Asia

ESFI’s National Esports Championships 2022 to select Indian contingent for Asian Games

Published

4 years ago

April 19, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The much-awaited National Esports Championships 2022 (NESC ’22) is all set to kickstart as the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) will be selecting the Indian contingent for the upcoming 2022 Asian Games.

Under the ‘AESF Road to Asian Games’ program, the NESC ’22 will be conducted for five popular Esports titles—DOTA 2, Hearthstone, FIFA22, Street Fighter V, and League of Legends. More than 200 top esports athletes registered from all over India and the tournament will go on till April 24. Esports has been added as a medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games for the first time as the best performers of the NESC ’22 will get the opportunity to represent the country at the prestigious multi-nation event.

“The overwhelming response and the excitement we see among our esports players to be part of the Asian Games, gives us the confidence that they are aiming for something really big. They want to take national pride, give a tough challenge to the world and make the country proud. With their unmatched skills, Indian esports is expected to reach new heights. I wish the best for all the players for the upcoming tournament” said Mr Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India & Director, Olympic Council of Asia – NOC & International Relations.

The NESC ’22 will be conducted online, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the top athletes from across the country competing and showcasing their skills and strategies.

“We will now proceed with the tournaments witnessing 200 top esports athletes giving cut throat challenge in different categories to make it successfully to the Asian Games. It will be a gruelling event as the players will have to showcase their best strategy, skills and presence of mind, upon with the pressure to make the cut to be part of the Indian contingent for Asian Games. It will be an action packed and edge of the seat thrilling tournament for sure.” added Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP-Asian Esports Federation.

DOTA 2 and League of Legends will see participation of 13 and four teams respectively with veteran athletes like Jeet Rajesh Kundra, Moin Ejaz and Samarth Trivedi will be seen competing. On the other hand, single-player titles Hearthstone, FIFA22, Street Fighter V has will witness participation of 13, 60 and 16 athletes respectively as top stars including Tirth Mehta (Hearthstone), Siddh Chandarana and Lokmanyu (FIFA22) and Aditya Verma (SFV) will look to seal themselves Asian Games berth.

“I am really excited for the NESC ’22. I know all of us have been practicing and preparing at our best, and I am sure that whoever goes on to represent India at the Asian Games will aim for a podium finish this time” said Tirth Mehta, who had clinched bronze medal at 2018 Asian Games, where Esports was played as a demonstration event.

“Its great opportunity provided by ESFI to all athletes to give their best and earn a chance to represent India at Asian Games 2022. Being a professional FIFA player myself, it’s my dream like many others to win medal for the country and I’m looking forward to NESC ’22,” added popular Fifa athlete Lokmanyu

Aditya Mehta aka TheDarklord from Street Fighter V expressed his excitement and said “This is the biggest and the most important qualifier in the history of the Indian Fighting Game Community for SFV, it’s about time to give it all! Shout out to ESFI for giving us this incredible opportunity”

ESFI continued its partnership with Artsmith- Concepts & Visions which will extend its support as the communication partner. The National Esports Championships will be streamed live from quarterfinal onwards on ESFI’s official YouTube as well as on the Facebook page.

appointments

OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion

Published

3 days ago

June 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

os-studios-names-ishaan-arya-country-manager-to-lead-india-expansion

OS Studios has appointed Ishaan Arya as Country Manager for India, tasking him with leading the agency’s expansion across newly established hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Mumbai. The appointment was announced on 25 June, 2026 in Bengaluru.

OS Studios, a Project Worldwide agency, said it recently entered the Indian market and will deploy its ‘Fan Z’ approach for brands looking to engage with gaming, esports and live events audiences in South Asia. The company said the expansion will leverage the infrastructure and production capabilities of sister agency George P. Johnson (GPJ) India.

“The future of gaming will be shaped by the communities that care about it most, and few markets embody that more than India,” said John Higgins, CEO of OS Studios. “To build something meaningful, you have to be part of the culture, not looking in from the outside. Ishaan understands that better than anyone. He’s exactly the kind of leader we want building the future of OS Studios in India.”

In the role, Arya will oversee operations, drive strategic brand partnerships, and scale local capabilities, according to the company. “Brands are investing heavily in Indian gaming, but true fan experience is too often an afterthought,” said Rasheed Sait, Chief Growth Officer for India and South Asia at Project Worldwide. “Alongside GPJ India’s experiential footprint, OS Studios will set a new standard for fan engagement in the region.”

Arya previously co-founded The Esports Club and most recently served as Vice President of Partnerships at Nodwin Gaming, where he led Comic Con India. “A massive gap remains between brand intent and authentic community engagement in India,” said Arya. “I’m thrilled to leverage Project Worldwide and GPJ India’s operational strength to build culture-defining experiences for brands and fans alike.”

The post OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion

Published

4 days ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

philweb-secures-₱202-billion-strategic-investment-from-lance-y.-gokongwei-to-accelerate-ai-driven-technology-expansion

PhilWeb Corporation, a Philippine Stock Exchange-listed technology company serving licensed digital entertainment and gaming platforms, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a ₱2.02 billion strategic equity investment by prominent business leader Lance Y. Gokongwei.

