Pixel P&L: NODWIN Gaming Takes Control of Evo Fighting Game Championship

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 acquires Sony's stake in Evo Championship Series, becoming majority owner of the world's largest fighting game tournament — learn more below.

• Nazara Technologies shares plummet after India passes legislation banning all online money games, wiping billions from the sector.

• India's online money gaming industry fights back with $24.3 billion valuation arguments, warning prohibition will push millions to illegal platforms.

• Tencent unveils AI game creation tools that slash art development time from months to minutes at Gamescom 2025.

• Mumbai emerges as India's music tourism hotspot with hotel searches spiking 3,300% during major concerts. 

Let's get into it.

NODWIN Gaming Acquires Sony Interactive Entertainment's Stake in Evo Championship Series

NODWIN Gaming has acquired Sony Interactive Entertainment's ownership stake in the Evolution Championship Series, becoming the majority holder of the world's largest fighting game tournament.

The strategic realignment positions NODWIN as co-owner alongside RTS, while Sony Interactive Entertainment transitions to a global sponsorship role through 2028. The move follows Evo's record-breaking expansion, with recent events in Las Vegas drawing competitors from over 60 countries and Tokyo hosting approximately 30,000 attendees.

"When SIE acquired Evo alongside RTS in 2021, our goal was to help the Evo community grow," said Phil Rosenberg, Sony Interactive Entertainment's head of global partner development. The company will maintain its fighting game commitment through PlayStation Tournaments and upcoming products.

Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya is investing in RTS and extending its global partnership through 2027, supporting Evo's international expansion. The tournament series will debut in Europe this October in Nice, France, before launching in Singapore in 2027.

Nazara Technologies Shares Plunge After India’s Online Gaming Bill Passes Legislation

Shares of Nazara Technologies, India's only listed online gaming company, tumbled Thursday after the Lok Sabha passed legislation banning online money games.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, would prohibit all real-money gaming platforms, affecting both skill-based and chance-based games. Nazara's stock fell 7.8% to Rs 1,125, hitting a 15-week low, following Wednesday's 13% decline.

In a regulatory filing Thursday, Nazara clarified that it has "no direct exposure to real money gaming businesses" and reported zero contribution to revenues and EBITDA from RMG operations in the latest quarter. The company's only indirect exposure stems from its 46% stake in Moonshine Technologies, which operates PokerBaazi.

Nazara has invested Rs 805 crore in equity shares and holds an additional Rs 255 crore in convertible securities in Moonshine. However, since it lacks majority control, Moonshine's revenues aren't consolidated into Nazara's financial statements. The company stated it doesn't anticipate "any material adverse impact" on its operating performance from the proposed legislation.

India's Online Money Gaming Industry Mobilizes Against Proposed Ban

India's online money gaming industry is mounting fierce resistance against the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, warning that the proposed prohibition could devastate a multibillion-dollar sector.

Three major trade bodies—the All India Gaming Federation, E-Gaming Federation, and Federation of India Fantasy Sports—wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, arguing the legislation would "strike a death knell" for legitimate operators while pushing millions onto illegal platforms.

The industry coalition highlighted the sector's economic significance, citing aggregate enterprise valuations exceeding Rs 2 lakh crore ($24.3 billion), annual revenues above Rs 31,000 crore ($3.8 billion), and tax contributions surpassing Rs 20,000 crore ($2.4 billion). The legitimate sector supports over 200,000 jobs and has attracted foreign investment exceeding Rs 25,000 crore.

Industry representatives argue prohibition would drive users to "illegal matka networks, offshore gambling websites, and fly-by-night operators," compromising safety while costing the exchequer over $4 billion in GST revenue losses.

Instead of a ban, the federations advocate for "progressive regulation" balancing consumer protection with economic growth, requesting urgent meetings with government officials.

⚡️Quick Bytes

Mumbai Concert Tourism Drives Hotel Demand Surge

International concerts are fueling domestic travel to Mumbai, with hotel searches spiking during major performances. Agoda data shows accommodation searches jumped 110% for Travis Scott's upcoming November concert and 160% during Enrique Iglesias's October shows. The trend follows January's Coldplay concerts, which drove a 3,300-fold increase in searches, positioning Mumbai as India's premier music tourism destination.

Tencent Unveils AI Game Creation Tools at Gamescom

Tencent introduced Visvise, an AI-powered game development suite at Gamescom 2025, designed to reduce art creation time from months to minutes. The toolset covers animation, modeling, and digital asset management, already deployed on titles including PUBG Mobile and Wuthering Waves. Key technologies include GoSkinning for automated character rigging and MotionBlink for enhanced animation production using diffusion models.

German Leaders Tout Gaming Industry at Gamescom Opening

German officials formally opened Gamescom 2025, emphasizing the nation's ambitions to become a global gaming leader. Federal Minister Dorothee Bär announced plans to double gaming funding and introduce tax incentives, while North Rhine-Westphalia's minister-president Hendrik Wüst highlighted the state's position as Germany's premier gaming hub, home to leading developer studios and the world's largest gaming convention.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: Before you download that puzzle game from the YouTube ad, watch this eye-opening exposé on mobile gaming's predatory tactics. Learn how companies use fake mini-game ads to hook you, design addictive mechanics targeting "whales" who spend thousands, and exploit psychological tricks to empty your wallet. 

🎮 Play: Experience the joy of screaming "FREEZE!" at your screen in Mage Arena, where voice commands control magical combat. Despite wonky voice recognition and rough edges, this simple game captures the pure fun of feeling like a wizard. Perfect for those who don't mind annoying their neighbors at 3am while channeling their inner Gandalf.

📚 Read: Ever wonder why you're suddenly cooking in PUBG Mobile or digging for treasure in Monopoly GO? This deep-dive from Naavik reveals the $billion strategy behind those addictive minigames popping up in your favorite mobile titles. Discover how 10 of the top 16 grossing games are using these bite-sized diversions to keep you playing longer and spending more.

💡Did You Know

When Fallout creator Tim Cain recently revealed that the original Fallout 1 & 2 source code was believed destroyed, Interplay co-founder Rebecca Heineman stepped forward with incredible news: they had secretly saved it. After Interplay lost Wasteland's code in the early '90s, Heineman began archiving everything on CD-ROMs, declaring "I made it a quest to snapshot everything." When they left Interplay in 1995, company policy demanded all departing employee property be destroyed. Heineman boldly defied these orders, preserving gaming history on M-Disc Blu-Rays. The code exists today but requires Bethesda's approval for release.

📜 Quote of the Day

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