Upstream
Upstream: the mobile games streaming and esports digest – March 4 2022
PocketGamer.biz and Stream Hatchet break down the monthly stats on mobile games making waves on streaming platforms and esports events
Esports Expectations
Newzoo: Mobile esports will continue to grow in 2022
Top publishers are battling out for the top position in the mobile esports sector
Transaction Time
Modern Times Group selling ESL Gaming for more than $1 billion
To be acquired by Savvy Game Group
Requiescat In Pace
Free Fire World Series to be held on Singapore island, Sentosa
Welcomes first collaboration of the year with Assassin’s Creed crossover event
Competition Collaborators
Hashcube partners with wagering platform Pllay to integrate esports competitions
Provides access to over 20 million casual mobile gamers
Esports Expansion
Esports group 100 Thieves raises $60 million at $460 million valuation
Yearly revenue increases 111%
Character Crossover
Plarium partners with Navi to bring S1mple to Raid: Shadow Legends
In-game event lasting two months
Winner Winner Worldwide
PUBG Mobile Global Championships begins November 30
$6 million prize pool up for grabs
Metasports
Dubit raises $8 million for esports in Roblox
Metaventures’ Jean-Charles Capelli leads the round
Lock And Load
Free Fire Pro Series in US enters second stage, $50,000 up for grabs
More than 300 teams registered for the qualifiers
Usa Expansion
MPL appoints Xbox and Twitch veteran Matt McCloskey as GM of North America
Will oversee platform's growth in US
Shirt Sponsorship
How Plarium made esports sponsorship history with Natus Vincere
Plarium become the first mobile game developer to appear on an esports team uniform.
Positive Signs
Nazara reports H1 2021 revenue growth of 30%, reaching $35 million
EBITDA increased by 700%
Coming Soon
Arena of Valor offers $1 million in prize money at international championships
The event will be online and streamed on multiple platforms
A New Way To Pay
The slow inexorable rise of Skillz
Andrew Paradise on a decade to the tipping point
Growth Initiative
Nazara raises $42 million to fund growth initiatives and acquisitions
Will issue 1,429,266 equity shares
Best Shot
Big Buck Hunter: Marksman launches on Skillz platform
There's also a $5,000 competition
Unicorn Startup
Indian mobile esports outfit MPL raises $150 million on a $2.3 billion valuation
Reached over 85 million users worldwide
Join The Tribe
Lightfox Games partners with Tribe Gaming in Knight’s Edge
Brings in-game event with exclusive Tribe branded rewards
No Show
Garena cancels Free Fire World Series esports event
Was due to take place in November
New Skills Acquired
Skillz partners with multiplayer tech company Exit Games, invests $50 million
"Expanding into these new areas will grow our total universe of players..."
Esports In Mena
Estaz launches esports tournament platform in MENA
"Gen Z is the first generation to make gaming an integral part of their lives..."
Pgc Profile
When worlds collide, the merging of digital and physical in games
Serial entrepreneur Thomas Fellger on the growing convergence of the real and virtual worlds and the future of games
Fortin Wins Fortnite
15-year-old boy from Quebec wins $75,000 at Fortnite tournament
Fortin has now signed with a professional esports team
Pgc Profile
Ryu Games' Nick Contino on the mobile transformation of esports
Contino explore the impact of mobile games and technology on the world of esports
Boom Times
Indian esports app Loco raises $9 million via seed round
Krafton leads the investment
Star Power
Supercell's secret for growing Brawl Stars to a $1 billion success
"We hit our all-time daily active user record just a few months ago!"
Pgc Digital #6
PGC Digital: Esports marketing practices
"Marketing within esports is an absolute minefield"
Pgc Digital #6
"There are more middle-aged female gamers than teenage male gamers"
Says Mission Control GG'sNatalie Bell
Pgc Digital #6
PUBG Mobile esports generated 200 million hours of viewing in 2020
It's #4 in world ranking
Speaker Spotlight
Passport.GG founder Ignat Bobrovich on esports going mainstream
Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6 kicks off on April 19th
Master The Meta
Master the Meta: Why Bytedance is acquiring Moonton for $4 billion
Owen Soh breaks down the latest M&A
Getting Competitive
Ryu Games secures $2.3 million in funding
To help the competitive games platform grow
Born To Be Wild
Wild Rift tournament is a mobile first for the UK ESL Premiership
The ESL Wild Rift Premiership will have a £5k prize pool
"complex Year"
Update: King confirms only one employee "affected" by Activision layoffs
Activision Blizzard reportedly lets go nearly 190 employees
Getting Competitive
Super League Gaming snaps up live streaming platform Mobcrush
"Super League and Mobcrush share a mission to empower passionate gamers and streamers"
Money Bags
Skillz continues to grow having seen revenues of $230m in 2020
“Our first quarter as a publicly-traded company was our twentieth consecutive quarter of revenue growth"
Getting Competitive
Krafton backs Indian esports firm Nodwin Gaming with $22.4 million
"Krafton is excited to partner with Nodwin Gaming to help foster the promising esports ecosystem"
Getting Competitive
Esports to generate over $1 billion in 2021
China will be the most lucrative market
Outta Here
Nearly 50 squads have been disqualified from the 2021 PUBG Mobile Club Open
Reasons include cheating and ineligible players
Rip
Call of Duty: Mobile pro reportedly murders female player
The crime was filmed before the accused turned himself in
Welcome To The Family
Jerry Bruckheimer joins Skillz board of directors
"Jerry has a unique ability to create blockbuster experiences that captivate global audiences"
Public Competition
Esports firm VSPN considering an IPO
Known for Clash Royale and Honor of Kings tournaments
Get Connected
Social media platform eFuse raises $6 million in funding
Known as the "Linkedin for gamers"
Pgc Digital
PGC Digital: What to expect from esports in 2021
"It has always been the year for esports. It sees phenomenal growth year-on-year"
Pgc Digital
PGC Digital: The benefits of adding a social influencer to an esports roster
"There are not enough negatives to outweigh any of the positives"
Touchdown!
Skillz secures multi-year deal with the National Football League
The pair will host a global game developer challenge
Getting Competitive
RAID: Shadow Legends dev Plarium partners with esports firm NAVI
"We are thrilled to partner with one of the most esteemed esports clubs in the world and continue expanding RAID's growing player base"
What's New
Five trends that will drive social mobile gaming in 2021
Oren Todoros gets out his crystal ball
Asynchronous Or Synchronous
Why "2021 will be the year of mobile esports" according to Ryu Games' Nick Contino
"I think we’ll see all of the big players jump into the space"