Pixel P&L: League of Legends Stakes Its Claim in South Asian Esports

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:

• Riot Games launches a new League of Legends tournament in South Asia with an INR 10 Lakh prize pool — learn more below.

• JioStar secures exclusive broadcast rights for Global e-Cricket Premier League in India's growing esports market.

• EA and Visa partner to launch mobile esports tournaments across Asia targeting 1.5 billion mobile gamers.

• Indian game developer SuperGaming hosts the tournament finale with a massive $300,000 prize pool.

• GamesBeat spins off from VentureBeat to become an independent gaming media operation — details below. Let's get into it.

Let's get into it.

📊 Gaming Stocks Today

Riot Games Launches New LoL Tournament in South Asia

League of Legends developer Riot Games has established a new competitive pathway for South Asian players with the introduction of Legends Ascend South Asia. The tournament operates within the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) ecosystem, offering regional teams the opportunity to compete for prize money and advancement to the LCP Wildcard Playoffs.

The four-month tournament represents a bold new chapter for competitive League of Legends in the region, according to Riot Games and partner Aftermath Ventures. With online qualifiers, league play, and a double-elimination playoff phase, teams will compete for a prize pool of approximately INR 10,00,000 ($11,719 USD).

Eligible countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. This initiative comes as the 2025 LCP season reaches its mid-season phase, with top teams vying for spots in the Esports World Cup and Mid-Season Invitational. Registrations open April 27th and continue through August 3rd.

JioStar to Broadcast e-Cricket league in India Esports Push

Reliance-owned JioStar has secured exclusive broadcast rights for Season 2 of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), expanding its digital content portfolio in India's rapidly growing esports market, the company announced on Wednesday.

The multi-platform distribution agreement will see the tournament aired across Star Sports linear channels and JioHotstar streaming service from April 27 to May 2, representing a strategic diversification beyond traditional sports content.

The deal comes amid intensifying competition in India's digital entertainment sector, with esports viewership metrics showing substantial year-over-year growth.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the tournament's prize pool increased 21.5% to 3.05 crore rupees ($364,000) from last year. Player registrations surged 355% to 910,000, signaling significant audience expansion potential.

"Our partnership with JioStar is a milestone, cementing our place on India's biggest broadcast stage," said Rajan Navani, founder and CEO of JetSynthesys. "This sets the tone for what esports can achieve in India, building not just entertainment value but a vibrant economic ecosystem."

⚡Quick Bytes

EA, Visa Target Asia's Mobile Gaming Market With New Tournament Series

Electronic Arts and Visa have formed a strategic partnership to launch a mobile esports tournament series across Asia, targeting the region's 1.5 billion mobile gamers. The two-year initiative will host competitions in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and Singapore, beginning with a $30,000 tournament in Bangkok this June. 

Indian Game Developer Sets $300,000 Prize for Esports Tournament

SuperGaming will host the finale of its Indus International Tournament on May 18 in Pune, featuring a ₹2.5 crore ($300,000) prize pool. The event represents a significant investment in India's growing esports sector, with 15 teams competing after emerging from a field of over 1,000 participants. Industry analysts view the tournament as a strategic move to position homegrown gaming intellectual property in the competitive global market.

Gaming News Outlet GamesBeat Spins Off From VentureBeat

GamesBeat has separated from tech news site VentureBeat to become an independent media operation. Former VentureBeat chief strategy officer Gina Joseph has been appointed CEO, while founder Dean Takahashi becomes editorial director. The transition was backed by Griffin Gaming Partners co-founder Peter Levin. Industry analysts view the move as strategic positioning within gaming's expanding media landscape.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: A data-rich presentation by Microsoft at GDC 2025 unveiling how its Xbox PC app is evolving beyond Game Pass into a comprehensive discovery and engagement platform developers can't afford to ignore.

🎮 Play: BPM: Bullets Per Minute, a pulse-pounding roguelike shooter where every bullet, dodge and reload must sync with the thunderous metal soundtrack, creating an adrenaline-fueled dance of destruction you won't find anywhere else.

📚 Read: A game dev’s warning indicating that gaming's current struggles aren't temporary but existential—as social media perfected our dopamine-triggering techniques while we weren't looking.

💡Did You Know

Pierce Brosnan's final performance as James Bond wasn't in a movie, but in the 2004 video game "James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing." While "Die Another Day" (2002) marked his last film as 007, Brosnan returned to the role one more time in this game, providing both his voice and likeness. Willem Dafoe also starred as the villain Nikolai Diavolo. The game featured an original storyline and broke from the first-person perspective of previous Bond games, offering fans a unique final chapter in Brosnan's tenure as the iconic spy.

📜 Quote of the Day

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