Pixel P&L: India Ends PUBG Mobile Exile With BGMI World Cup Berth

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:

• BGMI teams will compete internationally for the first time in years as India returns to the PUBG Mobile World Cup stage — learn about the comeback below.

• Gamezop opens a Bahrain office with $4M investment, targeting Middle East gaming expansion.

• Digital publisher Keleops acquires Kotaku from G/O Media in an all-cash deal following their Gizmodo purchase.

• Three former Ubisoft executives received suspended prison sentences for employee harassment.

• Research reveals gamers can control their nightmares like boss battles and experience dreams in multiple perspectives. 

Let's get into it.

BGMI Teams to Return to the International Stage

An Indian team will compete internationally in PUBG Mobile for the first time in years as the winner of this weekend's Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series qualifies for the World Cup in Riyadh.

The qualification ends a notable absence from PUBG Mobile's global circuit following regulatory restrictions on the original game in India. The game returned as BGMI after addressing government concerns about data privacy and content.

Sixteen teams compete July 4-6 in Delhi for a ₹4 crore ($466,000) prize pool, with the champion earning qualification to the $3 million World Cup starting July 25. The international tournament features 24 teams competing over 10 days as part of the broader Esports World Cup 2025.

"India is central to that vision," said Mike McCabe, Chief Operating Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, highlighting the country's hundreds of millions of mobile-first players. The larger tournament series encompasses $70 million across 25 competitions, with Indian organization S8UL serving as a partnered entity, signaling the market's commercial potential for global esports ventures.

Indian Gaming Company Gamezop Opens Bahrain Office

Indian gaming platform Gamezop has established a subsidiary in Bahrain with a $4 million investment, as the company seeks to capitalize on the Middle East's expanding digital entertainment market.

The Gurgaon-based startup, which provides casual games to over 9,000 apps globally, is targeting 1,000 new partnerships across the Middle East over 18 months. The company projects the expansion will generate $5-6 million in additional revenue.

Founded in 2016, Gamezop operates a distribution model that allows apps to integrate games without direct hosting responsibilities. The company has diversified beyond gaming into content areas including quizzing and astrology services.

The Middle East gaming market is experiencing rapid growth, with industry data showing 12-15% annual expansion rates. However, the region's gaming sector faces challenges including regulatory variations across countries and intense competition from established international platforms.

Bahrain's Economic Development Board supported Gamezop's establishment, reflecting the kingdom's broader push to attract technology companies as part of its economic diversification strategy.

⚡Quick Bytes

Digital Publisher Keleops Acquires Gaming Site Kotaku

Digital publishing company Keleops has acquired gaming website Kotaku from G/O Media in an undisclosed all-cash transaction, according to Axios. The deal follows Keleops' purchase of tech site Gizmodo from G/O Media last year. G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller announced the company is winding down operations, citing investor priorities at parent firm Great Hill Partners. Kotaku's editorial staff will remain with the publication under new ownership.

Three Former Ubisoft Executives Receive Suspended Prison Sentences

Three former Ubisoft executives were given suspended prison sentences by a French court for sexual and psychological harassment of employees. The Guardian reports that Thomas François received three years suspended and a €30,000 ($32,700) fine, while Serge Hascoët got 18 months suspended and €45,000 ($49,050). Guillaume Patrux received 12 months suspended and €10,000 ($10,900). All three had denied the charges.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: This interview with former Playstation boss Shui Yoshida reveals key insights into VR's commercial maturation. His discussion of balancing accessibility with challenge speaks directly to product development strategies, while his observations on VR transitioning from "future promise" to "present reality" offer valuable perspective on timing market adoption and investment decisions in emerging tech.

🎮 Play: I rarely get this excited about an FPS game, but Suit for Hire had me grinning like an idiot during every firefight. The gun-fu combat system genuinely makes you feel like John Wick chaining together brutal takedowns with balletic precision that videos simply can't capture. At 40% off right now, this is a steal.

📚 Read: This Outlook India interview with Nazara CEO Nitish Mittersain offers valuable insights into India's gaming transformation from a mobile-first consumer market to a potential global content creator. His perspective on AI bridging the experience gap between Indian and global developers is particularly compelling, along with his practical approach to building a decentralized gaming empire.

💡Did You Know

Some video gamers experience dreams like they're still playing. Research by psychologist Jayne Gackenbach shows that some gamers can toggle between first and third-person perspectives while dreaming, take control of nightmares and actually enjoy them instead of waking up terrified, and have more "bizarre" dreams featuring impossible scenarios like space travel or fictional characters. Gackenbach theorizes that gamers' brains treat dreams like alternate realities they can navigate and control - essentially turning nightmares into boss battles they're equipped to handle.

📜 Quote of the Day

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