studio.

Nazara Technologies and Virstate today announced that Bodycam UEFN, the official Bodycam game adaptation for Fortnite* developed under agreement with Reissad Studio is now available to players worldwide starting today.

Built by Virstate in Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), and published by Nazara Technologies, Bodycam UEFN, the game brings the franchise’s signature body-camera perspective, intense close-quarters combat, realistic atmosphere, and high-pressure multiplayer gameplay into Fortnite.

Players can jump in now by searching for Bodycam in Fortnite Discover or by entering island code: 9784-3946-5466.

Built as an official expansion of the Bodycam universe, Bodycam UEFN is designed to introduce a new generation of players to the franchise while giving existing fans a new way to experience its tension, realism, and tactical combat. The project is not a replacement for the original Bodycam PC experience, but a free-to-play gateway into its world, created specifically for Fortnite’s ecosystem.

Nitish Mittersain, MD & CEO, Nazara Technologies, said: “Bodycam UEFN is Nazara’s first build inside Fortnite, and it is just the beginning. Fortnite is now one of the largest discovery platforms in the world, and we intend to build there at scale. Reissad has raised the bar with an experience that is raw, immersive, and visually stunning. Bringing Bodycam to Fortnite proves that UEFN is ready for premium-quality FPS experiences. It becomes the template for the IPs, original experiences, and partnerships we bring to this ecosystem next.”

At launch, Bodycam UEFN features Russian Building, one of the most recognizable environments from the original game, recreated for Fortnite with a focus on authenticity, atmosphere, visual fidelity, and fast tactical encounters. The map is designed for high-pressure close-quarters combat where positioning, reflexes, sound awareness, and precision determine the outcome of every fight.

Bodycam UEFN launches with three multiplayer modes:

• Free For All - Every player fights alone in fast-paced matches where survival depends on awareness, accuracy, and reaction time.
• Team Deathmatch - Two teams compete to reach the score limit first in squad-based combat inspired by classic competitive shooters.
• Gun Game - Players progress through an evolving arsenal by securing eliminations, racing to reach the final weapon and claim victory.

The experience also includes long-term progression systems, allowing players to climb ranks, unlock weapons, earn rewards, and pursue competitive goals through regular play. Bodycam UEFN is planned as a live experience, with future updates expected to introduce additional maps inspired by the original Bodycam, new weapons and equipment, new rewards and unlockables, seasonal updates, community events, and additional gameplay modes.

With Bodycam UEFN, Nazara Technologies aims to raise expectations of what players can experience inside Fortnite and demonstrate how major gaming IPs can use UEFN as a serious platform for franchise expansion.

Luca Dassier, Studio Director at Reissad, said: “Bodycam has always been built with the ambition to stay ahead of technology rather than wait for the industry to move first. Partnering with Nazara Technologies and Virstate is what makes this expansion possible. They lead it, they own it, and they bring the publishing and development strength to build Bodycam a genuine home on Fortnite. For us, this partnership is about preparing for the future of Unreal Engine 6 by gaining hands on experience with Verse, the programming language expected to play a major role in its ecosystem. And at the same time, Bodycam on PC remains the complete and undivided focus of our studio. This partnership is precisely what allows both projects to move forward at full speed.”

Bodycam is a trademark of Reissad Studio. Bodycam UEFN is an independently created Fortnite island developed by Nazara Technologies and Virstate under agreement with Reissad Studio and is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Epic Games, Inc. Fortnite, Unreal Editor for Fortnite, Epic Games, and related marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The island code is 9784-3946-5466. Please find the launch trailer here and the press kit here.

*Fortnite: It is a leading cross platform game where developers can create their own islands.

About Virstate

Virstate is a technology company specializing in UEFN and Roblox game development. The studio helps brands and IP owners create interactive digital experiences designed to engage audiences across major user-generated content platforms.

About Nazara Technologies

Nazara Technologies is India’s only publicly listed gaming company. Its key businesses include Blue Tile, Curve Games, Kiddopia, Animal Jam, Fusebox Games (Love Island, Big Brother, Bigg Boss), World Cricket Championship and Sportskeeda, along with offline gaming businesses such as Funky Monkeys and Smaaash Entertainment. Nazara also operates Datawrkz, a digital ad tech business. With presence in India, North America, Europe, and other global markets, Nazara is building a global gaming platform with strong IP, publishing, and operating capabilities.

Website: https://www.nazara.com/

Nazara to Raise ₹733.5 Crore through Preferential Issue

Bluetile and BestPlay founders and senior leadership to collectively invest ₹733.5 crore in Nazara equity at ₹306 per share
Capital to strengthen Nazara’s balance sheet and support strategic acquisitions and growth across its gaming portfolio

Mumbai, 6 August 2026: Nazara Technologies Limited (“Nazara” or “the Company”) today announced a preferential issue of equity shares aggregating to approximately ₹733.5 crore, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The shares are proposed to be issued at ₹306 per share, determined with reference to the relevant date of 31 July 2026 in accordance with the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018.

The issue will be subscribed entirely by the founders and senior leadership team of Bluetile Games and BestPlay Systems. Their collective investment of approximately ₹733.5 crore represents a significant expression of confidence in Nazara’s strategy, leadership and long-term growth opportunity.

Raymond Stauffer to Invest Approximately ₹583 Crore

Raymond Albaladejo Stauffer, who assumes office as Chief Executive Officer of Nazara Technologies with effect from September 1 2026 subject to regulatory approvals, will subscribe to equity shares aggregating approximately ₹583.5 crore, making him a significant individual shareholder of the Company.

Rather than receiving additional stock-based incentives in connection with his appointment as CEO, Raymond is backing his conviction in Nazara’s future with a substantial personal investment, directly aligning his interests with those of the Company’s shareholders.

Details of the Proposed Investment

Investor	Proposed investment
Raymond Albaladejo Stauffer	₹583.48 crore
Marc Sylvester Schutze	₹86.67 crore
Maxime Loppin	₹30.71 crore
Alexandre Paul Jean Noirot-Cosson	₹21.75 crore
Alexander Osou	₹8.17 crore
Hugo Rémy Gaston Blavin	₹2.72 crore
Total	₹733.50 crore

Strengthening Nazara’s Growth Capital

The proceeds from the preferential issue will strengthen Nazara’s balance sheet and will primarily be deployed towards:

• Strategic acquisitions;
• Growth initiatives across existing gaming businesses;
• Investment in owned intellectual property;
• AI-enabled game development and operating capabilities; and
• Other opportunities aligned with Nazara’s global gaming strategy.

Capital deployment will remain subject to the Company’s established Investment Committee and Board oversight framework. The source draft states that the proceeds are intended primarily to support strategic acquisitions and accelerate growth across Nazara’s existing business verticals.

Nitish Mittersain, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Nazara Technologies, said, “The decision by Raymond and the Bluetile and BestPlay leadership team to invest approximately ₹734 crore of their own capital into Nazara is a powerful endorsement of the global platform we have built over the last few years. As founder, it is deeply heartening to see Nazara recognised and respected across the global gaming industry.”

Raymond Albaladejo Stauffer, Chief Executive Officer, Bluetile, said, “I’m reinvesting a substantial portion of the proceeds from Bluetile and BestPlay back into Nazara. I’m doing this with a lot of optimism. The next chapter for the Company is the most exciting yet. Nazara has the platform, balance sheet, and ambition to build a global gaming business. We also have a real opportunity to drive operating efficiencies. I’m excited to play a meaningful role in that. This reinvestment reflects my full conviction and confidence in the future of Nazara we are building together.”

About Nazara Technologies

Nazara Technologies is India’s only publicly listed gaming company with diversified interests across mobile gaming, PC & console publishing, esports, gamified learning and offline entertainment. With operations across India, North America and Europe, Nazara is building a global gaming platform powered by strong IP, publishing and operating capabilities. Website: https://www.nazara.com/

LVL Zero Spotlight: India’s Emerging Game Studios Are Building Some of Its Biggest Creative Ambitions

• Solo founders, three-person teams, and deeply personal stories are shaping a new generation of Indian game development

India's gaming industry is often discussed through the lens of scale - millions of players, growing revenues, and expanding esports ecosystems. But behind this growth, a quieter movement is taking shape. Across the country, a new generation of independent developers is building original games with tiny teams, deeply personal creative visions, and global ambitions.

