Key milestone achieved as GiG enters Asia via agreement with Filipino land-based casino group

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To champion the cause of skill-based mind sports and to bring competitive structure to the online gaming industry in India, the Skillhub Online Games (SOG) Federation has launched the first edition of the SOG Grandmasters Series, a Championship that aims to spotlight the exceptional cognitive talents of players nationwide, featuring a diverse range of traditional skill based mind sports depicting the socio-cultural landscape of India, for centuries.

By celebrating and supporting India’s skilled online gamers, the SOG Federation is committed to fostering a vibrant and competitive environment in the rapidly evolving gaming sector. In tandem with this launch, the SOG Federation has tied up with the International Mind Sports Association marking a significant step toward elevating the status of skill-based mind sports on the global stage. By partnering with the IMSA, the Federation aligns itself with a prestigious network of international organisations dedicated to promoting mental sportsmanship and competitive excellence.

“The SOG Grandmasters series marks a pivotal moment in our mission to elevate skill-based mind sports in India. By providing a premier platform for talented players, we aim to foster a culture of excellence, competitiveness, and integrity in the gaming community. Our strategic partnership with the International Mind Sports Association ensures that we also adhere to global standards, paving the way for sustainable growth and recognition of skill games as legitimate mind sports in India. We are committed to shaping a vibrant ecosystem that empowers players and enriches the gaming landscape in India,” said Mr Shankar Agarwal, President, Skillhub Online Games Federation.

The Federation aims to set the field in skill-based mind sports, unearth exceptional talent, and nurture players who can represent India on global stages across multiple skill-based mind sports. As such, this initiative underlines its commitment to fairness, collaboration, and the steady long-term growth of skilled online gaming in India.

“We see the inaugural SOG Grandmasters series as a pivotal step in harnessing India’s talent in skill-based gaming, building a strong platform for the future. With India’s deep talent in chess, rummy, and beyond, we are excited to see how this initiative will elevate players and position the country as a global leader in this space,” said Geoffrey Borg, CEO, the International Mind

Sports Association, which also has global sports organisations like FIDE (Chess), International Esports Federation (IESF), Bridge, and Federation of Card Games as some of their key members.

For its inaugural event, the SOG Federation will host three skill-based mind sports which require strategic, cognitive, and decision-making aptitudes to excel: the Indian Chess Masters (ICM), Indian Chess Masters for Blind (ICMB) and Indian Rummy Grandmasters (IRG). After online qualifiers, “phygital” zonals–blending physical with digital–will begin, starting with the South Zone on December 18-19 in Bengaluru, followed by other regions.

To conclude the inaugural SOG Grandmasters, two zonal finalists from chess, two from blind chess and six from rummy will compete in the Nationals in early March 2025 in Delhi for their respective titles and a consolidated prize pool of more than INR 2 crore.

With this initiative, SOG Federation is setting a foundation for the long-term development of skill-based mind sports in India. Through its structured tournaments, the Federation will identify, support, and provide training opportunities to the champions, enabling them to represent India internationally. Furthermore, It will enable players to compete for pride and be crowned as the Master (Chess, Blind Chess) and Grandmaster (Rummy) of India.

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VSPO, the largest esports company in Asia, is pleased to announce that it has officially been rebranded Hero Esports, aligning with its domestic brand and, in doing so, supporting its international growth strategy.

The company announced its intention to rebrand alongside the appointment of Dino Ying as Executive Chairman and Danny Tang as CEO on 8 October 2024.

The unveiling of Hero Esports marks a pivotal moment in the company’s history. For nearly a decade, the business has been the leading esports tournament operator and content creator, investing in and shaping the industry to drive innovation and excellence. Most recently in September 2024, the company launched the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL), which is Asia’s premier international, multi-title esports tournament. As a key figure in the esports industry, Executive Chairman Dino Ying will play a vital role in growing the ACL alongside working closely with international governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee and the Esports World Cup Federation, to elevate the industry more broadly. The global esports market is projected to grow from $54 billion in 2023 to $98 billion by 2028, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan.

The company’s new brand is supported by a refreshed Mission, Vision and set of Values to help employees of Hero Esports work towards common goals and ensure quality throughout the business. Hero Esports’ mission is to ‘Empower esports’, supported by its vision to ‘create the premier esports experience of the future’. Hero Esports’ values, which are based on inclusion, diversity, transparency and a passion for esports, have provided a strong foundation for the company’s continued expansion.

Danny Tang, CEO of Hero Esports, said: “Today marks a significant milestone for Hero Esports as we continue our growth trajectory to become a leading international esports organization, driven by a clear mission, vision and set of values. Hero Esports is well positioned to identify and develop new opportunities both domestically and internationally, and we look forward to aligning our expansion with an equally fast-growing esports industry.”

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Fearless and United Guards (FAU-G): Domination, the made-in-India mobile game developed by Mumbai-based Dot9 Games and published by Nazara Publishing will be open for playtest at the upcoming India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2024 from November 13 to 15 in Hyderabad.

IGDC is India’s oldest and biggest game developer conference and this year’s edition will feature over 150 sessions, more than 250 speakers, and 5,000 attendees.

Attendees can check out the first-person shooter (FPS) team deathmatch game at the Nazara booth at the event and provide feedback to help shape the latest entry in the FAU-G universe, whose past games have achieved over 40 million downloads.

Building on community feedback from the last playtest in October 2024, FAU-G: Domination will feature the following exciting updates that IGDC attendees will get to experience firsthand:

1. Two new game modes: Kiss of Death and 1v1

2. Improved visuals

3. Revamped sound

4. New death cam

5. Voice chat

6. Refined character and weapon models with improved textures and optimisation

7. New charms and skins

8. Tweaks to weapon balance for competitive gameplay

9. Improved kill and damage animations

In addition to trying out the game, players will receive limited edition FAU-G: Domination fan kits as a token of the team’s gratitude for their valuable feedback. With FAU-G: Domination, the development team at Dot9 is committed to transparency and making meaningful improvements to the game together with the community.

With over 500 million players in India’s shooter market, pre-launch playtests like these are essential to ensure that made-in-India games like FAU-G: Domination have a strong chance to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Pre-registrations for FAU-G: Domination are now live on the Google Play Store for Android with pre-registrations on the App Store for iOS and iPadOS to follow soon. Pre-registering now gets players the Beast Collection. The Beast Collection is a limited edition set of in-game cosmetics inspired by the ferocity of the Tiger — India’s national animal.

These include six accessories: frame, banner, avatar, sticker, spray, and charm, as well as six gun skins: sawed-off shotgun, USP, Scout rifle, M4, Uzi, and Kabar. The Beast Collection will only be available for players that pre-register and will not be available after launch.