Asia
5G Spectrum Auction 2022 – How 5G is going to revolutionize the Indian esports & gaming industry
Four companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and an Adani Group entity have put in applications to participate in India’s first auction of 5g airwaves starting July 26, 2022. 5G, short for the fifth-generation cellular technology, promises to exponentially raise the speed and data capacity of wireless networks. For data-hungry India, the upcoming 5G auctions will herald another telecom revolution. It goes beyond super-fast downloads and uploads, glitch-free multiplayer video games, live streaming, and real-time gaming.
5G will accelerate esports & video gaming growth in India in multiple ways:
- No latency & lag
- Multiplayer mobile gaming
- Cloud gaming
- Growth in user base in tier 2 and tier 3 cities
- Unlocking AR & VR opportunity
- Video Game live Streaming
- High-end game downloads and updates in a jiffy
Inputs shared by esports and video gaming industry stakeholders on how 5G is going to revolutionize the industry:
- Animesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO at 8bit Creatives, a leading gaming talent management agency and an ex-esports athlete himself:
Internet penetration and accessibility are the backbones of esports and mobile gaming. With the advent of 5G technology, users will get better connectivity speed which will, in turn, allow them to access and play high-resolution games. The last thing a gamer ever wants is lag, 5G is expected to help us say goodbye to lagging issues, once and for all. The upcoming metaverse, and all virtual reality technology that again would completely elevate the gaming experience, would be facilitated in large parts by 5G. One of the reasons why gaming has become so popular in the last few years is the multiplayer & social experience that games are now able to provide, and 5G is expected to make that even smoother. To be honest, 5G will impact gaming in more ways than one.
Last year, telecom giant, Airtel, hosted India’s first-ever cloud gaming demo on a LIVE Airtel 5G test network, and the results were outstanding. S8UL gamers were among a few to experience it firsthand & I myself also attended the event with the team. Our pro gamers, Mortal aka Naman Mathur and 8bit Mamba aka Salman Ahmad tested cloud gaming on the Airtel 5G test network at Manesar. They used mid-segment smartphones connected to a 3500 MHz high capacity spectrum band, recording speeds of over 1 Gbps and a latency of 10 milliseconds. Both the elite gamers agreed that 5G technology would have an impact on the efficiency and experience of online multiplayer genre games such as battle royale and racing games.
- Mr Vishwalok Nath,Director, Esports Premier League:
5G is going to be a transformative step for the gaming industry across the globe. The highlight of this new generation of communication includes even faster download speeds, lower latency, hyper localization, increased network capacity, and better reliability. This leap in new features and innovation will enable game developers and storytellers to work on more immersive and engrossing gaming experiences. Faster downloads mean faster delivery of existing experiences with the ability to get more complex, large, and immersive worlds to the gamers. The industry has already spoken about cloud gaming and the impact of 5G on this technology. Though cloud gaming technology is still in its infancy, it still holds immense potential in democratizing gaming and bringing it to the masses. 5G will ensure a better cloud gaming experience for gamers with the help of Edge computing. It will also allow gamers without high-end gaming systems or hardware to play the latest AAA games.
Besides cloud gaming, 5G will also allow gamers to access newer experiences like AR and VR-based games right from their handheld devices. It is worth noting that it will be a while before 5G reaches the level of adoption we first saw with 4G but the wait will be worth it.
- Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director, Alpha Zegus, the next-gen marketing agency specializing in the domains of gaming & lifestyle:
Data prices (per GB) in India are among the lowest in the world. That, combined with super affordable smartphones starting from INR 5000, has completely revolutionized the gaming industry. We are now living in an era where a Tier-3 kid can enjoy casual gaming in good settings without hiccups.
Coming to 5G, we will see these casual gamers transform into streamers. Gamers from every part of India will be able to access cloud gaming platforms, thereby allowing them to play and enjoy 100s of high-quality games. This, in turn, will allow these gamers to create a niche of their own and start developing communities around them – all in all, creating more content creators & content consumers in the Indian gaming ecosystem.
Lastly, brands will also be able to leverage more complex (and higher quality) advertising innovations, be it in the metaspace or otherwise, since data speeds and usage will be of even lesser concern to the audience.
