Pixel P&L: Esports Platform Nodwin Gaming Secures $10M for International Growth

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 4 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• Nodwin Gaming has secured $10 million in a follow-on round as it eyes global expansion — learn more below.

• Netflix plans to ramp up gaming investments after surpassing 340 million downloads, hinting at new interactive experiences.

• Microsoft officially shuts down its Xbox TV and movie marketplace, marking another retreat from the console's multimedia strategy.

• Ubisoft CEO defends game shutdowns amid the million-signature 'Stop Killing Games' petition, telling investors "nothing is eternal".

• S8UL hosts a 12-city watch party tour for the Esports World Cup, converting their Mumbai gaming house into a content creation hub. 

Let's get into it.

Nodwin Gaming Secures $10 Million in Follow-On Round from Existing Investors

Nodwin Gaming has raised $10 million in a follow-on funding round led by its existing investor base, with co-founders Akshat Rathee and Gautam Virk also increasing their equity stakes in the company.

The funding round includes participation from current backers, though specific investor details weren't disclosed. Rathee announced the raise in a LinkedIn post, describing it as a "natural next chapter" in the company's evolution as it pursues global expansion.

The esports company, which operates across gaming tournaments, live entertainment, and youth content, is broadening its investor base to support growing capital requirements. Rathee emphasized the move reflects Nodwin's maturation as it scales internationally beyond its Indian market base.

"As we scale into a larger, more global company with ambitions across esports, live entertainment, youth content, influencers, and gaming infrastructure, it's time for us to stand more independently," Rathee said.

The funding comes as Nodwin targets what Rathee calls the "timeshare of mindshare of global youth," expanding its content and entertainment verticals. The company aims to build long-term value while creating opportunities for new investors aligned with its growth strategy in global youth culture markets.

Netflix Plans Gaming Investment Ramp-Up

Netflix intends to increase gaming investments as the streaming giant seeks growth beyond traditional content, co-CEO Gregory Peters said during the company's second-quarter earnings call.

Gaming spending remains modest compared with Netflix's overall content budget, Peters said, but the division has shown progress following leadership changes and strategic shifts last year. The company's game downloads surpassed 340 million in June, according to AppMagic data, with Grand Theft Auto titles and "Squid Game: Unleashed" among the most popular offerings.

Peters said Netflix will continue licensing games while developing original titles, hinting at "a whole new set of interactive experiences" coming over the next year. The company is keeping monetization options open, though games currently remain free for subscribers without ads or in-app purchases. "We want to remain disciplined in not investing too far ahead of demonstrating that we know how to translate that investment into value for our members," Peters said.

Netflix reported second-quarter revenue of $11.1 billion, up 15.9% from a year earlier, and raised full-year guidance to $44.8 billion to $45.2 billion.

⚡️Quick Bytes

Microsoft Shutters Xbox TV and Movie Marketplace

Microsoft is closing its digital movie and TV marketplace across Xbox platforms, marking another retreat from the Xbox One's original multimedia strategy. Customers who previously purchased content can still access it through the Movies & TV app, but new purchases are no longer available. The company is directing users to competitors including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV for future content purchases, effectively ending Xbox's decade-long experiment in digital entertainment retail.

S8UL Hosts 12-City Watch Party Tour for Esports World Cup

Indian esports organization S8UL is organizing watch parties across 12 cities during the Esports World Cup, though not all locations were disclosed. Sponsored by iQOO, events at restaurants and colleges in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, and Kolkata let fans watch matches alongside S8UL creators. The company has also converted its Mumbai gaming house into a content creation hub for influencers.

Ubisoft CEO Defends Game Shutdowns Amid 'Stop Killing Games' Pressure

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot defended the company's practice of discontinuing online games during a July 10 shareholders meeting in Paris, telling investors "nothing is eternal" when asked about the million-signature "Stop Killing Games" petition. The petition gained momentum after Ubisoft shut down racing game The Crew in early 2024, sparking a California class action lawsuit.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: ACG Gaming Podcast’s latest episode provides strategic insights into key industry challenges facing gaming companies today. The hosts examine the commercial risks and technical complexities of game remakes, where minor modifications can significantly impact product reception and revenue. The discussion covers critical business considerations around platform content policies, payment processor relationships, and monetization constraints, alongside broader market trends in IP adaptations and remaster strategies.

🎮 Play: Drill Core offers a relaxed take on the roguelike mining genre, blending extraction mechanics with humor and extensive upgrade systems. While more accessible than competitors like Dome Keeper, the experience plateaus around 15 hours when upgrades feel incremental rather than transformative. Despite its eventual limitations, I found the entertaining gameplay and comedic elements made it worth the investment for casual players seeking a less intense mining experience.

📚 Read: This candid reflection from Deconstructor of Fun's founder offers rare, unvarnished insights into the psychological toll of startup building. Moving beyond typical entrepreneurial narratives, it explores how work can become both ambition and avoidance, examining the hidden costs of founder identity fusion with company performance. Essential reading for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone questioning whether relentless hustle truly serves meaningful goals or simply masks deeper issues.

💡Did You Know

CT scanners are being used to peek inside trading card packs without opening them to assess their value, giving collectors literal X-ray vision for their hobby! The same medical technology used in hospitals can create detailed "slices" of sealed packs, examining every card with millimeter precision. This creates an unfair advantage for big collectors who can now scan packs, cherry-pick the valuable ones, and sell off the remaining "searched" packs to unsuspecting buyers. YouTuber Ahron Wayne demonstrated the technology and is seeking patents for specialized card scanners, though the setup costs thousands of dollars and takes months to perfect.

📜 Quote of the Day

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