Among the startups selected for the inaugural cohort of LVL Zero, India's first gaming incubator backed by MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies, and Chimera VC, are three studios that represent this emerging wave of creator-led game development: Prescription Studios, Rudrac Games, and KALP Studio.

Despite operating with lean teams and limited resources, each studio is building games that prioritize emotion, storytelling, and meaningful player experiences which is demonstrating how Indian game development is increasingly moving beyond scale and toward creative identity.

Building Worlds from Personal Passion

For Vignesh Sathyamoorthy, founder of Prescription Studios, game development began with a lifelong fascination for the medium.

Growing up on titles such as Mario, Contra, and later modern classics, games became both inspiration and refuge. That passion ultimately led him to create The Misadventures of Spaceman Biff, a narrative-driven 2D rage platformer that combines demanding gameplay with humour and storytelling. Built largely as a solo effort, the project required Vignesh to expand beyond programming and teach himself pixel art while balancing development alongside a full-time job.

"I've always dreamt of contributing to this medium in some way. Games have been with me through both the good times and the difficult ones, and creating my own felt like the natural path," he said.

His long-term vision extends beyond a single title, with ambitions to build a studio known for narrative-rich experiences across multiple genres.

One Developer, One Vision

For Venkatesh Muskam, founder of Rudrac Games, game development started unexpectedly during his biotechnology degree.

After discovering a game development course and building his first project, he realized he wanted to become what he describes as a "world creator" - someone capable of building entire universes from imagination.

That ambition evolved into Twin Flames, a cooperative puzzle adventure inspired by themes of duality, connection, and emotional storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the game reimagines ideas of companionship and partnership through interactive gameplay. Building the project alone required years of persistence, multiple rewrites, freelance work to fund development, and long stretches of uncertainty. The project eventually gained industry recognition by winning Best Indie Game Design at IGDC 2025, providing validation for years of effort.

"The vision is simple but meaningful. I want people to play together and feel more connected to each other by the end of the experience," Muskam explained.

Telling Stories Through Everyday Life

While many games focus on fantasy worlds, action, or high-stakes adventures, KALP Studio is taking a different approach.

Founded by Rishabh Raj, Mannat Jain, and Akshat Sinha, the studio is building Raahi, a narrative-driven experience set in 1990s Goa where players step into the role of an auto-rickshaw driver navigating everyday interactions and human stories. The project is rooted in a belief that games can help people slow down and connect more deeply with places, memories, and emotions.

"Most games are about power, speed, or saving the world. Raahi is about being present. We want players to remember the people they met and the emotions they felt rather than just objectives they completed," said the team.

Drawing inspiration from narrative experiences such as Firewatch, Gris, and What Remains of Edith Finch, KALP represents a growing category of Indian studios focused on emotionally resonant storytelling rather than traditional genre conventions.
A New Phase for Indian Game Development

The journeys of Prescription Studios, Rudrac Games, and KALP Studio highlight a broader shift taking place within India's gaming ecosystem.

Unlike previous generations that largely focused on outsourcing, service work, or mobile-first development, many emerging studios are now building original intellectual property with global audiences in mind. These teams are leveraging modern development tools, digital distribution platforms, and community-driven ecosystems to compete internationally despite operating with small teams.

For many founders, the opportunity today is not simply to make games in India, but to create products that can stand alongside globally recognized independent titles.

MetaShot Partners Yudiz to Launch World’s Ist Smart Pickleball Game, Opening Its Motion Gaming Platform to External Studios

• Following a 115% YoY revenue growth, MetaShot accelerates platform expansion with Yudiz Solutions partnership
• MetaShot opens its motion gaming platform to third-party studios for the first time as it expands beyond cricket

MetaShot, a Bengaluru-based sports-tech and gaming startup has partnered with Yudiz Solutions, an NSE-listed game development company, to launch the world’s first smart pickleball game - an exclusive title built for MetaShot’s motion gaming console.

Shark Tank India-featured company MetaShot, specializes in seamlessly blending real-world sports movements with immersive virtual gameplay. The partnership marks a major milestone for MetaShot as it opens its proprietary motion gaming platform and SDKs to an external game development studio for the first time. Following a 115% year-on-year revenue growth in FY26, the company is now evolving into a platform ecosystem designed for third-party developers, studios, and sports gaming experiences.

Set to launch in the US in Q3 FY26 and subsequently in India, the smart pickleball game is developed exclusively for the MetaShot platform by Yudiz Solutions. The integration was completed in record time, showcasing how seamlessly external studios can build motion-based gaming experiences on MetaShot’s technology stack. The launch also signals the beginning of MetaShot’s larger platform vision, with additional third-party partnerships, new sports titles, and a developer funding programme currently in the pipeline.

The announcement comes on the back of MetaShot’s cricket title crossing 5 million completed matches, validating strong consumer demand for immersive, movement-led gameplay experiences that blend physical sports actions with digital interactivity.

“Partnering with MetaShot to build the world’s first smart pickleball experience is an exciting opportunity for us as a gaming studio,” said Chirag Leuva, CEO, Yudiz Solutions. “What stood out immediately was the strength of the platform and how quickly we were able to bring a completely new motion-based sports experience to life on it. This collaboration represents a larger shift in gaming, where studios can now build experiences that combine real-world movement with connected gameplay at scale. Pickleball is the first step, and we’re excited about the possibilities this opens up for future sports and interactive experiences globally.”

“Our partnership and the opportunity to open the MetaShot platform to Yudiz Solutions is a significant moment for us as a company,” said Prince Thomas, CEO, MetaShot. “Over the last few years, we’ve built and validated the platform through cricket, and this partnership is the first real example of how third-party studios can create entirely new experiences on top of our motion gaming ecosystem. Pickleball felt like the perfect category to begin with given its global momentum and community-driven appeal. This is the start of MetaShot becoming a larger platform for sports gaming innovation.”

The launch taps into one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Industry reports project that Pickleball now has over 50 million players globally, and the global pickleball market is projected to grow from $2.2 billion in 2024 to $9.1 billion by 2034, at a 15.3% CAGR. In India alone, active players have surged nearly 300% in three years, with courts growing 10 - 12x across the country.

As MetaShot scales its platform ambitions globally, the company plans to work with more external studios and developers to bring new sports, gaming formats, and immersive experiences onto its motion gaming ecosystem.

NODWIN Gaming Reports INR 658 Cr Revenue in FY26, Delivers EBITDA Profitability and Accelerates IPO Readiness

NODWIN Gaming, a global leader in gaming, esports, and youth entertainment, announced its financial results for FY26, reporting consolidated revenues of INR 658 crore, representing a 25% organic year-on-year growth over FY25. The company also reported an EBITDA profit of INR 21 crore for FY26, compared to an EBITDA loss of INR 14 crore in FY25, marking a significant financial turnaround as it advances toward IPO readiness.

The improvement in profitability was driven by a combination of strategic portfolio restructuring, including the de-consolidation of loss-making subsidiary Freaks4U, alongside strong performance across NODWIN’s live events, content, and IP businesses.

NODWIN has continued to evolve its business model around two interconnected verticals: Live and Content. Its live business spans festivals, esports tournaments, fan conventions, and brand activations, while the content business includes broadcast, scripted, and digital programming. The company’s operating model is built around a flywheel where content drives fandom and community engagement, which in turn fuels monetisation opportunities across live experiences, partnerships, commerce, and new IP creation.

This integrated approach has helped NODWIN deepen engagement with youth audiences across emerging markets while building a diversified and scalable revenue engine.

