Asia
Global Esports wins India’s first-ever televised BGMI Master Series Tournament 2022!
NODWIN Gaming’s three-week-long premier television tournament — the BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI) Masters Series that was broadcast on Star Sports 2 on primetime starting June 24, has concluded in a grand final event on July 17, 2022. Global Esports was crowned the champion of this series following an edge-of-the-seat match between the top teams like Team GodLike & Orangutan. The winner was awarded the BGMI Master Series trophy, INR 25 lakh as prize money, and took home the new Hyundai VENUE. The tournament had an overall prize pool of INR 1.5 Cr.
The winner was announced after the three-week-long tournament’s exciting and long-drawn five-day grand finale. The tournament finals saw teams give a tough fight and pull all stops to dominate the leader board with an eye on the trophy. The season also saw lesser-known teams like team Insane Esports and Chemin Esports excel and make an impression.
“What a series this has been for NODWIN Gaming, for the community and for our partners on the whole! We’ve been able to place esports right in the upper echelons along the likes of several big league traditional sports like cricket, football and tennis. This tournament is a game-changer for every aspiring gamer out there. My heartiest congratulations to Global Esports who’ve raised the bar of professional gaming with their skillset and focus. Each team played like true champions till the very end. I’d also like to thank all our partners Star Sports, Spotify, Swiggy, Loco, Glance Live, Wings, Gillette and Hyundai who instilled their faith in our vision and drove this event to mass success. Onwards and upwards from here,” said Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming.
KING, an Indian singer, and songwriter performed his latest releases Baazi and Sinner on the sets of BGMI, courtesy of Glance and Warner Music India to get players grooving to his music and pumped up for their next battle. Television host, Jatin Sapru, presented the last two days of the competition.
“Gaming has become an entire culture in itself which is representative of participation in a cultural phenomenon that has reached a scale that you simply cannot ignore. It is no longer super-niche but very much a part of the mass culture. This is one sport where we have looked to partner with NODWIN to build something from the ground up. Here, we have not just acquired the rights. We invested in both resources and efforts. When we do this, we do it with the ambition of building something that will reach a certain scale. We are delighted that our hypothesis is being proven right that a popular game when converted into a marquee sporting property will attract millions of viewers,” said Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports, Star & Disney India.
“As a progressive brand, Hyundai shares strong synergies with various Sports across the globe and it gives us immense pleasure to be an integral part of the e-sports bandwagon. We are delighted to be associated with BGMI Masters Series organized by NODWIN Gaming. The new Hyundai VENUE personifies the aspirations of Gen MZ customers, elevating their experience through everyday dynamism, exciting performance and hi-tech features. Being one of the largest automobile manufacturers in India, a large part of our customers belong to the Millennial and Gen Z age group, who draw strong associations with esports and spend significant time engaging in such activities. Realizing their interests and to fuel the passion for E-Sports, we are bringing a Lit extravaganza to this series by presenting the new Hyundai Venue to the winner,” said Virat Khullar, AVP & Group Head, Marketing, Hyundai Motor India.
“Spotify aims to bring the best in audio to gamers, creating experiences wherever they play and however they choose to listen. Our partnership with NODWIN for BGMI Masters Series 2022, is an exciting opportunity to advance that goal in India. Specifically, for the tournament, we have curated the Top Gaming Tracks India playlist for those who wish to get in the zone before a match, and have featured top BGMI gamers in The Mythpat Podcast (a Spotify Original), talking about match strategies and tactics. This is just the start of our partnership with BGMI, stay tuned for more to come!” said Neha Ahuja -Head of Marketing at Spotify.
“We have seen the power of the esports community come alive on Loco yet again, with the BGMI Masters Series alone garnering nearly 100 million views and the finals achieving a new platform record of 2.5 lakh concurrent live viewers. As the pioneer and largest investor in the Indian esports and live game streaming ecosystem, Loco has empowered all stakeholders involved and has provided a strong financial backing for the community to grow. Esports is set out to become the sport of the masses in India and we are proud to provide opportunities for viewers and creators on our platform as we continue to democratize gaming entertainment and turbocharge fan experiences!”, said Ashwin Suresh, Founder, Loco.
“Over the last year, Glance has made significant endeavors to bring premium eSports to users right on the lock screen of their smartphones. We are delighted to share that over 25 million consumers in India have discovered and watched BGMI masters on Glance. We hope that the combined reach BGMI Masters has achieved through TV and lock screens makes this a watershed moment for esports in India as she aims to become an esports powerhouse, especially ahead of the launch of esports at the next Asian Games,” said Yashashvi Takallapalli, Vice President – Gaming, Glance.
