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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Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha has secured India’s second Chess slot for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 after topping the regional qualifier, completing the country’s two-player contingent alongside Grandmaster Nihal Sarin. The ENC 2026 Finals are set for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Chess scheduled from November 2 to 8, 2026.
ENC 2026 Chess will feature 128 players competing for a USD 600,000 (~INR 5.7 crore) prize pool. The format starts with a round-robin group stage across 16 groups of eight players, before 64 players advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket, culminating in the final on November 8.
According to the release, 64 of the 128 players received direct invitations via the official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings, with representation spanning 64 countries and territories. Confirmed names include Magnus Carlsen, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura. The field also includes Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mai Narva, described as the first women to officially qualify for the event. A further 61 players qualified through Chess.com-operated regional qualifiers, with three wildcard slots rounding out the field.
India’s second slot was determined through the Middle East, India, and Central Asia pathway, which began with an open nine-round Swiss event for verified titled players under a 10+0 rapid time control, followed by a double-elimination bracket. Guha finished the Swiss stage as the only unbeaten player (six wins, three draws), then defeated Syria’s Malek Koniahli and Iran’s Artin Ashraf in the upper bracket to clinch qualification.
Speaking about his qualification, Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha said, “The regional qualifier was challenging from start to finish. Chess has become an increasingly important part of the global esports ecosystem, and the Esports Nations Cup is a great reflection of that growth. The tournament will bring together some of the strongest players from around the world, so preparation will be key. Over the coming months, my focus will be on refining different aspects of my game and ensuring I am ready to perform at my highest level when the competition begins”
Beyond Chess, NODWIN Gaming, identified as India’s National Team Partner for ENC 2026, has announced national team rosters for DOTA 2, MOBA Legends: 5v5! and Rocket League, with regional qualifier windows listed as June 29-July 1 (DOTA 2), August 15-16 (MOBA Legends: 5v5!, if India misses a direct invite), and July 17-19 (Rocket League).
The post Mitrabha Guha qualifies for Esports Nations Cup 2026 Chess alongside Nihal Sarin appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has opened applications for its 2026 Creator Program, committing $2 million (~INR 19 crore) in rewards for co-streamers supporting the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris and the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 in Riyadh. EF announced the program on June 12, 2026, from Paris and Riyadh, and said applications are open now, including for creators across India.
EF said co-streaming was a key driver of EWC reach last year, citing 3,500 co-streamers as “one of the key growth pillars” for EWC viewership in 2025. The Foundation is positioning the 2026 Creator Program as a scaled-up initiative, targeting 5,000 creators “across new regions and platforms.”
“This isn’t just an esports trend; it’s a media trend,” said Wasae Imran, Director Broadcast & Distribution at the Esports Foundation. “Across music, video, news and sport, audiences don’t just watch what they’re given anymore. They choose their own experience: what to watch, where to focus, and how deep to go. Esports just lives further down that road than most, and traditional sport is heading the same way. It’s not about delivering a match in one format, it’s about opening up every way into the same moment and letting fans choose how they want to consume it. The Creators Program is how we build for that, by enabling the growth of creators that fans already trust to carry the world’s biggest esports event into every community.”
According to EF, approved creators can co-stream selected tournaments, complete missions, and progress a “Battle Pass” tied to rewards ranging from gift cards and hardware to platform perks and invitations to EWC and ENC. EF said the program supports multiple streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, Huya, and CHZZK.
EF also confirmed operational details for EWC 2026: the event is set for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from July 6 through August 23, featuring more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries across 25 tournaments and 24 games, with a $75 million+ prize pool. ENC 2026 is scheduled for November in Riyadh and will extend the creator program to a nation-based competition format.
The post Esports Foundation opens 2026 co-streaming Creator Program with $2m rewards pool appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
8MBets
Himalayan Harmony Group Announces 2026 Nepal Online Casino Portfolio with Six Licensed Brands
Himalayan Harmony Group (HHG) has announced its 2026 portfolio of Nepal online casino brands, introducing six platforms that operate under Curacao Gaming Licenses with native Nepali language interfaces and integrated local payment options through eSewa and Khalti.
The Kathmandu-based management entity oversees and partners with the following six online casino brands: 8MBets Online Casino Nepal, MJ88 Online Casino Nepal, NPR77 Online Casino Nepal, Magar33 Online Casino Nepal, eSewa12 Casino Nepal and AW33. All six brands fall under the Himalayan Harmony Group umbrella, each operating as a distinct platform while sharing a common foundation of Curacao licensing and features built specifically for Nepalese players.
“Our commitment is to provide Nepalese players with a secure, localized, and premium online gaming experience. Each brand in our portfolio features Nepali language interfaces and direct integration with eSewa and Khalti, ensuring our platforms match how players in Nepal prefer to engage and transact,” said a Himalayan Harmony Group spokesperson.
Curacao Gaming Licenses and Localised Infrastructure
Each of the six brands — 8MBets, MJ88, NPR77, Magar33, eSewa12 and AW33 — holds a Curacao Gaming License, providing players with a licensed and regulated environment for online gaming activity. Beyond licensing, the platforms are built with seamless Nepali language interfaces that allow players to navigate, register and play without language barriers, rather than relying on translated overlays from other markets.
Local Payment Integration Through eSewa and Khalti
A central feature of the portfolio is expert integration with eSewa and Khalti, two of Nepal’s most widely used digital payment gateways. Players across all six platforms can manage deposits and withdrawals through these familiar local methods, enabling secure account management without the need for international payment processors or currency conversion.
FIFA Betting Opportunities Across All Six Brands
With the 2026 portfolio timed alongside upcoming FIFA events, all six brands will offer betting options for FIFA matches. Players can place bets across 8MBets, MJ88, NPR77, Magar33, eSewa12 and AW33 for opportunities to win prizes during major international football tournaments.
A Portfolio Built for the Nepalese Market
The consolidated portfolio gives Nepalese players access to multiple distinct Nepal online casino platforms, each maintaining its own identity and interface. Whether players choose 8MBets, MJ88, NPR77, Magar33, eSewa12 or AW33, they benefit from the same Curacao-licensed framework, Nepali language support and local payment infrastructure managed by Himalayan Harmony Group.
The post Himalayan Harmony Group Announces 2026 Nepal Online Casino Portfolio with Six Licensed Brands appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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