- Mr Sagar Nair, Co-Founder & CEO, Qlan, The Gamer’s Social Network:
At nearly 500 million, India is currently second in terms of smartphone users in the world after China. the launch of the 5G data network will further boost the mobile gaming sector in India. More Data speed = More data transfer. We have heard professional gamers talk about “ping” many times and how it affects their gameplay and how even a slight drop can cost them the game, 5g aims to eliminate the loss of data packets being sent every second. 5G will unlock new economic opportunities and societal benefits which is very good news for Qlan as surfing through the web and social media platforms become very smooth with the introduction of such speed in the market. Even if you have a brief look at 4g, the speeds that it can achieve are better than most people’s wifi and most gamers prefer using a stable mobile data connection compared to choppy wifi. 5g aims to provide users with a consistent and lightning-fast internet connection, on the tap of their fingers which also holds the potential to increase the number of gamers in India. 5G is designed to support a 100x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency compared to that of 4g. In essence, the mention of 5g technology put a smile on the face of every gamer out there!
- Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India& Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF):
5G is going to bring about a paradigm shift in the cloud gaming sector, the superfast speeds, massive bandwidth and low latency of 5G Ultra Wideband are going to make gaming more collaborative, competitive, affordable and accessible. The advent of 5G is set to be a complete game-changer in every way. With growing smartphone penetration and a vast youth population, 5G-backed cloud gaming could spread to remote areas and offer gamers the right ecosystem to compete and excel in the international arena.
Streaming and watching live games experience will be enhanced with this disruption in technology, Video game updates are another big nightmare for our gamers, and these are not small 5-10 Mb updates, these are like 1 GB updates and it takes ample time to download, with 5G fast speed, the downloads will happen in a jiffy.
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Asia
S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule
S8UL gaming creator and streamer Payal Dhare has partnered with OWND!, the Gen Z-focused fashion brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, to launch a gaming-inspired fashion capsule called ‘Gamer Drop’. The companies describe it as India’s first female gamer-curated capsule. The collection will be available on OWND!’s website and in the brand’s stores across India.
According to the press release, ‘Gamer Drop’ includes menswear and womenswear pieces built around gaming culture and streetwear, positioned as a creator-led collection rather than conventional creator merchandise. The campaign leans on the growing overlap between gaming culture, creator communities, and youth fashion.
Marco Agnolin, Chief Executive Officer, OWND!. said, “We see gaming today as a powerful cultural force that is shaping how young consumers express themselves, communicate, and engage with fashion. As one of India’s biggest gamers, Payal Dhare represents this new generation perfectly through her authenticity, confidence, and deep connection with the gaming community. Her influence extends far beyond gaming content, making her an ideal face for our gaming collection. Through this collaboration, we aim to celebrate individuality and connect with India’s digitally native youth in a way that feels relevant, inclusive, and culture-driven.”
Payal Dhare aka Payal Gaming said, “Gaming today has become a culture and a form of self-expression for millions of young people across the country. That’s what makes this collaboration with OWND! so exciting for me. With this curation, I wanted to create something that genuinely reflects my vibe and the energy of my community. It’s stylish, comfortable, expressive – and made for people who want to own who they are.”
The release also points to India’s expanding creator economy. Citing a Boston Consulting Group report, it says India has nearly 2 to 2.5 million creators, with more than 60% of consumers exposed to creator-led content and over 30% of shoppers influenced by creators in purchase decisions.
The post S8UL streamer Payal Dhare and OWND! launch gamer-curated fashion capsule appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
EGT Digital to Debut Highly Anticipated “TNT Jack” Slot at SiGMA Asia 2026
Just days before its official release, EGT Digital will demonstrate one of its most anticipated slot releases to SiGMA Asia 2026 – TNT Jack, an adventure game built around cascading mechanics, with a multiplier, and a signature Dynamite feature. The launch headlines a full showcase of the company’s iGaming ecosystem at Stand 2318, as EGT Digital doubles down on Southeast Asia – one of the most competitive and fastest-growing regulated iGaming territories globally.
TNT Jack puts players in pursuit of buried treasure across a 7X7 game format, powered by the Toppling Reels feature – winning combinations trigger cascading effects that extend gameplay and build win potential. An increasing multiplier grows with consecutive wins on the same positions, reaching up to x1024.
The game’s Dynamite feature clears sections of the grid to unlock fresh winning opportunities, while Free Spins with retrigger options and persistent multipliers deliver a strong retention loop from first spin to last. All visitors at the stand will be able to experience this engaging title through a fully functional demo.
