Pixel P&L: S8UL Wins Two Awards, Raji Sequel Revealed, Battlefield 6 Records

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:

• S8UL Esports made history as the first Indian org to win multiple Esports Awards, claiming Content Group of the Year for the fourth time.

• Nodding Heads Games unveiled Raji: Kaliyuga with a major gameplay overhaul, switching to third-person perspective and dual playable characters.

• Sony Innovation Fund backs Indian gaming platform STAN, joining a Series A round that includes Google, Bandai Namco, and Square Enix. 

• Battlefield 6 shattered franchise records with the best U.S. launch in series history, topping October sales across platforms.

• Valve's Steam Machine will skip console subsidies and price "like a PC" — offering 4K/60fps gaming ahead of Q1 2026 launch.

Let's get into it.

Indian Esports Group S8UL Secures Two Awards in Las Vegas

S8UL Esports became the first Indian organization to win multiple titles at the Esports Awards 2025, claiming Esports Content Group of the Year for the fourth consecutive time while co-founder Animesh Agarwal received Esports Personality of the Year.

The Mumbai-based organization competed against established teams including T1, Sentinels, Team Liquid and Fnatic in the Content Group category. S8UL also participated in the Esports World Cup earlier this year.

Indian creators received several nominations at the ceremony. Payal Dhare competed for Streamer of the Year against winners like Darren Watkins Jr., while Raj Varma was nominated for Esports Content Creator of the Year, ultimately won by Nicholas Stewart.

"Back to back nominations told us we were doing something right," Agarwal said. Co-founder Naman Mathur called it "a proud moment not just for S8UL, but for India."

Indian Studio Nodding Heads Unveils Raji Sequel With Gameplay Overhaul

Nodding Heads Games announced Raji: Kaliyuga during Microsoft's Xbox Partner Preview on Thursday, shifting from isometric to third-person perspective while introducing dual playable characters.

The sequel follows protagonist Raji and her brother Darsh six years after the original's conclusion. Players alternate between siblings with distinct combat systems: Raji uses acrobatic attacks and the divine Trishul weapon, while Darsh manipulates gravity and time through supernatural abilities called Siddhis.

The Pune-based studio upgraded to Unreal Engine 5 while maintaining the Pahari art style from the 2020 original. The game functions as a standalone narrative designed for newcomers.

Raji: An Ancient Epic reached 2.5 million players globally and won 36 international awards. The title became the first Indian-developed game nominated for The Game Awards in 2020, appearing in the Best Debut category.

Nodding Heads did not announce a release date or pricing. The game is expected to support Xbox Play Anywhere, Microsoft's cross-platform purchase system.

⚡️Quick Bytes

Sony Innovation Fund Joins STAN's Series A Funding Round

Sony Innovation Fund invested in STAN, India's mobile gaming social platform, joining the company's ongoing Series A round alongside Hyderabad Angels Fund. The investment follows earlier participation from Google's AI Futures Fund, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Square Enix and General Catalyst. STAN has surpassed 30 million downloads with strong traction in India's tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The Bengaluru-based company plans to deploy capital toward AI-driven personalization, creator monetization tools and expansion into additional mobile-first markets.

Battlefield 6 Posts Record U.S. Launch, Tops October Sales

Battlefield 6 became the franchise's best-selling title in U.S. history during its October debut, according to Circana data released Thursday. The game recorded the highest single-month dollar sales for any title in three years, surpassing recent Call of Duty launches. Battlefield 6 led 2025 sales on Xbox and PC, ranking second on PlayStation behind NBA 2K26. Pokemon Legends: Z-A placed second overall based solely on physical sales, as Nintendo withholds digital data. Hardware spending rose 36% year-over-year to $351 million, driven by Nintendo Switch 2 sales of approximately 328,000 units.

Valve's Steam Machine to Follow PC Pricing Model, Skipping Console Subsidies

Valve will price its upcoming Steam Machine "like a PC, rather than like a console," avoiding the hardware subsidies typically used by PlayStation and Xbox, a company spokesperson told Linus Tech Tips. The console-sized device offers six times the power of Steam Deck with 4K gaming at 60 fps. Valve declined to provide specific pricing, citing market conditions, but confirmed competitive PC-level pricing ahead of its Q1 2026 launch. PlayStation 5 currently retails for $500-$550, while Xbox Series X starts at $600.

⚔️Side Quest

🤣Laugh:

📺 Watch: Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick reveals he nearly bought Minecraft for $1.5 billion in 2014, in Billionaire Ari Emanuel’s podcast. However, he walked away after creator Notch and top leadership threatened to quit. With only 30 employees, Activision couldn't risk running the studio. Kotick advised Notch to accept Microsoft's $2.5 billion counteroffer, crediting Phil Spencer for closing the deal that eventually brought Minecraft into Activision's family anyway.

🎮 Play: Super Fantasy Kingdom blends roguelite base-building with autobattler mechanics in a deceptively deep Early Access title. Build defenses by day, survive automated night battles. Initial limitations mask steady meta progression with satisfying "aha" moments as systems click. Complete runs unlock challenging hero variants and leaderboard chases. Despite RNG-heavy scoring, this labor of love from Hooded Horse offers compulsive, puzzle-like gameplay worth the learning curve.

📚 Read: Developers Antoine Mayerowitz and Julie Belzanne expose Steam's broken regional pricing tool, unchanged since 2022, creating costly market distortions. For instance, Polish players pay 26% more than Americans despite half the income while Australians get permanent discounts. As a result, the pair built a free tool using current purchasing power parity data to fix Valve's neglected system.

💡Did You Know

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just achieved a perfect Golden Joystick Sweep. Sandfall's debut RPG won all six Golden Joystick Awards it was nominated for, including Ultimate Game of the Year. The game defeated Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Hades 2, and Silksong across categories including Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, and Studio of the Year. Voice actors Jennifer English and Ben Starr won Best Lead and Supporting Performer respectively. The clean sweep marks an unprecedented start for the French studio's first title, which launched earlier in 2025. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 left empty-handed despite multiple nominations, often competing directly against Expedition 33. The RPG now leads The Game Awards nominations, positioning itself as the frontrunner heading into December's ceremony.

📜 Quote of the Day

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