The company remains focused on the Global South as its core execution market while continuing to generate revenue opportunities across international markets. Today, NODWIN operates through offices and partnerships spanning South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

FY26 saw strong momentum across NODWIN’s flagship live entertainment portfolio. NH7 Weekender returned with a sold-out edition in Pune following its relaunch as the “Festival of India,” reinforcing its position as one of the country’s leading music and youth culture IPs. Comic Con India also expanded significantly during the year, growing from eight to eleven cities, with new rollouts across Kochi, Guwahati, Gurugram, and Jaipur, in addition to newer expansions including Chennai and Pune.

Globally, NODWIN continued to deepen its esports and live entertainment footprint through initiatives including the Swahili Esports Champions 2026 in Uganda and the execution of Live Matters Hong Kong 2026. Further strengthening its position within the international esports ecosystem, NODWIN Gaming was also appointed as India’s official National Team Partner for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026, where the company will be responsible for mobilising and managing the Indian contingent representing the country at the tournament.

The company also expanded its portfolio of gaming and entertainment partnerships during the year. Key developments included the launch of MLMS in partnership with MOBA Legends, the delivery of OMEN activations at CES 2026, and execution of the PUBG Mobile Club Open Eastern Europe 2026.

NODWIN’s strategic investments also began yielding larger ecosystem outcomes in FY26. Its investment in StarLadder contributed to the successful execution of the Counter-Strike Major in Budapest.

As part of its IPO preparedness journey, NODWIN has continued strengthening its institutional and leadership capabilities. Over the past year, the company brought in senior leadership and strategic expertise through the appointments of Manish Agarwal, Arnd Benninghoff, and Sidharth Kedia to support long-term growth, capital strategy, governance, and public market readiness.

The company is also currently engaged in discussions with strategic and financial investors as part of its ongoing capital raise initiatives aimed at supporting future expansion.

Alongside growth, NODWIN has continued focusing on balance sheet discipline and capital efficiency by actively divesting or impairing assets that are not expected to contribute meaningfully to long-term value creation.

Operationally, FY26 also marked a year of internal efficiency improvements. The company implemented a disciplined headcount strategy while continuing to scale output across business verticals. NODWIN also expanded its internal AI initiatives during the year, deploying over ten AI-led workflow tools across finance, HR, legal, sales, and production functions to improve execution speed and operational productivity.

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming and an industry evangelist

Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming, said: “This has been an important milestone year for NODWIN. As we prepare for scaling up globally and our potential IPO, we have focused on building a stronger and more efficient business. We continue to scale our presence across youth culture and live entertainment across our Content and Live business lines that span gaming, esports, music and future tech. We continue to believe the opportunity ahead lies in building a global youth entertainment company rooted in the global south and emerging markets, strong community engagement, diversified monetisation, and scalable cultural IPs.

As we continue strengthening our institutional structure and capital strategy, we remain focused on long-term value creation and will focus on organic and inorganic growth through deep Founder and Company integration across all we do. We pride ourselves on the fact that we retain our founders' post earnouts and the new missions they start help us grow organically globally.”

NODWIN Gaming continues to position itself as a leading youth entertainment infrastructure platform operating at the intersection of gaming, esports, creators, live experiences, and digital culture. With a growing international footprint and expanding portfolio of owned and operated IPs, the company remains focused on increasing its share of youth engagement across high-growth markets globally.

LVL Zero Onboards Leading Global & Indian Mentors to Power India’s Next Wave of Game Developers

LVL Zero, India’s first-of-its-kind gaming incubator backed by MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies, and Chimera VC, today announced its mentor network for the inaugural cohort, bringing together Indian & global experts across game development, publishing, product, and growth to support India’s emerging game studios.

This mentor ecosystem will work closely with the 10 selected startups, embedding hands-on guidance into LVL Zero’s 100-day execution-driven program to help founders move from early-stage builds to market-ready products.
A Cross-Functional Mentor Network Built for Execution

The mentor cohort spans a wide range of disciplines critical to building and scaling successful game studios globally.

Key areas of expertise include:

• Game design & player experience
• PC, console, and mobile publishing
• Live-ops, retention, and analytics
• User acquisition, marketing, and growth
• Go-to-market strategy and positioning
• Game production, art, and audio
• Startup operations, pitching, and investment readiness

Mentors include Ankit Garg (Zombie Art School), Dr. Yaraslau Kot (University of Warsaw), Terry Lee (Fusebox), Claire Roazain (RZAIN), Dong Dong (NCSoft), Sophie Vo (Rise & Play), and Taha Tinwala (Gameramp), among others.

The network also brings in specialists such as Vivek Ramachandaran (Gameramp), Shashank Vandarangi (Gameramp), Mariusz Gasiewski (Google), Balaji Vijayan (formerly FRVR), Jia Ling Hoo (ID@Xbox), and Dilpesh Parmar (Investor & Advisor, multiple startups).

Further strengthening the ecosystem are experts including Charu Desodt (INT./Night), Nilesh Mange (Mother Grace Productions), Pratik Jaiswal (Sri Durga Arts), Per-Arne (Amplifier Game Invest), Federico Chichi (ROLI), Matthew Quek (Iterco), and Esteban Grellier (NAGA Publishing).

The mentor network is further supported by Gorkem (LUDUS Ventures), Kirill Akimkin (Polden Publishing), Sushant Kulkarni (24 Track Legends), Ravi Mantena and Deepak Gurijala (1312 Interactive), Anurag Choudhary (Felicity), Sadiq Ahamed (Lysto), Robert Huynh (Reforged Labs), and Imtiaz Hussain (formerly Yesgnome).

From Advice to Execution: Embedded Mentorship Model

Unlike traditional incubators, LVL Zero integrates mentors directly into the product development lifecycle. Each startup is paired with dedicated mentors aligned to their platform and stage, with access to a broader network for specialized inputs. Mentors actively participate in:

• Bi-weekly sprint reviews. 
• Product and design feedback loops. 
• QA & Playtesting data analysis & feedback. 
• Go-to-market and publishing strategy

This ensures that mentorship is not theoretical, but directly contributes to shipping better products within tight timelines.

Global Expertise, Local Execution

The mentor network includes operators and experts with experience across global gaming ecosystems, including platforms such as Xbox and leading international publishers.

By bringing this expertise to Indian founders, LVL Zero aims to bridge long-standing gaps in:

• Access to global publishing pathways
• Understanding of live-service and retention systems. 
• Go-to-market and distribution strategy
• Investor and capital readiness. 
• Aligned to a 100-Day Build–Test–Ship Framework

Mentors play a critical role across all phases of the program:

• Ignition (Days 1–15): Defining milestones, product vision, and execution roadmap
• Core Build (Days 16–70): Supporting rapid iteration, playtesting, and validation. 
• Market Readiness (Days 71–100): Preparing for launch, publishing, and investor engagement

By the end of the program, startups are expected to deliver playable builds, validated product loops, and investor/publisher-ready pitches, shaped through continuous mentor intervention.

Sagar Nair, Head of Incubation, LVL Zero said, “Access to capital is important, but what early-stage game studios in India have lacked most is access to real, hands-on expertise. With this mentor network, we are bringing in operators who have built, shipped, and scaled games globally, and embedding them directly into the founders’ journey. This isn’t advisory in isolation, it’s execution support at every step. Over the next 100 days, our focus is simply to help these teams build better products, faster, and prepare them to compete on a global stage.”

Building India’s Execution Layer for Gaming

With its mentor-led model, LVL Zero is positioning itself as more than just an incubator, acting as an execution layer for India’s gaming ecosystem.

As Indian studios increasingly aim to build globally competitive IP across PC, console, and mobile platforms, access to experienced operators across design, publishing, and growth is expected to be a key differentiator.

The mentor network reinforces LVL Zero’s core belief that the next generation of Indian game studios will not just be defined by ideas, but by their ability to execute, iterate, and s

Nazara FY26 EBITDA Soars 66% as Gaming Drives 90% of Profits, Margins Nearly Double

• FY26 Revenue at INR 1,829 Cr (+13% YoY); EBITDA rises 66% to INR 255 Cr
• Q4FY26 EBITDA margins nearly double to 19.5%
• Gaming contribution rises to 90% of EBITDA as Nazara sharpens gaming focus

Nazara Technologies Limited, India’s only listed gaming company, today announced its audited financial results for the quarter and financial year ended March 31, 2026.