The investment marks a significant milestone in PhilWeb’s transformation into an AI-enabled technology infrastructure company serving the regulated digital entertainment sector. Beyond the capital infusion, PhilWeb expects to benefit from Mr. Gokongwei’s strategic perspective, institutional experience and extensive business network as the Company strengthens its long-term technology roadmap and growth strategy.

Strategic Capital Infusion for AI and Technology Expansion

Under the definitive agreement, Mr. Gokongwei will invest an aggregate amount of ₱2,026,978,840.00 in PhilWeb. The strategic placement will be facilitated through a proposed increase in the Company’s Authorised Capital Stock from ₱2.6 billion to ₱3.6 billion, subject to the required corporate, stockholder and regulatory approvals.

The proceeds are intended to strengthen PhilWeb’s balance sheet and support the integration of advanced data and AI capabilities across its core technology roadmap:

• Enhanced Risk Management and Compliance Systems: Developing intelligent platform tools to support real-time risk scoring, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity detection and responsible gaming controls.

• Data Analytics and Platform Intelligence: Building secure data models designed to interpret user behaviour, optimise player lifecycle management and improve platform operating efficiency.

• Intelligent Recommendation and Retention Tools: Investing in automated recommendation engines to help licensed operators improve content discovery, platform performance and user engagement.

• Operational Automation: Enhancing internal and partner-facing systems through automation tools to optimise compliance workflows, reporting and high-throughput platform monitoring.

Strengthening PhilWeb’s Technology Moat

The transaction reflects growing investor interest in scalable technology infrastructure serving regulated digital entertainment ecosystems. PhilWeb has established a strong market footprint across the Philippine digital gaming and entertainment ecosystem, working with leading licensed operators, integrated resorts and platform partners including Hann Casino, Okada Manila, Newport World Resorts, NUSTAR Resort and Casino, FBM Philippines and PT Gaming. The integration of next-generation AI tools is expected to further strengthen PhilWeb’s domestic B2B infrastructure layer, enabling the Company to deliver greater operational efficiency, stronger compliance support and more scalable platform capabilities to its ecosystem partners while evaluating potential regional growth opportunities over time as market and regulatory conditions permit.

Management Perspective

“We are profoundly honored to welcome Lance Y. Gokongwei as a strategic anchor investor in PhilWeb. His investment represents a strong endorsement of our technology platform and long-term vision. Data intelligence and automated compliance tools are becoming essential layers of modern digital infrastructure. With Lance’s strategic investment and business network, PhilWeb is well-positioned to expand our AI technology roadmap, serve our established ecosystem of leading partners more efficiently, and evaluate long-term growth opportunities,” said Edgar Brian K. Ng, President of PhilWeb Corporation.

The post PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ArenaPlus

DigiPlus Wins “Digital Operator of the Year” Award at 2026 Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific

Published

1 week ago

June 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

digiplus-wins-“digital-operator-of-the-year”-award-at-2026-global-gaming-awards-asia-pacific

DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (DigiPlus), the country’s premier digital entertainment provider behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, has been named Digital Operator of the Year at the 2026 Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific, marking its second consecutive annual win in the category and reinforcing its leading industry position in the APAC region. The recognition was announced during the Global Gaming Awards ceremony held on June 2 at Conrad Manila.

One of the international gaming industry’s most prestigious awards programmes, the Global Gaming Awards, powered by Global Gaming Insider, recognise excellence in innovation, player experience, responsible gaming and operational excellence across both land-based and online gaming sectors. Winners are selected by a panel of senior industry executives with extensive experience and deep knowledge of the market, with the voting process independently adjudicated by KPMG to ensure rigor and transparency.

The Digital Operator of the Year category recognises operators that have demonstrated outstanding growth, innovation and player engagement over the past 12 months. DigiPlus emerged victorious from a shortlist of eight nominees, besting seven other operators across APAC.

Judges highlighted DigiPlus’ strong 2025 performance, the addition of over 500 new e-games on its platforms, and the rollout of industry-first responsible gaming tools. The company also continues its momentum in 2026 through major partnerships, including recently launched collaborations with Manny Pacquiao and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In addition to its top industry honor, DigiPlus earned further recognition for its social impact initiatives, securing the first runner-up spot in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Year category.

The awards body commended DigiPlus for its impressive CSR work via the DigiPlus Foundation which delivers healthcare, education, disaster relief, and social empowerment programs to over 1 million beneficiaries and counting across the Philippines.

“We are honored to once again be recognized by the Global Gaming Awards. These prestigious international industry accolades reflect DigiPlus’ unwavering pursuit of excellence and our drive to continuously innovate, deepen player engagement, and champion responsible gaming across BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone,” said DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco.

“Together with the recognition for DigiPlus Foundation, this back-to-back win affirms our commitment to delivering world-class digital entertainment to Filipinos while contributing to nation-building.”

The Global Gaming Awards also hold annual editions in the Americas and EMEA regions, recognising industry excellence across the globe.

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