VSPO, the largest esports company in Asia, is pleased to announce that it has officially been rebranded Hero Esports, aligning with its domestic brand and, in doing so, supporting its international growth strategy.

The company announced its intention to rebrand alongside the appointment of Dino Ying as Executive Chairman and Danny Tang as CEO on 8 October 2024.

The unveiling of Hero Esports marks a pivotal moment in the company’s history. For nearly a decade, the business has been the leading esports tournament operator and content creator, investing in and shaping the industry to drive innovation and excellence. Most recently in September 2024, the company launched the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL), which is Asia’s premier international, multi-title esports tournament. As a key figure in the esports industry, Executive Chairman Dino Ying will play a vital role in growing the ACL alongside working closely with international governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee and the Esports World Cup Federation, to elevate the industry more broadly. The global esports market is projected to grow from $54 billion in 2023 to $98 billion by 2028, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan.

The company’s new brand is supported by a refreshed Mission, Vision and set of Values to help employees of Hero Esports work towards common goals and ensure quality throughout the business. Hero Esports’ mission is to ‘Empower esports’, supported by its vision to ‘create the premier esports experience of the future’. Hero Esports’ values, which are based on inclusion, diversity, transparency and a passion for esports, have provided a strong foundation for the company’s continued expansion.

Danny Tang, CEO of Hero Esports, said: “Today marks a significant milestone for Hero Esports as we continue our growth trajectory to become a leading international esports organization, driven by a clear mission, vision and set of values. Hero Esports is well positioned to identify and develop new opportunities both domestically and internationally, and we look forward to aligning our expansion with an equally fast-growing esports industry.”

Fearless and United Guards (FAU-G): Domination, the made-in-India mobile game developed by Mumbai-based Dot9 Games and published by Nazara Publishing will be open for playtest at the upcoming India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2024 from November 13 to 15 in Hyderabad.

IGDC is India’s oldest and biggest game developer conference and this year’s edition will feature over 150 sessions, more than 250 speakers, and 5,000 attendees.

Attendees can check out the first-person shooter (FPS) team deathmatch game at the Nazara booth at the event and provide feedback to help shape the latest entry in the FAU-G universe, whose past games have achieved over 40 million downloads.

Building on community feedback from the last playtest in October 2024, FAU-G: Domination will feature the following exciting updates that IGDC attendees will get to experience firsthand:

1. Two new game modes: Kiss of Death and 1v1

2. Improved visuals

3. Revamped sound

4. New death cam

5. Voice chat

6. Refined character and weapon models with improved textures and optimisation

7. New charms and skins

8. Tweaks to weapon balance for competitive gameplay

9. Improved kill and damage animations

In addition to trying out the game, players will receive limited edition FAU-G: Domination fan kits as a token of the team’s gratitude for their valuable feedback. With FAU-G: Domination, the development team at Dot9 is committed to transparency and making meaningful improvements to the game together with the community.

With over 500 million players in India’s shooter market, pre-launch playtests like these are essential to ensure that made-in-India games like FAU-G: Domination have a strong chance to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Pre-registrations for FAU-G: Domination are now live on the Google Play Store for Android with pre-registrations on the App Store for iOS and iPadOS to follow soon. Pre-registering now gets players the Beast Collection. The Beast Collection is a limited edition set of in-game cosmetics inspired by the ferocity of the Tiger — India’s national animal.

These include six accessories: frame, banner, avatar, sticker, spray, and charm, as well as six gun skins: sawed-off shotgun, USP, Scout rifle, M4, Uzi, and Kabar. The Beast Collection will only be available for players that pre-register and will not be available after launch.

8Bit Creatives, India’s leading esports consulting and talent management agency, has announced its partnership with NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, as the exclusive Talent Partner for DreamHack India 2024.

With this partnership, 8Bit Creatives will leverage its significant reach in the Indian gaming, esports and youth communities through its prominent and talented roster of creators. These creators will create content leading up to the festival and also host meet-and-greet sessions.

India’s biggest gaming festival, DreamHack India, is set to take place from 15th to 17th November at the Hitex Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, marking its fifth edition. For half a decade, the India edition of the global festival has become one of the most anticipated events of the Indian gaming ecosystem. Bringing together a plethora of events, including esports tournaments, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) events, cosplay competitions, music concerts, and stand-up comedy, DreamHack India is the celebration of gaming, esports, pop-culture, and entertainment.

8Bit Creatives, CEO and founder Animesh Agarwal said “DreamHack India is one of the most prominent events in the Indian gaming and esports calendar and we’re proud to be the exclusive talent partners for it. This is further recognition of 8Bit Creatives’ ability to meaningfully engage the gaming and youth audiences across the country. Our belief in working with the right creators who create experiences that resonate with the youth audiences distinguishes our offerings and we can’t wait to share what we have in store for DreamHack India 2024 with our audiences!”

This is not the first time that 8Bit Creatives will partner with DreamHack India. The organisation was also the talent partner for the event in 2022.

Commenting on the partnership, NODWIN Gaming, Co-founder and MD Akshat Rathee said “Our vision at NODWIN Gaming is to create unforgettable experiences for the youth, and DreamHack has proven to be the ultimate platform to realise that vision, bringing together gaming, entertainment, and community in an immersive celebration. We’re thrilled to have 8Bit Creatives as our exclusive Talent Partner for DreamHack India 2024. It’s especially exciting to welcome iconic creators like Mortal, who joined us in our very first edition, back for this landmark fifth year, alongside fan favourites like Snax, Kaashvi, Thug, and Payal. These creators bring a unique energy that connects deeply with our fans and elevates every moment. Their presence underscores our commitment to crafting electrifying experiences year after year, building on the momentum of events like BGMS and past DreamHack editions. Together with 8Bit and this powerhouse lineup, we’re setting the stage for an unforgettable event that will bring fans and creators closer than ever before!”

8Bit Creatives’s content and esports division S8UL became the only organisation in the year to win ‘Content Group of the Year’ award for the third consecutive year at the Esports Awards 2024. Additionally, they are the only organisation from India to ever win an Esports Award in any category. Earlier this year, gaming content creators from 8Bit Creatives including Naman Mathur, Payal Dhare and Animesh “Thug” Agarwal were invited for a meet and greet session with the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The organisation has been at the forefront of India’s gaming and content ecosystem with its extensive range of services, including talent management, campaign curation and execution, brand activations and more.