FY26 was a pivotal year for Nazara, with revenues reaching INR 1,829 crores and EBITDA growing 66% to INR 255 crores. Momentum accelerated through the year, with Q4FY26 EBITDA margins reaching 19.5%, up nearly 970 basis points year-on-year. Nazara generated a pre-tax OCF of INR 213 crores up 81% YoY, driven by an 84% EBITDA to OCF conversion ratio. In Q4FY26, Nazara reported revenues of INR 398 crores, a decline of 24% year on year on account of de-consolidation of Nodwin from August 2025. Adjusted for Nodwin, revenue increased by 8%. The company recorded quarterly EBITDA of INR 78 crores, a year on year growth of 52% and an EBITDA margin of 19.5%. 

EBIDTA contribution from Gaming increased from 56% in FY25 to 90% in FY26 as the company refocused on its high margin, core gaming business. Nazara is converging toward a globally diversified gaming platform across mobile, PC & console, and offline gaming, with exposure spanning India, North America and Europe.

Nazara's IP portfolio is meaningfully larger. The acquisition of Bluetile and BestPlay Nazara's largest M&A to date - adds 17 casual mobile IPs and 22 million monthly active users to the Nazara platform. Once consolidated, the acquisition will add significant revenue and EBITDA scale to Nazara in FY27.

Nazara's existing IPs are also performing better. Kiddopia sustained subscriber growth for the second consecutive quarter with improved unit economics. Animal Jam expanded margins while extending onto Roblox. Fusebox successfully scaled its narrative engine across multiple reality-TV IPs, with further launches planned in FY27. PC & Console game Human Fall Flat published by Nazara crossed 58 million lifetime units globally.

The operating system behind all of this is Nazara's COE playbook. The Centres of Excellence Nazara built across User Acquisition, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Growth and Product are now platform capabilities embedded across the full game lifecycle. Every gaming IP Nazara owns and increasingly every IP it acquires plugs into the same system.

Commenting on the results, Nitish Mittersain, Joint MD & CEO of Nazara Technologies, said,

FY26 was a pivotal year for Nazara. We delivered our highest-ever EBITDA at INR 255 crores, with EBITDA growing 66% year-on-year and Q4 EBITDA margins reaching 19.5%. Nazara today operates at a materially different scale than it did 12 months ago. The scale, quality and earnings capacity of the platform have expanded significantly. Operating leverage is real, and it is compounding. The years ahead are about scaling this platform globally.

Additionally, Nazara announced the appointment of Mithun Sacheti, Founder of CaratLane, as a Non-Executive Director and Muraarie Rajan as an Independent Director on its Board. Mithun brings deep entrepreneurial and consumer brand-building experience, while Muraarie brings over 35 years of global M&A and strategic advisory expertise.

Nazara enters FY27 with a significantly larger platform, improving operating leverage and a growing portfolio of global gaming IPs, while remaining focused on disciplined execution, scalable profitability and AI-enabled gaming infrastructure.

About Nazara Technologies

Nazara Technologies is India’s only publicly listed gaming company with diversified interests across mobile gaming, PC & console publishing, esports, gamified learning and offline entertainment. With operations across India, North America and Europe, Nazara is building a global gaming platform powered by strong IP, publishing and operating capabilities. Website: https://www.nazara.com

India's AAA Gaming Evolution

In gaming, “AAA” refers to blockbuster video games developed and published with very high budgets, large teams, and extensive marketing campaigns—similar to Hollywood movies in scale and ambition. These titles are expected to deliver cutting‑edge graphics, polished gameplay, and mass appeal.

AAA games are the industry’s top tier, produced by major publishers or studios with hundreds of developers. Development costs often exceed $100–200 million, with marketing sometimes costing even more. Examples include – Final Fantasy VII, The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, Grand Theft Auto V.

India is now entering the AAA gaming space, with studios like Tara Gaming (co‑founded by Amitabh Bachchan and author Amish Tripathi) developing The Age of Bhaarat, touted as the country’s first true AAA title inspired by the Ramayana. This marks a shift away from India’s reliance on real‑money gaming toward blockbuster, globally competitive productions.

Several other Indian studios are also actively developing AAA (triple‑A) games, marking a major shift from casual and real‑money gaming toward globally competitive, high‑budget titles. The most prominent names include LightFury Games, SuperGaming, Mayhem Studios, Dot9 Games, and Aaryavarta Technologies.  

Current Developments

• Tara Gaming (Pune): Building The Age of Bhaarat, a dark fantasy action‑adventure RPG inspired by Indian epics.
• Team size: ~140 developers, including 40 in Pune.
• Narration: Trailer voiced by Amitabh Bachchan, who is also a co‑founder.
• Vision: To position India alongside China’s Black Myth: Wukong as a cultural export through gaming.
• Global Context: Black Myth: Wukong sold 20M units in its first month, showing demand for culturally rich AAA titles.

Market Shifts

• India’s Gaming Market Size: Valued at $4 billion in 2025.
• Dominance of RMGs: 85% of revenue came from fantasy sports, poker, and rummy.
• Regulatory Change: The Online Gaming Bill 2025 banned RMGs, forcing platforms like WinZO and PokerBaazi to shut down.
• Impact: Ban redirected focus toward AAA development as a sustainable growth path.

Why AAA Matters for India

• Global Revenue Potential: Rockstar’s GTA VI projected to earn $7.6B in 60 days, more than India’s film box office for two years combined.
• Talent Base: India contributes heavily to global AAA games—Rockstar Bengaluru (1,600 professionals), Ubisoft Pune, EA Hyderabad.
• Challenge: Domestic AAA studios need patient capital, premium‑paying audiences, and piracy protection.

Strategic Importance

• Soft Power Window: India’s first globally scaled AAA game could act as a cultural bridge, similar to Kung Fu Panda for China.
• Cultural Export: AAA games based on Indian epics can help global audiences engage with India’s civilization in an entertaining way.

Comparison: India vs. Global AAA

Aspect	India (Emerging)	Global Leaders
Flagship Titles	The Age of Bhaarat (in development)	GTA VI, Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong
Studios	Tara Gaming, Rockstar India (support), Ubisoft Pune, EA Hyderabad	Rockstar, CD Projekt Red, Ubisoft, EA
Market Size	$4B (2025)	$200B+ global gaming market
Challenges	Piracy, limited premium audience, funding gaps	High costs, crunch culture, franchise fatigue
Opportunity	Mythology‑driven AAA exports	Established franchises, cinematic universes

Key Takeaway

• India’s AAA gaming journey is just beginning, with The Age of Bhaarat positioned as a landmark project.
• Success depends on global storytelling appeal, patient investment, and overcoming piracy.
• If executed well, India could establish itself as a new cultural powerhouse in gaming.

India’s Gaming Evolution (2010–2026)

India’s Gaming Evolution Timeline

Year	Milestone	Impact
2010–2014	Rise of mobile casual games (*Teen Patti*, *Ludo King*)	Established India as a mobile‑first gaming market.
2015–2018	Real Money Gaming (RMG) boom (fantasy sports, poker, rummy)	Accounted for 80%+ of industry revenue; attracted VC funding.
2019–2021	Global studios expand in India (Rockstar Bengaluru, Ubisoft Pune, EA Hyderabad)	Indian talent contributes to AAA titles like *GTA V* and *Assassin’s Creed*.
2022–2024	Esports surge (*BGMI*, *Free Fire*)	India becomes one of the world’s largest esports audiences.
2025	Online Gaming Bill bans RMGs	Platforms like WinZO and PokerBaazi shut down; industry forced to pivot.
2025–2026	Launch of Tara Gaming’s The Age of Bhaarat	India’s first homegrown AAA project, inspired by Ramayana, co‑founded by Amitabh Bachchan.
2026	Record $4B market size despite RMG ban	Focus shifts to premium AAA titles, esports, and cultural exports.

