Pixel P&L: LVL Zero Launches to Fast-Track India's Gaming Startups With $100K in Grants

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

• LVL Zero, a new gaming incubator backed by MIXI, Nazara, and ChimeraCV, launches with $100K in equity-free grants for Indian startups.

• Roblox crushes Q3 expectations with a 70% bookings surge, reaching 151.5M daily active users.

• Honor of Kings Finals tickets for Beijing's 91,000-seat Bird's Nest stadium sold out in 12 seconds.

• Rockstar Games fires dozens amid union organizing effort, prompting retaliation allegations.

• NIP Group pivots from esports to Bitcoin mining with $249M acquisition expanding capacity to 11.3 EH/s. 

Let's get into it.

Indian Gaming Incubator Launches With $100,000 in Grants

MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies and ChimeraVC launched LVL Zero, a gaming incubator targeting India's startup ecosystem, with Google Play joining as knowledge partner.

The program offers $10,000 equity-free grants to 10 startups per cohort, aiming to accelerate product development and achieve investor readiness within 100 days. Over five years, organizers plan to support more than 100 gaming startups. Participants receive mentorship across game design, monetization and user acquisition, concluding with a demo day for potential investors and publishers.

ChimeraVC's Krish Anurag said the program allows firms to back founders "at the stage where belief forms before traction." Nazara Technologies' Nitish Mittersain said it would help "turn ambition into execution" for Indian developers seeking international expansion.

Roblox Reports 70% Surge in Bookings, Raises Full-Year Guidance

Roblox exceeded expectations in its third quarter, reporting revenue of $1.35 billion, up 48% year-over-year, while bookings jumped 70% to $1.92 billion.

The gaming platform's daily active users reached 151.5 million, a 70% increase, with engagement hours climbing 91% to 39.6 billion. Growth was particularly strong among users aged 13 and older, which rose 89%. However, net losses widened to $257 million from $240 million in the year-ago period.

CEO David Baszucki attributed growth to investments in creator economics and platform performance. Creators earned over $1 billion in nine months, with the top 1,000 creators on the platform averaging $1.1 million.

The Asia-Pacific region led geographic expansion, while experiences like "Grow a Garden" set records with nearly 22 million concurrent players. The company raised its full-year revenue guidance to $4.82-$4.87 billion, with bookings expected between $6.56-$6.61 billion.

⚡️Quick Bytes

Honor of Kings Finals Tickets Sell Out in 12 Seconds

Tencent Games reported that tickets for the King Pro League Grand Finals championship sold out in 12 seconds for the November 8 event at Beijing National Stadium. The venue, known as the Bird's Nest, holds 91,000 attendees, making it one of China's largest esports events this year. Musical performances are planned, and fans can watch via YouTube and streaming platforms.

NIP Group Expands Bitcoin Mining in $249 Million Deal

Esports organization NIP Group will acquire mining infrastructure from Apex Cyber Capital and Prosperity Oak Holdings for approximately $249 million in stock, boosting capacity to 11.3 exahashes per second. The transaction, expected to close by November 30, follows a September purchase of 3.11 EH/s in mining machines. The expansion positions NIP among top public Bitcoin miners and is projected to generate 160 Bitcoins monthly, supporting its entertainment business diversification strategy.

Rockstar Games Fires Dozens Amid Union Organizing Effort

Rockstar Games terminated 30 to 40 employees across U.K. and Canadian offices, prompting union allegations of retaliation against organizing efforts. The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain called the dismissals "unlawful and retaliatory," claiming all fired workers belonged to a private union Discord channel. Take-Two Interactive said employees were terminated for "gross misconduct, and for no other reason." The firings come seven months before Grand Theft Auto VI's May 2026 release.

⚔️Side Quest

🤣Laugh:

📺 Watch: GTA co-creator Dan Houser candidly discusses the immense pressure of launching GTA installments, emphasizing how creative teams must prioritize artistic integrity over financial anxieties. He offers rare insight into managing expectations for blockbuster releases like GTA 6, revealing the emotional weight of two decades shaping gaming's most ambitious franchise.

🎮 Play: ARC Raiders consumed my entire weekend, and I regret nothing. Embark Studios delivers extraction shooter brilliance with intense PvP, weighty gunplay, and genuinely threatening AI. Despite minor inventory UI quirks, the polished gameplay, outstanding audio, and stunning visuals create an addictive loop that makes Tarkov accessible without sacrificing depth. Prepare to lose sleep.

📚 Read: Rokky's industry survey reveals that 72% of game devs view Steam as a monopoly. The report also uncovers developer concerns about platform reliance, market saturation, and the gray market, while exploring how alternative distribution channels could reshape PC gaming's future and boost revenue by double digits.

💡Did You Know

Before becoming a music legend, Prince helped test the original Oregon Trail video game in 1971. The future superstar was an 8th-grade student in Minneapolis when creators Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger piloted their groundbreaking educational game at local junior high schools. Students were so captivated they stayed late after school to play on the single teleprinter terminal. The trio coded the entire game in just two weeks using HP Time-Shared BASIC, implementing features like the iconic hunting minigame and geography-based random events that would define the beloved franchise for decades.

📜 Quote of the Day

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