Esports In Africa
Carry1st Africa Cup 2025 returns with $15,000 Call of Duty: Mobile prize pool
Over 200 teams and 1,000 players are expected to participate for a $15,000 prize pool
New Partnerships
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang's MPL Indonesia lands partnership with NBA
Collaboration will further boost the esports scene in Indonesia
New Partnerships
Saudi Esports Federation partners with PUGB Mobile to expand competitive opportunities
The partnership will merge the Saudi eLeague with the PUBG Mobile National Championship
New Partnerships
Rise Worldwide and Blast partner to boost India’s esports scene
The joint venture will lead to new games, teams, sponsors, and investments
Prize Pool
Esports World Cup 2025 to feature record-breaking $70m+ prize pool
New games joining the lineup include Valorant and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Mena Region
Saudi Social Development Bank backs esports and game development with $122m
The expanded financing portfolio has supported over 30 clients across esports, game development and publishing
Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup Foundation partners with Tencent for China expansion
A ''development team'' will also be formed to increase esports engagement and industry collaboration in China
Week That Was
Who will buy AppLovin's games studios, Olympics esports delayed, and DeNA's profits surge | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Esports In Mena
Emirates Esports Federation opens bidding for E Gaming League franchises
The league's owners see it as an opportunity to establish the UAE as a hub for digital entertainment and economic growth
Esports In Mena
Savvy Games Group and HP sign MoU to help Saudi Arabia learners get careers in gaming and esports
Saudi games and esports group said it will also provide skill-building opportunities through incubator programs
Esports In Mena
Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia delayed to 2027
The IOC did not provide a reason for the delay, but confirmed that qualification will begin this year
New Partnerships
Sony’s Inzone pens multiyear deal to support Valorant Esports
Inzone will equip coach rooms, practice areas and more for teams to use and test the gear
Mobile Matters
Konami profits up 41.8% as eFootball surpasses 800m installs
Mobile’s Professional Baseball Spirits A was used in the eNippon Series of the Prospi A Pro League
Esports Integrity
Olympic Esports Games 2025 in Saudi Arabia delayed
Concerns have been raised about the tight 2025 timeline, uncertainties over game titles, venues, dates, and qualification methods
Esports Growth
Garena unveils 2025 Free Fire esports roadmap with a focus on talent growth
Two major international events will take the spotlight later this year in Jakarta Indonesia
M&a
Nazara subsidiary Nodwin acquires 93% stake in AFK gaming for $900,000
The acquisition makes AFK Gaming a fully-owned subsidiary of Nodwin Gaming
Esports Growth
PUBG Mobile commits $10 million to 2025 Esports circuit prize pool
Next year's event will feature over 20 tournaments across various regions
Nef, Ismoo & Stariik Talk
Summoners War X AppGallery Meetup 2024: Exclusive Insights with SWC Europe Cup Champions
Pocketgamer.biz catches up with the top three winners of the SWC 2024 Europe Cup, to talk strategies, the influence of AppGallery, and the recent meetup
Acqusitions
Nazara subsidiary Nodwin Gaming acquires Trinity Gaming for $2.8 million
Games and esports firm plans to strengthen Trinity’s portfolio in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East
African Esports
Behind the scenes of the Carry1st Africa Cup: A bold new chapter for African esports
MENA insider Stephen Sandmann speaks with Carry1st community manager Oluwaseun Aladelo on the growing competitive gaming scene in Africa
Esports In Mena
British International School Riyadh partners with NES to propel esports education in Saudi Arabia
The partnership is in line with the KSA's Vision 2030 initiative
Esports In Mena
YaLLa Esports invests $12.5 million to accelerate growth in the MENA region over the next two years
YaLLa Esports will host five major esports tournaments in Qatar and UAE by 2026
Konami Collab
Konami signs FIFA deal for FIFAe World Cups featuring eFootball
Competitions will be held on console and mobile to crown the first champions of this inaugural collab
Esports In Mena
Diagnal and Intigral partner to elevate esports in the MENA region
The collaboration will support the company's aim of enhancing entertainment in the MENA region
Esports Integrity
Moonton Games teams up with Esports Integrity Commission to promote fair play
The partnership aims to enhance esports integrity through information sharing, education, policy development, and risk management
Esports In Mena