• Pre‑2014: DPSU‑style modest gaming presence, dominated by casual mobile titles.
• 2015–2024: RMGs drove revenue but limited India’s global gaming footprint.
• 2025 onward: Regulatory ban on RMGs created a pivot point, pushing studios toward AAA development.
• 2026:The Age of Bhaarat positions India alongside China’s Black Myth: Wukong as a cultural export through gaming.

India’s First Gaming Incubator LVL Zero Receives 240+ Startup Applications

LVL Zero, India’s first-of-its-kind gaming incubator backed by MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies, and Chimera VC, today announced that it has received more than 240 applications for its inaugural cohort, offering a unique snapshot of India’s emerging early-stage gaming startup ecosystem.

The applications span a diverse range of game studios and gaming ecosystem startups, reflecting a new wave of micro-studio formation, growing platform ambition, and a shift toward globally competitive product thinking among Indian founders. The cohort, which opened applications on January 26, attracted teams building across mobile, PC, console, and gaming infrastructure products.

A significant trend emerging from the applicant pool is the formation of small, early-stage studios, with nearly 46.9% of applicants founded in 2025 and 66.8% established in 2024 or later, highlighting a recent surge of new teams entering the industry. The majority of applicants are micro-teams with a median team size of three to four members, signalling a new generation of founders leveraging modern development tools, engines, and AI to build products with smaller teams.

From a development stage perspective, nearly half of the applicants (46.9%) are currently at the prototype stage, while 19.5% are in alpha, 11.2% in beta, and 11.6% already have live products in the market. This reflects a strong early-stage pipeline where founders are experimenting with ideas and beginning to translate prototypes into scalable products.

PC and Console Ambition on the Rise

The application data also highlights a clear trend toward premium platform ambitions among Indian studios. Around 58.5% of applicants are building for PC, while 36.1% are targeting console platforms, indicating a growing push toward higher-production-value titles alongside mobile gaming.

However, the data also reveals a practical reality: mobile-first studios continue to demonstrate higher shipping velocity, with approximately 25% of mobile-only teams already having live products, compared to significantly lower live rates among PC and console-focused teams. This reflects the faster iteration cycles and monetisation pathways available on mobile platforms.

Live-Service and Data-Driven Design Becoming Core

Even among early-stage teams, the applications show that founders are increasingly designing games with retention, analytics, and live-operations frameworks in mind. Over 30% of applicants referenced live-ops systems, retention metrics, or user acquisition strategies, signalling a shift in how Indian founders approach product architecture from the earliest stages.

Rather than building a game first and optimising later, many startups are embedding monetisation, engagement loops, and player analytics into the product design process itself.

AI Integration Becoming Standard Practice

The applicant pool also demonstrates early and widespread adoption of AI technologies within game development pipelines. Approximately 22.8% of applicants referenced AI, machine learning, or generative systems within their products or infrastructure stacks.

Among gaming infrastructure startups specifically, roughly half referenced AI-driven solutions, focusing on areas such as player analytics, personalisation, growth automation, and retention modelling. This suggests that many early-stage Indian founders view AI as a competitive advantage in building scalable gaming products.

Cultural IP Emerging as a Global Opportunity

Another notable trend is the rise of games inspired by Indian mythology, folklore, and cultural narratives. About 36% of applications referenced Indian themes or cultural storytelling, with the majority of these projects targeting PC and console platforms rather than mobile.

This indicates a growing ambition among developers to create premium narrative-driven experiences rooted in Indian culture, aimed at global audiences rather than purely local markets.

Emerging Gaming Startup Hubs Across India

The applications also highlight the geographic spread of India’s gaming startup ecosystem. The top applicant cities include Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi NCR, together accounting for nearly half of the applicant pool.

Among live products, the highest concentration of teams comes from Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, reflecting the presence of established gaming talent pools and industry infrastructure in these regions.

Commenting on the application trends, Sagar Nair, Head of Incubation at LVL Zero, said: “What the applicant pool shows clearly is that India’s gaming ecosystem is entering a new formation phase. We are seeing a surge of small, ambitious studios building across multiple platforms, experimenting with new technologies, and thinking about global audiences from day one. The challenge now is not creativity or ambition, it is execution. The next generation of Indian studios will be defined by how effectively they convert strong prototypes into scalable products, and that is exactly the gap LVL Zero is designed to address.”

LVL Zero’s inaugural cohort will select 10 startups, each receiving an equity-free grant of USD 10,000, along with access to a 100-day execution-first sprint designed to accelerate product development, validation, and market readiness. Through structured milestones, mentorship, and ecosystem support, the program aims to help founders move from early-stage prototypes to playable, market-ready products while preparing them for publisher partnerships, global distribution, and investor engagement.

Over the next five years, LVL Zero aims to support more than 100 gaming and interactive startups, strengthening India’s position as one of the most promising emerging hubs for global game development.

About LVL Zero:

LVL Zero is a first-of-its-kind gaming incubator created by ChimeraVC in partnership with MIXI Global Investments and Nazara Technologies. Announced in 2025 and headquartered in Bangalore, LVL Zero supports early-stage gaming startups across games, platforms, and game tech through an equity-free grant pool of USD 100,000, hands-on mentorship, and access to publishing, distribution, and investor networks. Each cohort selects 10 startups, each receiving USD 10,000 to accelerate product development over a 100-day execution-first sprint. Focused exclusively on the gaming ecosystem, LVL Zero aims to empower over 100 startups in the next five years and build a pipeline of Indian gaming founders ready to launch globally competitive products.

About MIXI Global Investments, Inc.:

MIXI Global Investments (MGI) is the corporate venture capital arm of MIXI, Inc., based in Tokyo and known for its popular mobile game IPs and community-focused live operations. It brings global expertise and networks to help Indian startups engage with international markets and partners.

About Nazara Technologies:

Nazara Technologies is India’s only publicly listed gaming company. Its key businesses include Blue Tile, Curve Games, Kiddopia, Animal Jam, Fusebox Games (Love Island, Big Brother, Bigg Boss), World Cricket Championship and Sportskeeda, along with offline gaming businesses such as Funky Monkeys and Smaaash Entertainment. Nazara also operates Datawrkz, a digital ad tech business. With presence in India, North America, Europe and other global markets, Nazara is building a global gaming platform with strong IP, publishing, and operating capabilities. Website: https://www.nazara.com/

About Chimera VC:

ChimeraVC is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on India’s gaming and interactive entertainment ecosystem. As a first-check investor, Chimera backs founders building in gaming, tools, and infrastructure, while providing strategic support through its deep industry network and ecosystem-led initiatives.

Paripesa Partner Guide: Working with Paripesa in India

Paripesa uses the affiliate model to enable some players to partner up and earn commission. This option is available to individuals in several regions, including India.

This guide will cover the basics of the affiliate programme, which is available to players in India through https://paripesapartners.com/. We will cover the products and the payment methods that this programme is compatible with, together with some of the perks of becoming an affiliate in India.

How to Become a Paripesa Affiliate in India

You can become a Paripesa affiliate in India by registering for the programme. Visit the Paripesa Partners website. There, you’ll find contact details for affiliate managers in different regions and more information about the programme. 

 

Once you have created an account, there is a waiting period. During this period, a moderator will review your details and get back to you. The review usually takes a few hours, but in extreme cases, it can take up to three business days. To accelerate this, ensure you provide accurate information, including details on your gambling affiliate experience, if you have any. 

Advantages of the Affiliate Programme at Paripesa

So, what makes the Paripesa affiliate programme special? Here are some of the advantages of becoming a Paripesa partner in India.

For starters, Paripesa payments are processed promptly every Tuesday. This means you are guaranteed a commission based on how well you market the betting site and casino. Paripesa also has a dedicated team that will help you come up with strategies to ensure you are able to retain your traffic, improving your commissions from the programme.