At SiGMA Asia, EGT Digital will present its complete product suite:
• Casino Games Portfolio – 180+ in-house titles, designed to deliver engaging gameplay experiences across multiple player preferences and market segments.
• Gaming Aggregator – instant access to 20,000+ games from 200+ providers, enabling rapid content scaling without complex integration overhead.
• Sportsbook – flexible integration options and optimised betting performance for operators entering or expanding in sports betting markets.
• X-Nave iGaming Platform – modular casino and sportsbook management built for operators who need configurability without sacrificing stability.
• Payment Gateway – secure, seamless transaction processing designed to reduce friction at every stage of the player journey.
“SiGMA Asia is the perfect stage to showcase how EGT Digital combines strong game content with the technology operators need to scale efficiently. TNT Jack brings exactly the kind of high-energy gameplay today’s players look for. Combined with our platform, aggregator, sportsbook, and payment solutions, we offer a complete ecosystem designed to adapt to the fast pace and specific demands of Asian markets,” said Mariana Manchina, Director – EGT Philippines Corp.
EGT will also showcase some of its most successful land-based products. The main focus will be on the company’s Asian-themed solutions – the Asian-themed jackpots Zhao Cai Shuang Yu, Sheng Sheng Bu Xi and Cai Fu Tian Jiang, as well as the brand new multigame Supreme Wang Union. The selection will be complemented by the well-known G 50 J2 Up slot cabinets, S 32 T terminals and the GRSA roulette centre.
The post EGT Digital to Debut Highly Anticipated “TNT Jack” Slot at SiGMA Asia 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
S8UL Announces Campa Energy as Title Sponsor for its Esports World Cup 2026 Campaign
S8UL, a global name in esports and gaming content, has announced Campa Energy, the flagship energy drink brand of Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL), as the Title Sponsor for its Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 campaign. The move marks a major milestone for Indian esports, bringing together the country’s leading esports organisation and a rapidly growing youth-focused consumer brand ahead of the world’s biggest esports tournament.
Having been selected for the Esports Foundation’s Club Partner Programme for the second consecutive year, S8UL launched its most ambitious Esports World Cup campaign yet across 13 titles, already securing qualification spots in Fortnite, Honor of Kings & Chess while remaining in contention across multiple other titles. The organisation has also placed a strong emphasis on showcasing Indian talent internationally, with homegrown players competing across several esports titles alongside proven international talent. The onboarding of Campa Energy further strengthens this India-first vision, bringing together two homegrown brands to back Indian esports on the world stage.
As Title Sponsor, Campa Energy will be integrated across S8UL’s official team jerseys, digital content, fan engagement initiatives, city events and on-ground activations throughout the EWC 2026 campaign. The association reflects a shared vision to champion Indian gaming talent on the global stage while deepening engagement with the country’s rapidly growing esports community.
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL Esports, said: “The conversation around Indian esports has changed significantly over the last few years. Today, it is no longer just about potential, it is about building globally competitive teams, creating sustainable fan ecosystems, and earning the confidence of major brands. Our partnership with Campa Energy represents that larger shift. As S8UL prepares for the Esports World Cup 2026 across multiple titles, having a homegrown brand support this journey reinforces the growing cultural relevance of esports in India. We see this as a shared effort to push Indian talent and Indian esports further onto the global stage.”
Campa Energy has been crafted for a generation that constantly challenges boundaries and aspires to achieve more with every step. Campa Energy will power S8UL’s athletes across multiple titles as they prepare to represent India on the global stage. The brand also has a growing presence within the esports ecosystem, having previously associated with JioBLAST All Stars vs India, a creator-led competitive entertainment format centered around Battlegrounds Mobile India, which featured popular S8UL creators including Payal Dhare, Raj Varma and Parv Singh.
As per the recent FICCI-EY Media and Entertainment Report 2026, the number of brands investing in Indian esports is expected to grow to 80 in 2026, with this association further highlighting the rising mainstream interest in the country’s rapidly evolving gaming and esports ecosystem.
The EWC 2026, set to take place in Paris, France from July 6 to August 23, 2026, will bring together over 2000 players from 200 clubs across more than 100 countries competing for a record-breaking prize pool of $75 million (~INR 720 crore). Backed by Campa Energy, S8UL will aim to make its mark while showcasing Indian esports talent at the highest level of international competition.
The post S8UL Announces Campa Energy as Title Sponsor for its Esports World Cup 2026 Campaign appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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