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Riot Games Wraps Up V5: A Landmark Celebration of VALORANT’s Five-Year Journey in South Asia
Five years ago, VALORANT arrived in South Asia with a simple promise: to deliver clutch gameplay and high-octane FPS hero shooter action. What followed was far more – late-night team talks in dorm rooms, friendships built in cyber cafes, taunts turned into inside jokes, and a vibrant community that made the game unmistakably their own. This month, on VALORANT’s 5th anniversary, Riot Games brought that journey full circle with V5, a campaign built as a tribute to every South Asian player who made VALORANT more than just a game.
V5 was designed to be a true reflection of the players, a campaign that lived in the same spaces they do: on their campuses, in their cafes, and on their timelines. Rooted in cultural nuance, it celebrated the reality of the player experience through animated shorts based on real stories, UGC-driven content, murals, college activations, and a host of community-driven celebrations.
“V5 is our ‘Thank You’ to a generation of players who made VALORANT their own,” said Arun Rajappa, Country Manager, Riot Games India & South Asia. “Whether you’re top-fragging in ranked matches or reminiscing over your first LAN, this campaign is about your story. We wanted V5 to reflect the unique way South Asia has embraced VALORANT. The response has been uplifting, and it only reinforces why we build with community at the center.”
At the heart of it all was the V5 key visual, a vibrant and colorful tapestry of South Asian gaming culture. It was as much about memory as it was about mood: a steaming cup of chai to honor the all-nighters, subtle nods to LAN café setups that birthed both rivalries and friendships, and the unmistakable “NHK?” (“Nahi ho raha kya?”) jibe, which has become part of the everyday VALORANT vocabulary across the region. This logo was a visual time capsule, recognizable, relatable, and a proud representation of the region’s gaming culture..
As part of V5’s on-ground presence, Riot reimagined the streets of Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Kota with an OOH (Out-of-Home) campaign that didn’t just speak to the community, it spoke like them. Across Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Delhi, LED billboards lit up with iconic in-game callouts like the playful jibe “Kal aana kal” and the ever-reliable pre-round “Skin dede bro!” phrases that have become part of everyday VALORANT banter. In Kota, the campaign took a hyperlocal twist, with traditional billboards across high-traffic areas. What made the campaign stand out was that these callouts weren’t just written for the community; they were voted on by them, turning the streets into shared arenas of recognition and pride.
One of the most timely and playful moments of the V5 campaign landed on June 2 — the day IIT-JEE Mains results were announced, a high-pressure milestone for millions of students across India. Seizing this cultural flashpoint, Riot rolled out ‘VAL Toppers’, a cheeky twist on the way coaching centres in cities like Kota celebrate academic success. But instead of JEE rankers, these billboards spotlighted Radiant-ranked VALORANT players, honoring them with the same visual fanfare usually reserved for exam toppers. With VAL Toppers, Riot offered a tongue-in-cheek nod to South Asia’s competitive spirit, proving that top-tier aim and top-tier ambition can shine in very different arenas.
The campaign made its presence felt at the VCSA Split 2 finals, where VALORANT set up an open-access booth at the Phoenix Market City, Mumbai. Visitors, many new to the game, got hands-on with VALORANT and a lot of exciting swag like custom marshmallows featuring their favourite agents and t-shirts capturing elements of V5. It was a low-barrier, high-impact entry point that turned casual curiosity into active interest.
To close the campaign, Riot hosted V5 Game Night at ApeCity, India’s first org-led gaming cafe in Navi Mumbai, transforming it into a celebration zone with friendly showmatches, video games, and a comedy set by popular comic Raunaq Rajani. It was a final nod to the players who built the community and a call to those who’ll define what comes next.
According to the Lumikai State of India Interactive Media and Gaming Report FY24, India’s gaming market generated $3.8 billion in FY24 and is projected to grow to $9.2 billion by FY29. With 66% of gamers coming from non-metro cities and 43% being first-time earners aged 18–30, the data reflects gaming’s growing cultural and economic weight. V5 is a reflection of this moment, when games stop being pastimes and start becoming part of how an entire generation communicates, celebrates, and connects.
V5 ultimately proved that VALORANT in South Asia is lived, embedded in comms, cafe walls, student timetables, and weekend routines. And now, it has cemented its place in India’s entertainment mainstream.
The post Riot Games Wraps Up V5: A Landmark Celebration of VALORANT’s Five-Year Journey in South Asia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Stable Capital launch a financial advice service specifically tailored to the racing community
Falling into cash flow problems can feel like it came out of nowhere but this is rarely the case. Spotting trends in cash flow from previous years can help identify the high and low periods.