The programme also provides real-time metrics on traffic and other important data, making it easier to analyse. The statistics are updated every 30 minutes, ensuring you have the latest information and can react to it accordingly.

You also don’t need to worry about marketing materials, since Paripesa has a marketing team dedicated to this. They provide ready-made promotional materials for landing pages, promotional banners, ads, and more. You can also talk to your affiliate manager to fine-tune the promotional materials to your target market. 

Paripesa Products

Paripesa’s agents are tasked with marketing several products that are available on the platform. Having a good understanding of these makes marketing even easier. The first product is the sportsbook. When marketing this, campaigns will be aimed at gaining the trust of bettors in India so that they can wager confidently on sports events on the platform. The sportsbook offers a wide variety of options, including local cricket leagues. Virtual sports are also part of the product package. The eSports library covers lots of exciting events.

The casino is another product that Paripesa offers. Paripesa affiliate agents have to pitch to casino gamers in India through their marketing campaigns, showcasing why Paripesa Casino stands out and what it offers. The casino’s key selling point is its fair play and the way it promotes responsible gambling amongst users.

Agents need to market the casino’s library, which features titles ranging from live games to slots, tables, and game shows.

Partnering Models

When you partner with Paripesa in India, you can earn a commission through several models. Having three models means you can choose the one that works for you. They are as follows:

The RevShare Model

In this model, you earn a percentage of Paripesa’s revenues from the players you refer to the platform. These people have to wager at the bookmaker for you to earn commission. The commission is usually given at a rate of up to 50%. The rates usually start from 25%, but will grow depending on your performance. 

CPA Model

This model offers you a fixed commission for every player you refer to the platform. The commission is given only once per qualifying player, meaning the more players you refer, the more commission you get. You can earn commissions of up to 300 USD per user through the CPA model. 

Hybrid Model

The hybrid model combines both the CPA and the RevShare models. This allows agents to maximise the perks of the programme by earning from both the CPA and RevShare payment methods.  

 

FAQs

How Often Are the Statistics Updated?

Your clicks and referrals are available in real time, while all the other statistics are updated every half an hour.

Can I Work from India?

Yes, the affiliate programme is available to players in various regions, including India.

How Often Are Payments Processed?

The Paripesa affiliate programme pays on Tuesdays.

India’s Listed Gaming Giant Nazara Brings Bigg Boss to Mobile with Fusebox Games & Banijay Rights

Nazara Technologies, India’s only publicly listed gaming company, today announces the launch of Banijay Rights’ mobile title ‘Bigg Boss: The Game’ based on the iconic Endemol Shine India produced reality show.

Bigg Boss: The Game has been developed in collaboration with Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment. The game has been created and developed by Fusebox Games, Nazara’s UK-based narrative studio known for adapting globally successful reality formats such as Big Brother and Love Island, into high-engagement mobile games. With this launch, Nazara is bringing one of India’s most powerful entertainment properties to mobile in an immersive, choice-driven format that puts the player inside the Bigg Boss house.

Commenting on the launch, Nitish Mittersain, Jt MD & CEO of Nazara Technologies, said: “Bigg Boss is one of India’s strongest entertainment brands, and mobile is the most natural extension of that fandom. With Fusebox now part of Nazara, we have the capability to take proven reality formats, localise them for Indian audiences, and keep them alive through regular content updates. This is as much a business story as it is a creative one - we are showing how IP, an owned studio and a strong publishing layer can come together to create seamless, recurring gaming experiences.”

Mark Woollard, SVP Gaming, Banijay Rights, said: “The launch of Bigg Boss: The Game marks an exciting expansion of the brand in India, giving fans and players the opportunity to step inside the Bigg Boss house to experience all the excitement and challenges of the series themselves.”

Bigg Boss: The Game mirrors the core television format – players enter the house as contestants, build alliances, make task choices, compete, manage in-game popularity, and try to avoid eviction. The experience is designed to capture the drama, social strategy and personality clashes that define Bigg Boss, but in a mobile-first, interactive storytelling environment. As the Bigg Boss format is episodic and refreshes every season, the game can also be refreshed regularly, making it a long-running product rather than a one-off launch.

The title launches first in English and Hindi, with planned rollouts in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bangla, Kannada and Marathi to reach India’s regional entertainment audiences. It is available on both Android and iOS, and has been structured for ongoing, season-style content drops so that storylines inside the game can align with what is happening on the TV property.

The launch underlines Nazara’s IP focused strategy: pairing strong, ready-made entertainment franchises with in-house and acquired development capabilities to reduce discovery costs and accelerate go-to-market. By leveraging an IP like Bigg Boss, which already has tens of millions of viewers and deep fan engagement, Nazara starts from a built-in audience and can open multiple monetisation levers, from in-app purchases and premium narrative branches to limited-time tasks and live events tied to the show’s timeline.

One of the world’s most iconic and successful reality television franchises, Big Brother first hit screens 25 years ago in the Netherlands in 1999. Since its debut, over 600 series of the show have aired around the world in 70 markets. Globally, the format has maintained huge popularity and is one of Banijay Entertainment’s top three formats, airing in 29 territories last year. The format continues to make a splash globally, with prime-time success in the UK, Spain and Brazil, long-running versions airing consistently in the US and Italy since 2000, six regional versions each year in India, and a new adaptation in Malta.

Nazara Technologies is India’s only publicly listed gaming company. Its key businesses include Curve Games, Kiddopia, Animal Jam, Fusebox Games (Love Island, Big Brother), World Cricket Championship and Sportskeeda, along with offline gaming businesses such as Funky Monkeys and Smaash Entertainment. Nazara also operates Datawrkz, a digital ad tech business. With presence in India, North America, and other global markets, Nazara is building a global gaming platform with strong IP, publishing, and operating capabilities. Website: https://www.nazara.com/

About Fusebox Games:
Fusebox Games, a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies, is a leading developer of interactive fiction games, known for creating compelling narrative experiences that captivate players worldwide. With a portfolio that includes the hit title Love Island: The Game, Fusebox continues to innovate in the mobile gaming industry, delivering stories that entertain and engage.

About Banijay Rights

Leading global distributor, Banijay Rights, represents a world-class, multi-genre portfolio of over 220,000 hours of standout programming. Handling the distribution for content powerhouse, Banijay Entertainment, the division specialises in the exploitation of premium scripted and non-scripted brands to broadcasters worldwide. Representing quality, excellence and experience in the business of linear and non-linear television and ancillary activity across all platforms, Banijay Rights’ catalogue encompasses a host of top titles from Banijay’s 130+ in-house labels, and a number of third-party producers, spanning drama, comedy, entertainment, factual, reality, family, formats and theatrical. Delivering high-quality IP, which was born locally and travels globally, the distributor offers the best stories told the best way. Its landmark brands include Survivor, Big Brother, MasterChef, Peaky Blinders, Rogue Heroes, Marie Antoinette, Grantchester, Deal or No Deal, Home and Away, Mr Bean and Black Mirror. Built on independence, creative freedom, entrepreneurialism and commercial acumen, Banijay Rights operates under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Cathy Payne.

India’s Gaming and Interactive Media Market Set to Triple by FY2030 to almost $8 Billion - Report

BITKRAFT Ventures, a leading global investment platform for gaming and interactive entertainment, today announced the release of a report powered by Redseer Strategy Consultants, forecasting high growth in India's gaming and interactive media sector, despite the ban on real money gaming. The study reveals that the segment, already a key engine in India’s digital media & entertainment space, is projected to triple in size, reaching $7.7 Billion by FY2030.

The report, "The Gaming and Interactive Media Opportunity in India," highlights that these segments are growing approximately 1.5 times faster than the overall digital media and entertainment market, fueled by India’s massive, young user base, nano-transactions, high smartphone engagement, and shifting consumer behavior toward interactive and personalized content.

