Meta Teams Up With Top VCs to Power India’s Game Dev Scene

Meta is betting that India's game developers hold the key to the social-media giant's next phase of growth, launching a three-month accelerator program that pairs artificial-intelligence tools with venture-capital funding to nurture the country's emerging gaming talent.

In today's email:

🎮 Meta's gaming accelerator is actually an AI adoption scheme in disguise.

📈 Gaming market growth projections take a hit from blockbuster delays.

🏀 NBA extends its multi-year Take-Two partnership.

Meta Targets India's Gaming Market With New Developer Accelerator

Meta Platforms launched a gaming accelerator program in India, betting on the country's rapidly expanding gaming market as the social-media giant seeks new revenue streams beyond traditional advertising.

The three-month Meta Gaming Accelerator will support 20 to 30 emerging Indian developers through partnerships with venture capital firms including Bitkraft Ventures, Elevation Capital, Kalaari Capital and Lumikai Fund. The program offers mentorship on monetization, user acquisition and global scaling strategies.

"India's gaming community is a hotbed of creativity and innovation, but to unlock its full potential, we need to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity," said Arun Srinivas, Meta's India managing director.

The initiative emphasizes artificial intelligence integration, encouraging developers to incorporate Meta's Llama AI tools into game development. This appears to be part of the company's broader push to expand Llama adoption in India's large developer ecosystem.

Meta's India advertising revenue rose 24% to $2.7 billion in fiscal 2024, benefiting from increased digital adoption. Gaming ranks among the company's top three global verticals as it seeks to diversify beyond social networking.

Global Videogame Market Growth Expected to Edge Higher in 2025

The global videogame market is projected to grow 3.4% to $188.9 billion in 2025, a modest improvement from last year's 3.2% growth, according to an exclusive Newzoo report obtained by Reuters.

The research firm lowered its longer-term outlook, expecting compound annual growth of 3.3% through 2027, down from an earlier 3.7% forecast. Industry analysts had anticipated stronger growth this year from blockbuster releases and new console launches.

However, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s delay of "Grand Theft Auto VI" to 2026 and hardware price increases stemming from tariffs have created consumer spending uncertainty.

"This forecast reflects concrete changes, hardware cycles, pricing trends, install base growth, and title pipelines," said Michiel Buijsman, principal analyst at Newzoo.

The industry expects a significant boost in 2026 from "GTA VI" and other premium titles like Capcom Co.'s "Resident Evil Requiem." Meanwhile, hardware makers face headwinds as price increases for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox and Sony Group Corp.'s PlayStation devices raise concerns about slower sales.

⚡Quick Bytes

NBA Extends Partnership with 2K in Multiyear Deal

The National Basketball Association extended its relationship with Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s 2K unit in a multiyear partnership. The companies will launch NBA Take-Two Media, a joint venture focused on competitive gaming, social content, and live events. The NBA 2K series has sold over 150 million units worldwide.

EA Reaffirms Summer Reveal for Battlefield 6

Electronic Arts remains committed to unveiling Battlefield 6 this summer, though the company declined to specify when the reveal will occur. EA's Andy McNamara said the company is "focused on Labs and preparing for the reveal this summer." The game is scheduled to launch by March 2026.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Listen: Mobile Dev Memo’s podcast with INCMRNTAL's Maor Sadra tackles the messy reality of measuring what actually drives growth versus what platforms claim credit for. As AI automates more marketing decisions, understanding true incrementality becomes critical. Essential listening if you're tired of vanity metrics and want actionable measurement strategies that actually work.

🎮 Play: If you're craving that "just one more run" dopamine hit, 9 Kings delivers addictive auto-battler action on a deceptively simple 9x9 grid. This roguelike city builder lets you watch tiny armies clash while numbers satisfyingly tick upward. This is the most addictive indie game I’ve played since Balatro.

📚 Read: If you're curious about how games crack the Chinese market without official approval, this Stellar Blade case study by Daniel Camilo is essential reading. The breakdown of how 58-70% of PC players are Chinese despite no publishing license reveals brilliant workarounds that could reshape how we think about international game distribution.

💡Did You Know

The Roblox game "Grow a Garden" recently drew more than 16 million concurrent players during a weekly event, surpassing the all-time peak of 14.35 million set by Fortnite. The milestone represents significant growth for the agricultural simulation game, which had previously peaked at 8.9 million concurrent users. Even during periods without special events, "Grow a Garden" maintains between two million and three million concurrent players, according to platform data.

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