Emirates Esports Federation and ITW Universe to launch new esports league
This new league will debut in March 2025 as part of an effort to transform competitive gaming in MENA
India Games Industry
Nazara invests $2.2 million in gaming community platform STAN
Nazara secured the deal through its subsidiary Nazara Dubai FZ
Esports Growth
Gosu Academy expands into the UAE to fuel esports growth
Esports coaching and education provider's existing presence in the Middle East will support the UAE's growing games community
Esports Growth
FPT Telecom and GAM Entertainment partner to elevate esports in Vietnam
The partnership will also pave the way for students to compete in local and international esports tournaments
New Partnerships
Nodwin Gaming pens multi-year partnership with Insider.in for events in India
Insider.in will become Nodwin Gaming's official ticketing partner in India for all key IPs across games
Supercell's Superfest
Supercell to bring Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Brawl Stars championships together in historic SuperFest
This new event, SuperFest 2024, marks the first time all three games will hold their World Finals together
Esports World Cup
ESL FACEIT signs multi-year deal as official partner of the Esports World Cup
The ESL FACEIT Group will manage tournament operations and broadcast programming
Esports World Cup
Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason event to kick off with a $3 million prize pool
Players can earn event currency by logging in, playing matches, or spectating matches
Esports Growth
Olympic Esports Games set to commence in 2025
Saudi Arabia will host the first edition next year
Esports On The Rise
Saudi Arabia set to host first Olympic Esports Games
The proposed partnership will span 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly in events everafter
Acquisition Alliance
Nodwin Gaming to build an esports "alliance" through 100% acquisition of Freaks 4U Gaming
Nodwin currently holds a 13.51% stake and will increase this in tranches to 57%, then 100%
Week That Was
Week in Views - Olympic esports, Gameloft's cross-play move, and what mobile gaming's history tell us about its future
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Esports Growth
The International Olympic Committee's executive board endorses esports at the Olympics
Discussions are ongoing as to a potential host, with an official announcement to be made soon
Esports Summit
The Esports Future Summit: 7 things we learned
Jordan’s five-year plan: lessons from industry experts at last week’s conference in Aqaba
Esports In Africa
Carry1st's African Cup to feature Call of Duty: Mobile tournament with $15,000 prize pool
The competition will feature esports teams from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa
Global Events
The Esports Future Summit in Jordan gets set to impress
As part of a week of gaming events for Jordan's 2024 Gaming Summit, this weekend's conclusion squarely places Jordan as the epicentre of esports
Esports World Cup
Saudi Arabia's esports world cup's has the largest prize pool ever with $60m up for grabs
The EWC features a diverse lineup of 19 games, including popular titles such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, and League of Legends
Esports World Cup
Riot Games backs Esports World Cup in Riyadh with new LoL and TFT teams
But as the EWC isn't an official LoL Esports competition Riot will not involved in production or team selection
Esports Growth
True Gamers gets set to build $280 million esports island in Abu Dhabi
True Gamers is currently in talks with investors to raise the $280 million it needs to acquire the island and commence building facilities
The Web3 Way
Gamer Arena nets investment into Web3, AI and esports ambitions
Dutch VC fund Domino Ventures has invested an undisclosed sum into the competitive platform
Mena Market
Honor of Kings makes MENA debut ahead of Esports World Cup
The popular MOBA game will make its way to MENA for the first time since its 2015 launch
Esports World Cup
Honor of Kings Midseason Invitational to feature at Esports World Cup
To celebrate the event, Esports World Cup and Honor of Kings will launch an exclusive in-game skin for fans.
Esports Growth
PUBG Mobile Global Open all set for $500,000 showdown in Brazil
Ticket sales for the event will open on February 16 with one lucky winner taking home a bumper prize pot
Esports Growth
True Gamers secures $45m investment for esports expansion in Saudi Arabia
True Gamers CEO says it's, "A significant step towards popularising cybersports" and democratising esports in the KSA.
Empowering Gamers
Rize.gg wraps up pre-seed round, raises $430,000 to train and empower gamers
The company intends to allocate these funds to advance the platform's development and broaden its user base