Pixel P&L: Valorant Esports Surges in South Asia With 12M Views For VCSA 2025 Ascension Qualifiers

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 6 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• VALORANT's India tournament shattered records with 12 million views as Velocity Gaming secured their spot for global competition — see the impressive numbers below.

• BLAST appoints Charlie Cowdrey as CEO of their India joint venture, marking a major expansion into the lucrative Indian esports market.

• Meta and YouTube are cracking down hard on unoriginal content, with Meta removing 10 million fake profiles this year alone.

• The FBI seized major Nintendo Switch piracy site Nsw2u in a joint international operation targeting illegal ROM distribution.

• CD Projekt shares surge 40% this year on Witcher 4 hype, making it one of Europe's most expensive gaming stocks — learn more below. 

Let's get into it.

VALORANT Tournament in India Draws Record 12 Million Views as Esports Viewership Surges

The OMEN VCSA 2025 Ascension Qualifiers generated over 12 million views and peaked at 50,000 concurrent viewers, marking one of the most-watched VALORANT esports events in South Asia this year. Velocity Gaming secured qualification for VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 after defeating S8UL 3-1 in the Grand Final at Gurugram's Ardee Mall, earning INR 24.3 lakhs ($29,000) in prize money. 

"This tournament was a reflection of how far the VALORANT community in South Asia has come. The passion from fans, the level of competition, and the support behind these teams show that this region is ready for the global stage," said Sukamal Pegu, Esports Lead, South Asia, Riot Games.

NODWIN Gaming, the tournament organizer alongside Riot Games, facilitated broadcasts in both Hindi and English, reaching diverse audiences across the region. In a release, NODWIN Gaming co-founder Akshat Rathee highlighted the tournament's role in building "a long-term, sustainable ecosystem for VALORANT in South Asia."

Velocity Gaming will now advance to represent South Asia at VCT Ascension Pacific 2025 in Bangkok from October 13-26, where they will compete against 10 elite Asia-Pacific teams for promotion to the VCT Pacific League 2026.

BLAST Appoints Charlie Cowdrey as CEO of India Joint Venture

Esports tournament organiser BLAST has named Charlie Cowdrey as Chief Executive Officer of JioBLAST, the joint venture between BLAST and RISE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited.

Cowdrey will relocate from London to Mumbai in September to lead the venture's Indian operations, marking BLAST's major expansion into the market. The four-year BLAST veteran previously served as Programme Director for Epic Games, managing key publisher relationships including Rocket League and Fortnite competitions.

"India represents an enormous opportunity for BLAST, and we believe Charlie is the perfect person to take this vision forward," said Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST.

JioBLAST aims to combine Jio's market reach with BLAST's esports expertise to create new tournament formats, establish production studios, and deliver localized mobile esports content. The venture recently opened recruitment for six foundational roles in Mumbai as it builds local operations to serve India's dynamic gaming community.

Quick Bytes

Meta and YouTube Crack Down on Unoriginal Content

Meta and YouTube are cracking down on accounts sharing unoriginal content, with both platforms targeting mass-produced and repetitive videos. Meta has removed 10 million profiles impersonating content creators this year and taken action against 500,000 accounts for spam behavior. Violating accounts will lose monetization access and face reduced distribution.

FBI Seizes Nintendo Switch Piracy Site in Joint Operation

The FBI seized Nintendo Switch piracy site Nsw2u in collaboration with Dutch authorities, according to a seizure banner now displayed on the site. The platform hosted illegal Switch ROMs for users with emulators and hacked systems. The action follows Nintendo's intensified crackdown on piracy, including recent legal victories against similar sites and updated account policies targeting emulation.

CD Projekt Among Europe's Most Expensive Stocks on Witcher Hype

CD Projekt SA shares have surged 40% this year and nearly doubled over 12 months as investors bet on the fourth Witcher installment, still at least two years away. The Polish game developer now trades at 29 times next year's estimated revenue, making it among the most expensive stocks in Europe's Stoxx 600 by price-to-sales ratio.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Listen: I had a good laugh watching videogamedunkey skewer Xbox's baffling decisions through "Phil Caneler," a fictional executive gleefully canceling beloved games and shuttering successful studios out of pure whim. Sharp, absurd, and painfully accurate commentary.

🎮 Play: I've been enjoying Steamle, a clever twist on daily puzzle games that tests your knowledge of Steam's gaming ecosystem. Instead of guessing words, you're estimating review counts for popular games, which creates a surprisingly addictive challenge that requires you to think about a game's popularity, release timing, and community engagement.

📚 Read: Matt Dion's latest in Naavik Digest brilliantly unpacks why those massive $50M+ studio raises mostly crashed and burned, and what it means for founders and investors moving forward. If you're building a game studio or considering investment opportunities, his insights on sustainable funding alternatives are invaluable.

💡Did You Know

The world's longest concert by multiple artists lasted an incredible 437 hours, 54 minutes, and 40 seconds, which is over 18 days of continuous music! This marathon musical feat was achieved by Kevin Ker, Shaen Armstrong, and Epidemic Music Group at the Earl of Whitchurch in Ontario, Canada, from March 17 to April 5, 2017. The Canadian musicians undertook this challenge to unite their nation during Canada's 150th anniversary celebrations, proving that music truly has the power to bring people together across time and distance.

📜 Quote of the Day

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