Key Market Projections: A Structural Shift Towards Casual and Interactive Content

The analysis underscores a pivotal moment for the Indian digital ecosystem, driven by regulatory changes that have cleared the path for mainstream casual gaming and esports:

Gaming Market Resilience: Despite regulatory intervention concerning online money gaming (RMG), the digital gaming sector is set to thrive. This market alone is projected to nearly double, reaching approximately $4.5 Billion by FY2030 and esports is expected to triple at $120 million by 2030.

• Hybrid Casual, the new format with similar Mid-core game-like progression and deeper meta systems is emerging as a key segment. 
• The Battle Royale genre continues to enable most monetisation.
• While the market is nearly equally split between ads and IAPs (In-App Purchases), the balance is expected to heavily tip towards IAPs in the next 5 years with ~6X growth.

Interactive Media Surge: Disruptor segments within interactive media are poised for exponential growth, expanding from an estimated $440 Million in FY2025 to $3.2 Billion by FY2030. Fastest-growing sectors include:Astro & Devotional Tech: Projected to grow 8x to $1.3 Billion by FY2030, digitizing a massive offline market through 1:1 consultations.

• Micro Drama: A nascent but high-potential segment mirroring successful models in China, expected to reach $1.1 Billion by FY2030 by capitalizing on short, serialized mobile-first video content.
• Audio Streaming: Expected to quadruple to $300 Million by FY2030, driven by high user engagement and localized content strategies.

The India Opportunity: Vernacularization and Social Connection

The report emphasizes that growth is increasingly driven by the ‘Bharat’ audience (Tier 2+ segments), who seek vernacular content, social identity through gaming communities, and new avenues for social connection. AI is also emerging as a key enabler, significantly lowering content creation costs and accelerating local game development.

Jens Hilgers, Founding General Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures: "India represents perhaps the most compelling greenfield opportunity globally. The confluence of a digitally native youth demographic, established mobile infrastructure, and massive scale is creating what we believe to be a hyper-growth environment. In our view, this is an inflection point, positioning India as a true global powerhouse for interactive entertainment."

Anuj Tandon, Partner, India & UAE at BITKRAFT Ventures: "It’s exciting to see India’s gaming sector entering a phase of durable growth, with local developers creating innovative and monetizable experiences that are beginning to resonate globally. We’re witnessing strong momentum across casual and hybrid-core titles, fueled by rising player engagement, new IP creation, and increasingly accessible payment ecosystems. Together, these factors are helping define the next chapter of India’s gaming and interactive media industry.”

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE.

About BITKRAFT Ventures

BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform at the intersection of games, immersive technology, digital assets, and AI. With over $1B in assets under management and more than 130 portfolio companies, BITKRAFT is built by founders for founders. The firm leverages deep domain expertise, a decentralized global presence, and institutional-grade infrastructure to back visionary teams building in interactive media and adjacent verticals. BITKRAFT’s core belief is that gaming is not just the largest entertainment sector—it is a catalyst for consumer and technology innovation and a blueprint for the future of digital experiences.

About Redseer Strategy Consultants

Redseer Strategy Consultants was founded in 2009 with a vision to provide data-backed recommendations and strategic guidance to businesses, investors, and policymakers operating in dynamic and data-deficient markets. Since then, they have become one of the leading advisory firms in India, MENA, SEA helping businesses, specifically in consumer-facing industries, navigate and accelerate their growth journeys. With a deep-rooted understanding of consumer behavior and market shifts. Redseer delivers growth-focused solutions across diverse industries, including digital media, retail, food, 828 and 8FSI. Their expertise is powered by 15+ years of IP in emerging markets, enabling them to generate BITKRAFT Ventures, a leading global investment platform for gaming and interactive entertainment, today announced the release of a report powered by Redseer Strategy Consultants, forecasting high growth in India's gaming and interactive media sector, despite the ban on real money gaming. The study reveals that the segment, already a key engine in India’s digital media & entertainment space, is projected to triple in size, reaching $7.7 Billion by FY2030

The report, "The Gaming and Interactive Media Opportunity in India," highlights that these segments are growing approximately 1.5 times faster than the overall digital media and entertainment market, fueled by India’s massive, young user base, nano-transactions, high smartphone engagement, and shifting consumer behavior toward interactive and personalized content.

Key Market Projections: A Structural Shift Towards Casual and Interactive Content

The analysis underscores a pivotal moment for the Indian digital ecosystem, driven by regulatory changes that have cleared the path for mainstream casual gaming and esports:

Gaming Market Resilience: Despite regulatory intervention concerning online money gaming (RMG), the digital gaming sector is set to thrive. This market alone is projected to nearly double, reaching approximately $4.5 Billion by FY2030 and esports is expected to triple at $120 million by 2030.

• Hybrid Casual, the new format with similar Mid-core game-like progression and deeper meta systems is emerging as a key segment
• The Battle Royale genre continues to enable most monetisation.
• While the market is nearly equally split between ads and IAPs (In-App Purchases), the balance is expected to heavily tip towards IAPs in the next 5 years with ~6X growth.

Interactive Media Surge: Disruptor segments within interactive media are poised for exponential growth, expanding from an estimated $440 Million in FY2025 to $3.2 Billion by FY2030. Fastest-growing sectors include:

• Astro & Devotional Tech: Projected to grow 8x to $1.3 Billion by FY2030, digitizing a massive offline market through 1:1 consultations.
• Micro Drama: A nascent but high-potential segment mirroring successful models in China, expected to reach $1.1 Billion by FY2030 by capitalizing on short, serialized mobile-first video content.
• Audio Streaming: Expected to quadruple to $300 Million by FY2030, driven by high user engagement and localized content strategies.

The India Opportunity: Vernacularization and Social Connection

The report emphasizes that growth is increasingly driven by the ‘Bharat’ audience (Tier 2+ segments), who seek vernacular content, social identity through gaming communities, and new avenues for social connection. AI is also emerging as a key enabler, significantly lowering content creation costs and accelerating local game development.

Jens Hilgers, Founding General Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures: "India represents perhaps the most compelling greenfield opportunity globally. The confluence of a digitally native youth demographic, established mobile infrastructure, and massive scale is creating what we believe to be a hyper-growth environment. In our view, this is an inflection point, positioning India as a true global powerhouse for interactive entertainment."

Anuj Tandon, Partner, India & UAE at BITKRAFT Ventures: "It’s exciting to see India’s gaming sector entering a phase of durable growth, with local developers creating innovative and monetizable experiences that are beginning to resonate globally. We’re witnessing strong momentum across casual and hybrid-core titles, fueled by rising player engagement, new IP creation, and increasingly accessible payment ecosystems. Together, these factors are helping define the next chapter of India’s gaming and interactive media industry.”

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE.

About BITKRAFT Ventures

BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform at the intersection of games, immersive technology, digital assets, and AI. With over $1B in assets under management and more than 130 portfolio companies, BITKRAFT is built by founders for founders. The firm leverages deep domain expertise, a decentralized global presence, and institutional-grade infrastructure to back visionary teams building in interactive media and adjacent verticals. BITKRAFT’s core belief is that gaming is not just the largest entertainment sector—it is a catalyst for consumer and technology innovation and a blueprint for the future of digital experiences. For a full list of public investments made to date, view BITKRAFT’s portfolio here.

About Redseer Strategy Consultants

Redseer Strategy Consultants was founded in 2009 with a vision to provide data-backed recommendations and strategic guidance to businesses, investors, and policymakers operating in dynamic and data-deficient markets. Since then, they have become one of the leading advisory firms in India, MENA, SEA helping businesses, specifically in consumer-facing industries, navigate and accelerate their growth journeys. With a deep-rooted understanding of consumer behavior and market shifts. Redseer delivers growth-focused solutions across diverse industries, including digital media, retail, food, 828 and 8FSI. Their expertise is powered by 15+ years of IP in emerging markets, enabling them to generate unparalleled insights for their clients. Redseer is known for its proprietary methodologies, deep consumer understanding, high-quality research, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Having a strong presence in India, Middle East. Southeast Asia, USA and UK, with headquarters in Bengaluru. Know more: www.redseer.com insights for their clients. Redseer is known for its proprietary methodologies, deep consumer understanding, high-quality research, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Having a strong presence in India, Middle East. Southeast Asia, USA and UK, with headquarters in Bengaluru. Know more: www.redseer.com

All projections and market forecasts are provided by Redseer Strategy Consultants and are subject to change. They do not constitute guarantees of future performance and should not be construed as indicative of BITKRAFT’s investment results. This material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Projections and statements of opinion reflect those of the referenced third-party research provider and/or BITKRAFT Ventures at the time of publication and are subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Govt of Tamil Nadu announces Chennai Esports Global Championship (CEGC) featuring CS2 and BGMI

Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s flagship esports initiative, the Chennai Esports Global Championship (CEGC), has announced two major tournaments featuring Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) in collaboration with Skyesports. Both will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium this November, marking one of the most ambitious esports celebrations ever hosted in India.

