Pixel P&L: Tencent's Lightspeed to Spearhead Valorant's Mobile Expansion

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 is launching Valorant Mobile in China with Tencent — details below.

• Indian developer Masala Games to release animated film alongside its mystery game.

• Nintendo seeks Discord subpoena over Pokémon source code leak.

• Streamer xQc partners with NetEase for $250,000 Marvel tournament.

• Bethesda surprise released Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered — learn more below. 

Let's get into it.

📊 Gaming Stocks Today

Riot Games to Launch Valorant Mobile in China with Tencent's Lightspeed Studios

Riot Games is preparing to release Valorant Mobile in China, nearly four years after initially announcing the project. The company has formed a strategic partnership with Tencent's Lightspeed Studios to develop the mobile version of its popular tactical shooter.

Lightspeed brings substantial mobile development experience, having created the multi-billion-dollar hit PUBG Mobile. The studio previously collaborated with Riot on League of Legends: Wild Rift, which has generated approximately $1.5 billion in gross revenue on China's App Store, according to AppMagic data.

While no specific release date was announced, Riot indicated plans for an eventual global launch following the Chinese debut.

The mobile adaptation represents a significant market expansion for Valorant, which launched on PC in June 2020 and currently averages 18 million monthly players. Tencent, Riot's parent company, will leverage its dominant position in China's mobile gaming market to support the release.

Indian Game Developer to Launch Animated Film Alongside Cosy Mystery Game

Indian independent game developer Masala Games will release "Detective Dotson: The Movie" in Hindi alongside its companion cosy mystery PC game on April 24, the company announced on Tuesday.

Created in Unreal Engine 5 by former Pixar artist Shalin Shodhan, both the mystery game and film feature a stylised 2D-meets-3D aesthetic depicting modern India. The narrative follows an amateur detective investigating corporate corruption and family secrets against a cricket match backdrop.

The company will price the game at INR 500 ($5.87) for the Indian market, compared to $20 internationally, a strategy aimed at increasing adoption in the price-sensitive Indian PC gaming market. This regional pricing approach comes in response to concerns about high game prices limiting PC gaming growth in India.

All purchasers of the game will receive access to the film at no additional cost, while select content creators will receive customized versions for audience watch parties.The film includes an original soundtrack created in collaboration with Nikhil Rao of Indian Ocean, a band known for pioneering Indian rock music.

⚡Quick Bytes

Nintendo Seeks Discord Subpoena Over Pokémon Leak

Nintendo of America filed a subpoena request in San Francisco district court on April 18 to identify Discord user "GameFreakOUT," allegedly responsible for October's major Pokémon "teraleak." The filing, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, seeks to compel Discord to reveal the user who shared confidential game materials, including source code for classic Pokémon titles.

Streamer xQc Partners With NetEase for $250,000 Marvel Tournament

Popular streamer Felix "xQc" Lenyel announced a partnership with NetEase Games to host the xQc Invitationals for Marvel Rivals on May 9th. The $250,000 prize pool tournament will feature prominent streaming personalities competing live on Lenyel's Twitch channel. Lenyel confirmed contributing significant personal funds to the prize purse and that he may both compete and commentate during the event.

Bethesda Launches Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in Surprise Release

Bethesda unveiled The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered today, releasing the title simultaneously across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC platforms. Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 by Virtuos studio, the remake includes all major expansions and features modernized controls and a refreshed leveling system.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: How games like Stray, Hi-Fi Rush, and Wandersong challenge traditional protagonist roles by separating playable characters from narrative focus, perfect for anyone interested in video game storytelling.

🎮 Play: Tempest Rising delivers the thrilling base-building, multi-faction warfare, and tactical depth, wrapped in polished modern graphics and a nostalgic soundtrack that'll transport strategy veterans back to the golden age of RTS.

📚 Read: In this brilliant analysis of Obsidian's Pentiment, discover how a medieval murder mystery becomes truly terrifying when it reveals that historical truth is merely what the powerful convince us to believe—a chilling reflection of our own susceptibility to manufactured narratives.

💡Did You Know

In 2016, indie game Ant Simulator was canceled when lead developer Eric Tereshinski publicly resigned, claiming his business partners of 11 years had misappropriated company funds on "liquor, restaurants, bars, and even strippers." The situation was particularly complex as their LLC agreement had been structured in a way that prevented Tereshinski from continuing the project independently without legal risk, forcing him to offer refunds to backers who had supported both the game and a related tutorial series on Kickstarter.

📜 Quote of the Day

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