Stable Capital helps trainers identify these lows and provide short/medium term funding that can be accessed quickly to iron out the lows and keep business running smoothly.
Every stable is different so packages are built based on the needs of the client. Crucially, interest is only paid for time period the funds are borrowed and there are no additional fees.
Having a line of credit running alongside any business also helps speedy access to allow for essential purchases like new equipment or facilities, which often are best done at a time of slow cash flow. For example, a jumps trainer in, say, August may not be reeling in the training fees at that time but needs to upgrade facilities in the yard during this slower period.
Stable Capital, the brainchild of Ben Newton & Philip Jackson who are both long-term owners and, therefore, fully understand the mental and financial pressure of running what is, in essence, an entirely results focused business.
Racing Consultant, Harry Dunlop explains the concept: “Even the biggest optimist can see that UK horseracing is not in good health. We are open to all of the industry in treacherous times for a sport that needs support and advice…right now. I have had been through exactly this issue and so we are here for anybody in the industry that needs some short-term help.”
Philip adds: “Seasonal businesses like training need to be handled completely differently from a normal cashflow management scheme. Stable Capital are, essentially, racing fans who understand the industry. We have been open for business for about a year now and initially we kept the business under wraps but demand is now at such a point that we need to let racing industry folk know that we are here. We 100% in the mindful business and first & foremost racing fans…this is a tough industry and we are a lot more than a band aid when cash flow becomes an issue.”
The post Stable Capital launch a financial advice service specifically tailored to the racing community appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Slotegrator, a gambling solutions provider and game aggregator, has released new downloadable material about the key components of a successful online casino platform. The guide includes practical checklists to help beginners set up platforms from scratch and experts enhance their projects.
In the iGaming industry, a project’s long-term success depends on the power and versatility of its platform. But that platform can’t be based on any old software; just like how you can’t have a car without four wheels and an engine, there are vital components to an online casino platform.
So what are they?
Let’s start with first impressions. The frontend is the “face” of a platform. Almost 75% of players judge a gambling website based on its appearance, and 88% of users won’t return after a negative experience.
Key frontend elements include:
- Branding (visitors should understand the idea from the first glance)
- Navigation (everything should be simple and easy to find)
- Transparency (players must have easy access to relevant information)
- Localization (adoption of language, currency and cultural norms).
If the frontend is the face, the backend is the brain. It should contain all the tools for successful online casino management. A quality backend should give the operator total, real-time monitoring and control over every aspect of a business — payment processing, regulatory compliance, game statistics, player data, retention strategies, analytics, compliance, player support, and everything else.
New operators often find themselves trying to choose whether to build such a platform in-house or to outsource the job. Slotegrator’s report carefully weighs the pros and cons of each option and reaches a clear conclusion: in-house development might save a little money in the short term, but it’ll cost much more in the long run.
“We created this guide to help operators to understand what truly belongs in a successful iGaming platform. An engaging frontend and a powerful backend are essential tools for attracting and retaining players. The guide is a valuable resource for evaluating a platform’s strengths and weaknesses and building a clear promotion strategy”, says Svetlana Kirichenko, Head of Marketing at Slotegrator.
Slotegrator’s guide also includes several key checklists:
- Essential frontend functions
- Key backend features
- Necessary modules for platform architecture (featuring a real example of Slotegrator’s turnkey online casino platform.
Download the guide via the link.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
The post The anatomy of a high-performing iGaming platform: a guide from Slotegrator appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
In a memorandum issued on July 7, PAGCOR directed all licensees, suppliers, system administrators, and gaming venue operators to take down gambling ad materials, including those displayed on trains, buses, jeepneys, and taxis.
The agency emphasized that only institutional or responsible gaming campaigns—subject to PAGCOR’s approval—will be permitted moving forward.
“We have given all our licensees and stakeholders until August 15 to completely remove all gambling-related ads,” said PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco.
“Prior to that, stakeholders must also submit an inventory of their existing billboard and wallscape advertisements by July 16.”
The inventory, according to Mr. Tengco, must include the size, material, location, rental contract expiration, and the corresponding permit number from the Ad Standards Council (ASC).
The PAGCOR chief said the move is part of the state gaming agency’s commitment to promote a safer and more responsible gaming environment in the country.
“While PAGCOR is mandated to regulate the gaming industry and generate revenues for nation-building, we do not want to encourage a culture of gambling addiction,” he said.
“Regulating excessive and pervasive gambling advertisements is a critical step in protecting vulnerable sectors of society, especially the youth.”
The agency also warned against replacing the dismantled advertisements with new gambling promotions, stressing that non-compliance will be dealt with accordingly.
The post PAGCOR ORDERS TAKEDOWN OF GAMBLING BILLBOARDS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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