The CEGC – Counter-Strike 2 will be held from November 7 to G, bringing together top teams from India, Southeast Asia, and Europe to compete for a USD 50,000 prize pool. This prestigious tournament will be part of the Valve Regional Standings, making it one of the key events to watch and positioning Chennai as a rising destination for global esports. Registrations are open across all three regions, with the top two teams from each qualifier advancing to the Chennai Playoffs.

The CEGC – BGMI tournament will follow from November 14 to 16, featuring India’s leading mobile esports teams competing for national glory and share of the INR 50,00,000 prize pool. Details about the tournament format, prize pool, and invited teams will be revealed soon.

The Opening Ceremony on November 7 will bring together global stakeholders, government representatives, and esports leaders to inaugurate the championship. This moment will mark the beginning of a new chapter in India’s esports journey, establishing Chennai as a hub that connects local talent with global opportunity.

CEGC isn’t a one-time tournament; it’s the foundation for India’s long-term global esports expansion. It blends community, culture, and competition to build sustainability rather than short-lived spectacle. An official initiative by the Government of Tamil Nadu, envisioned by the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, it represents a historic milestone as the first Indian state government-backed international esports championship.

Dr Atulya Misra IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department, said “Tamil Nadu is proud to pioneer the convergence of technology and sport. Having successfully incorporated esports into the Chief Minister’s Trophy, we are now ready to showcase our state’s prowess on the world stage. This landmark initiative is aligned with the vision of the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Thiru. Udhayanidhi Stalin, to promote emerging and futuristic sports disciplines and empower the state’s massive youth demographic.”

J. Meghanatha Reddy IAS, Member Secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), added, “Tamil Nadu is proud to champion this new era of esports in India. The Chennai Esports Global Championship reffects our vision to make the state a global esports destination while creating opportunities for young players, creators, and professionals. Beyond competition, it will strengthen industries like broadcasting, production, and content creation, generating jobs and fostering growth for our creative economy.”

Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, said, “The Chennai Esports Global Championship is more than an event. It is India’s declaration that we are ready to build, host, and sustain a global esports ecosystem rooted in local talent and creativity. With the support of SDAT, we aim to make Chennai a bridge between Indian esports and the global scene, much like how Saudi Arabia’s Esports World Cup became a worldwide hub for the industry.”

By combining competition, culture, and tourism, the CEGC will deliver a festival-like experience that celebrates both gaming and Tamil Nadu’s heritage, while positioning India within the global esports landscape.

According to IMARC Group, the global esports market was valued at USD 2.08 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 10.06 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 17.05 percent. The Asia-Pacific region currently leads the industry, accounting for over 30 percent of global market share. Within this, India continues to rise as one of the fastest-growing gaming markets, with over 453 million gamers in 2023, expected to surpass 730 million by 2028.

Esports Athlete Health Programs: Physical Conditioning for Professional Gamers

You wouldn't think sitting at a computer for 12 hours a day would require athletic 44 conditioning — but you'd be wrong. The esports industry has learned this lesson the hard way. Players who seemed invincible at 18 were burning out by 22, their careers cut short by injuries that traditional sports medicine barely understood. And betting platforms like 1xbet? They've started paying attention to these health metrics because they directly impact player performance and market predictions.

I've watched this transformation happen in real-time. What started as a few stretching exercises between matches has evolved into comprehensive health programs that rival those of traditional sports teams. The numbers don't lie — teams with structured health programs consistently outperform those without them.

The physical toll of professional gaming is more severe than most people realize. We're talking about repetitive strain injuries that can end careers, postural problems that cause chronic pain, and eye strain that affects reaction times. But here's what's interesting: the teams that addressed these issues first gained a competitive advantage that's still paying dividends today.

Systematic Health Monitoring and Injury Prevention

Modern esports organizations don't wait for problems to develop — they prevent them. Esports health monitoring systems show how teams track everything from wrist flexibility to cardiovascular health.

The most effective programs I've seen address multiple areas simultaneously:

• Biomechanical assessments that identify potential injury risks before they become problems
• Targeted strength training programs that counteract the effects of prolonged sitting
• Eye care protocols that go beyond basic vision correction to include reaction time optimization
• Nutritional planning that supports sustained cognitive performance during tournaments
• Sleep pattern analysis and optimization for irregular competition schedules

Take Team Liquid's approach. When they implemented their health program in 2019, they weren't just trying to prevent injuries — they were looking for a competitive edge. The results? A 40% reduction in player injuries and an 8% improvement in average reaction times. That might not sound like much, but in esports, milliseconds matter.

But here's where it gets interesting. The teams that initially resisted these programs — thinking they were unnecessary overhead — found themselves at a disadvantage. Players started requesting trades to teams with better health support. The market spoke, and organizations listened.

Physical Training Adapted for Gaming Performance

Traditional athletic training doesn't work for esports athletes. You can't just throw them into a standard gym routine and expect results. Gaming-specific fitness programs reveal how specialized exercises improve gaming performance while preventing common injuries.

The training programs that work best focus on counteracting the negative effects of gaming posture. I've seen players transform their performance through targeted exercises that strengthen core muscles, improve hand-eye coordination, and increase cardiovascular endurance. It's not about building bulk — it's about building the specific type of fitness that gaming demands.

Gen.G's facility includes a full gymnasium, but it's not what you'd expect. Their players spend two hours daily on conditioning that's specifically designed for gaming. Yoga sessions improve flexibility and reduce tension. Strength training focuses on postural support. Cardio work increases blood flow to the brain, supporting the sustained concentration needed during long matches.

The results speak for themselves. Gen.G's League of Legends team showed a 15% improvement in late-game performance metrics after implementing their program. That's not coincidence — that's the direct result of players maintaining physical conditioning that supports their mental performance.

Mental Health Integration and Cognitive Performance

Here's something most people don't realize: physical fitness directly impacts mental performance in gaming. The teams that understand this connection have a significant advantage over those that don't.

Mental health support in esports addresses unique challenges. Players face intense scrutiny from fans, pressure to perform consistently, and the psychological toll of public competition. Physical exercise programs help manage stress and anxiety while improving mood and cognitive function. It's a virtuous cycle — better physical health leads to better mental health, which leads to better performance.

Cloud9's integrated approach combines physical fitness with mental health support in ways that make sense for their players. Group fitness activities build team cohesion while maintaining individual health goals. The program includes meditation sessions, stress management workshops, and one-on-one counseling when needed. They've found that players who maintain higher fitness levels demonstrate better decision-making under pressure and greater consistency across tournament play.

The data shows clear connections between physical fitness and competitive performance. Players who maintain higher fitness levels show improved reaction times, better decision-making under pressure, and greater consistency across tournament play. These metrics have become increasingly important for performance analysis and strategic planning.

Recovery protocols have evolved to match the demanding schedules of professional esports. Teams now implement structured rest periods, active recovery sessions, and sleep optimization programs. The goal isn't just maintaining peak performance — it's preventing burnout and physical deterioration that can end careers prematurely.

Some organizations have invested heavily in specialized recovery equipment. Massage therapy, cryotherapy chambers, and compression therapy systems help players recover from the physical stress of intense gaming sessions while maintaining their competitive edge. It sounds excessive until you see the results.