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NBA 2K LEAGUE TO HOST SECOND ASIA-PACIFIC INVITATIONAL AT NEXON ARENA IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

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Jan. 21 Tournament Will be Livestreamed on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube Channels and in China on Tencent; NBA 2K League also Launches Official Weibo Channel –

– Gen.G to Unveil NBA 2K League Team Name and Logo Jan. 20; NBA 2K League to Host NBA 2K League Global Invitation Match feat. Chinese Players from NBA2K Online 2 on Jan. 21 –

The NBA 2K League announced that the 2020 NBA 2K League APAC Invitational, the league’s second international qualifying event in the Asia-Pacific region, will take place Monday, Jan. 20 – Tuesday, Jan. 21 at Nexon Arena in Seoul, South Korea.  The two-day event will identify several elite players from the Asia-Pacific region who will become eligible for the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft*.

The NBA 2K League APAC Invitational will feature 20 of the top NBA 2K players from Australia, China, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Korea competing over two days of gameplay, including scrimmages and a tournament, and participating in interviews with league representatives.  The tournament on Jan. 21 will be livestreamed on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels and in China on Tencent’s Penguin Esports, Douyu and Huya beginning at 3:30 p.m. local time.

The NBA 2K League also today launched the league’s official Weibo channel in China.  NBA 2K League fans in China can follow along for the latest news, updates and content from the NBA 2K League.

“We’re excited to be holding our second Asia-Pacific invitational in Seoul and that Gen.G will be working with us on the event as part of our strategic relationship to develop elite NBA 2K talent across the Asia-Pacific region,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue.  “Last season’s APAC Invitational identified several players who became eligible for the NBA 2K League Draft, and given the talent in the region we fully expect the level of competition to be even greater this year.”

The NBA 2K League identified players for the APAC Invitational through Gen.G’s recent Shanghai Invitational (Gen.G’s first-ever Pro-Am tournament in China that featured 20 of the best Chinese NBA 2K players), the NBA 2K League Combine and historical performances in NBA 2K events.  At the end of the APAC Invitational, a committee comprised of league representatives, select NBA 2K League players and team personnel serving as scouts on the league’s behalf will identify several players who will become eligible for the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft.

As part of the APAC Invitational, on Jan. 20 Gen.G CEO Chris Park will unveil Gen.G’s NBA 2K League team name, logo and social media channels.  On Jan. 21 the NBA 2K League will host the NBA 2K League Global Invitation Match, a series of exhibition matches featuring APAC Invitational players and 2019 NBA 2K League Finals MVP Michael “BearDaBeast” Key (T-Wolves Gaming) playing against top representatives from NBA2K Online 2 (a free-to-play online game published in China), including National League Champion “Shy.”  The NBA 2K League Global Invitation Match will also be livestreamed in China on Tencent’s Penguin Esports, Douyu and Huya beginning at 11:30 a.m. local time.

Last season Jack “Jaacko” Stevenson (New Zealand) became the first player ever drafted from the APAC Invitational when he was selected 50th overall by Pistons GT, the NBA 2K League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons.

In September, the NBA 2K League announced that Gen.G, the global esports organization connecting the best gamers in the U.S. and Asia, would launch an NBA 2K League team from Shanghai that will join the other 22 NBA 2K League teams for the 2020 season.  In addition to launching the Shanghai franchise, Gen.G and the NBA 2K League announced a long-term relationship to grow the NBA 2K League’s global player pool and fanbase.

Last summer, Tencent, a leading provider of comprehensive Internet services in China, streamed condensed 2019 NBA 2K League Playoff and Finals games to its hundreds of millions of daily users across Tencent Sports, Tencent Video and Tencent News.

For more information, fans can follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague), Facebook (NBA 2K League), Twitch (NBA2KLeague) and YouTube (NBA 2K League) and visit NBA2KLeague.com.

 

*Players will become draft-eligible upon passing a background check.

 

 

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OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

The post DigiPlus Wins “Digital Operator of the Year” Award at 2026 Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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