“Swiggy has been looking at interesting ways to engage with the gaming TG. The opportunity with BGMI Masters Series gave us a chance to do that at scale. We have done some interesting integrations during the series such as owning the “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” segment in addition to having live delivery activations in the studio. We also ran a contest wherein we gave away 100 free Swiggy dinners on a daily basis, through QR code ads that we ran during the course of the series.” said Saurabh Nath, AVP Brand.
Commenting on the finale, Vijay Venkateswaran, Head of Sales and Marketing, Wings said, “The BGMI Masters has drawn to a close and what a journey it has been. Intense seems an understatement. Congratulations to Global Esports. A roller coaster ride if there ever was one. Props to all the teams who have participated and gave their best. It was an entertaining spectacle from the start to finish. Wings is proud to have partnered with NODWIN Gaming to produce such a huge show of talent and skill. We are immensely overjoyed that we are part of a project that celebrates gamers in all its glory. Here’s to more such ventures that push the horizons of gaming.”
The first-ever televised BGMI tournament was a collaboration between NODWIN Gaming and Star Sports. Glance Live and Loco enabled the digital distribution of the tournament. The series was broadcast in Hindi, Tamil and English.
The total prize pool for the tournament was INR 1.5 crore to be distributed among the winning team, the weekly winners and the top performers.
Performance awards for the finals:
- The Eliminator Award – Most finishes – Goblin from Team Soul
- The Cruiser Award– Most walked distance – Robinū from team Chemin Esports
- The Damager Award – Most Damage – Jonathan from GodLike
- The Dost Award – Most Assists – Nakul from Global Esports
- The Saviour Award – Most Revives – Hector from Team Soul
- The Doctor Award – Most Heals – Destro from Chemin Esports
- The Tapatap Award – Most Headshots – Goblin from Team Soul
- The Survivor Award – Most Survival Time – Driger from Orangutan
- The Motorhead Award – Most Vehicle Distance – Ash from Orangutan
- The MPV Award – Most Finishes – Jonathan from GodLike
- The Hunger Cure Awards – Most WWCD – Orangutan
The BGMI Master Series has broken all viewership since it went live, clocking over 1.2 million impressions surpassing the impressions of Australian Open Day 1, French Open Day 1 and UEFA CL Semi-Finals! The series clocked 12.3 million views through the first eight days of broadcast on TV.
The tournament was digitally distributed by the leading live streaming and esports platform, Loco and lock screen app Glance Live. The finals on Loco garnered more than 3.6 million views with peak concurrent live viewers crossing 2.5 Lac while Glance crossed 1.7 million viewers. The tournament was also viewed by over 25 million consumers on their smartphone lock screen with Glance.
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Asia
PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 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
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.
S8UL Esports’ League of Legends roster has qualified to represent India at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running from September 19 to October 4. The organisation said the team secured qualification through the regional qualifiers after winning the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2026, described as the official national qualification tournament for the Asian Games.
S8UL said the roster competing under India’s banner is Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot), Aakash Shandilya (Infi), Sanindhya Malik (Deadcorporal), Mihir Ranjan (Lotus), Ahmed Shahid (Nero), and Rahul Bisht (Bob). The regional qualifiers featured 14 teams across a group stage and a split stage, with top performers advancing to the Asian Games main event.
In Group B, the team went unbeaten against Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan to progress, according to S8UL. In the split stage, it lost to Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia but did enough to secure a berth. India will now face opponents including Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam at the main event.
Four players—Kat Bot, Infi, Deadcorporal, and Lotus—were also part of India’s League of Legends contingent at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, where S8UL said the team finished fifth.
Akshaj Shenoy aka Kat Bot, captain of India’s League of Legends team, said, “Qualifying for the Asian Games is a proud moment for all of us. We knew the regional qualifiers would be extremely competitive, and every match demanded complete focus. For many of us, this will be our second Asian Games, which makes this qualification even more special because we understand the level of competition that awaits us. We are grateful to S8UL for believing in this roster and providing us with the support, stability, and opportunities needed to keep improving as a team. Representing India is always an honour, and we’ll do everything we can to make the country proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”
S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug added, “Representing India at the Asian Games is among the highest honours an athlete can achieve, and seeing our League of Legends roster earn that opportunity is incredibly special. This team has demonstrated resilience, discipline, and a willingness to continually improve, qualities that are essential for success at the international level. At S8UL, our goal has always been to create pathways for Indian athletes to compete on the biggest stages in the world. We have no doubt they will give their all when they step onto the stage in Aichi-Nagoya and compete for the nation with pride,” S8UL also noted that Gurashish Singh (Soul) and Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) previously qualified for the Asian Games in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 after winning at NESC 2026.
The post S8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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