8Bit Creatives, India’s premier esports & gaming talent management agency, has secured a major mandate in the largest naming rights sponsorship deal in Indian gaming history with iQOO, a leading performance smartphone brand. 8Bit Creatives bagged three out of the five naming rights deals, further cementing its leadership in the esports ecosystem.

The three teams represented by 8Bit Creatives are:

• 8bit Esports
• Reckoning Esports
• Revenant Xspark

This historic partnership further cements iQOO’s commitment to the esports ecosystem in India, building on its ongoing association with Team iQOO Soul, which has been a flagship collaboration with 8Bit Creatives for over a year.

Speaking about the partnership, Animesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of 8Bit Creatives, said:

“We are incredibly grateful to iQOO for placing their trust in us to represent three of their five teams, and we are happy to support their gaming & esports initiatives. This is a moment of great pride for Indian gaming, and we are excited to see iQOO’s continued contribution to growing the esports landscape in India.” 

Sarang Naicker, Owner of Reckoning Esports, commented:

“Partnering with 8Bit Creatives has always been a key driver of Reckoning Esports’ growth. This historic association with iQOO reflects the strength of our collaboration and our shared vision to elevate the esports ecosystem in India. Together, we aim to continue setting new benchmarks for gaming excellence.” 

Rohit Jagasia, team owner of Revenant Xspark, added:

“Our partnership with 8Bit Creatives has always been focused on driving innovation and creating meaningful opportunities for our players and fans. This association with iQOO is a testament to that vision, and we are thrilled to continue our journey together to elevate esports in India.” 

With this deal, iQOO continues redefining the boundaries of brand integration within esports, ensuring that fans and players benefit from an elevated experience. By associating its high-performance brand with some of India’s leading esports teams, iQOO reinforces its position as a key driver of the country’s gaming revolution.

The naming rights deal is not just a commercial success but also a testament to the thriving Indian esports ecosystem, as brands increasingly recognize the value of invest ing in gaming’s vibrant community.

Nazara Technologies Limited (BSE: 543280 | NSE: NAZARA), India’s only listed diversified gaming and sports media company, has unveiled a series of strategic investments aimed at solidifying its position in the gaming and entertainment ecosystems. 

Nazara has announced new Investments in Funky Monkeys & Learntube.ai

Nazara has expanded into physical entertainment with the acquisition of a 60% stake in Funky Monkeys Play Centers Private Limited, a leader in indoor soft play centers for children, for INR 43.7 crores. Funky Monkeys operates 11 centers across India, offering interactive play experiences for children.

Co-founders of Funky Monkeys, Binita Putcha and Sanjay Ghadiali, said: “We are excited to join hands with Nazara, whose vision for digital and hybrid entertainment aligns closely with ours. With Nazara’s expertise and resources, we are confident we can scale Funky Monkeys and bring even more joy to children and families across India. We also see synergies with digital IP’s owned by Nazara such as Kiddopia and will work to maximise these opportunities”

Nazara will also invest INR 4.2 crores for a 4.7% stake in Learntube.ai, an AI-powered platform revolutionizing education with 1:1 interactive and gamified learning. Catering to over 20 lakh learners, LearnTube is the world largest personalised learning platform that offers affordable, interactive gamified learning experiences for professional skilling.

“LearnTube’s collaboration with Nazara is a bold step forward in reshaping professional learning and interactive media. We are excited to combine forces to lead innovation on a global scale,” said Shronit Ladhani, Co-founder, LearnTube.

Nazara has Increased its shareholding of existing companies

Nazara will invest INR 148 crores in its existing subsidiaries including Sportskeeda, Nodwin Gaming, and Datawrkz to increase its ownership in them and support their growth.

• Nodwin Gaming: Nazara will invest INR 64 crores through subscription of Optionally Convertible Preference Shares to bolster Nodwin’s growth. The funds will support Nodwins expansion, enhance its intellectual properties (IPs), and strengthen its footprint in emerging markets.

• Absolute Sports (Sportskeeda): Nazara will invest INR 69 crores to purchase shares arising from exercise of ESOPs from the Sportskeeda management to increase its stake to 100% in the company making it a wholly owned subsidiary.

• Datawrkz: Nazara granted in-principle approval for an investment of INR 15 crores in Datawrkz through the subscription of Compulsorily Convertible Cumulative Preference Shares to support ongoing growth of Datawrkz

Speaking on these investments, Nitish Mittersain said: “Nazara is committed to building the largest diversified gaming and entertainment platform out of India and many of our initiatives announced today are geared towards propelling profitable growth in these strategic areas of our interest.”

India’s competition oversight body has ordered a probe into Google over its policies for real-money games on its platform

The investigation comes after a complaint by online gaming group WinZO that called Google’s policies restrictive.

WinZO contacted India’s Competition Commission (CCI) back in 2022, after it was excluded from Google’s Play Store, despite some of its competitors being allowed.

Google’s policy had allowed for real-money games which include rummy and fantasy sports but the company was rejected for carrying games in other categories that Google did not accept – including car racing, puzzles and Indian carrom.

“By granting preferential treatment to select app categories, Google effectively creates a two-tier market where some developers are accorded superior access and visibility while others are discriminated against and thus, left with a competitive disadvantage,” indicates a letter from the CCI.