Latest news with #eFootball
NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Indian Esports Eyes PC Gaming Growth As eFootball, Street Fighter, & Rocket League Join Medal Lineup At Asian Youth Games 2025
The 3rd Asian Youth Games (AYG) is set to feature eFootball, Street Fighter, and Rocket League as official medal events, each to be contested in both boys' and girls' categories. Scheduled to be held in Bahrain from October 22 to 31, 2025, the tournament will include 24 sports disciplines, with esports making its debut as an official medal event. Open to athletes aged between 15 and 18 years as of December 31, 2025, the esports competitions will be governed by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF). The inclusion of these PC-based esports titles presents a promising opportunity for India to develop its esports ecosystem at the grassroots level. Earlier this year, esports made significant strides nationally when the Khelo India Youth Games featured titles such as BGMI, Street Fighter 6, eFootball, and chess as demonstration sports. With continued exposure at events of this scale, young gamers from across the country now have clearer pathways to enter competitive esports. The recognition of esports as an official discipline in international multi-sport tournaments is not only boosting credibility but also establishing it as a viable career path in India. Organizations like S8UL, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, have pushed the envelope worldwide. S8UL is set to be the first and only organisation representing India at the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, as it competes across eight different titles and further demonstrates the country's growing presence on the global esports stage. Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL, shared his thoughts on the development, 'It's a proud moment to see esports take the global stage at the Asian Youth Games with titles like Street Fighter, eFootball, and Rocket League being officially recognised. This is just the beginning for the players, community and for the future of competitive gaming. As someone who's grown with this industry, seeing young athletes now get this platform at such a prestigious multi-sport event feels incredibly special, it's history in the making. This recognition will inspire a whole new generation of talent and help shape the path ahead for esports not just in India, but across Asia.' The fact that all three games featured at AYG 2025 are PC-based titles marks an important development for India, where mobile gaming has historically dominated. Momentum for PC gaming is steadily growing, with key players investing in infrastructure and accessibility. CyberPowerPC India, which entered the country last year, has been at the forefront of this movement. The company recently partnered with Indian esports organization Orangutan to power their state-of-the-art gaming facility, ApeCity, with high-performance PCs. "It's exciting to see prominent PC titles take centre stage at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025, a clear sign that competitive gaming in Asia is evolving in the right direction. Globally, PC has always been a benchmark for esports, and this moment places Asia firmly on that map. For India, this is an opportunity to double down on building a more inclusive and performance-ready grassroots ecosystem. By creating accessible spaces like our PC installation at Ape City, we're helping young gamers experience top-tier hardware and realize their potential without the barriers. This milestone isn't just validation; it's motivation to keep growing the next generation of esports athletes." said Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer of CyberPowerPC India. The Asian Youth Games isn't the only platform where esports is gaining prominence. Esports will also feature at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, scheduled for next year, where 11 esports titles will be official medal events. India had earlier competed in four titles at the Asian Games 2022, and the country is now gearing up for a stronger showing in its next campaign. Pravan Parikh, Co-Founder & Product Lead of Dirtcube Interactive LLP, which launched India's first-of-its-kind gaming backend platform Specter, shares his perspective on what this means for India, 'The inclusion of esports at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025 is a landmark moment for young gamers in India. It brings structure and recognition to a dream that many aspiring players have long held. Crucially, this move gives PC gaming a significant boost in a market where mobile has historically been dominant, opening up fresh opportunities for skill development, talent discovery, and long-term career growth. It's an encouraging sign that esports is finally being embraced as a serious discipline within the larger sporting ecosystem.' As India prepares to compete at the AYG 2025, the recognition of esports alongside traditional sports is becoming increasingly mainstream. With growing investment, improved infrastructure, and stronger national representation, India is on the path to becoming not just a participant, but a serious contender in global esports. Listen to the latest songs, only on
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
Indian Esports Eyes Growth As PC Games Join Asian Youth Games 2025 Medal Lineup
Last Updated: Esports was announced as an official medal event at the Asian Youth Games, which will take place in Bahrain from October 22 to 31, 2025 The 3rd Asian Youth Games (AYG) will feature eFootball, Street Fighter, and Rocket League as official medal events in both boys' and girls' categories. Scheduled to take place in Bahrain from 22 to 31 October 2025, the tournament will include 24 sports disciplines, with esports making its debut as an official medal event. Open to athletes aged 15 to 18 years as of 31 December 2025, the esports competitions will be governed by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF). The inclusion of these PC-based esports titles presents a promising opportunity for India to develop its esports ecosystem at the grassroots level. Earlier this year, esports made significant strides nationally when the Khelo India Youth Games featured titles such as BGMI, Street Fighter 6, eFootball, and chess as demonstration sports. With continued exposure at events of this scale, young gamers from across the country now have clearer pathways to enter competitive esports. Recognising esports as an official discipline in international multi-sport tournaments boosts its credibility and establishes it as a viable career path in India. Organisations like S8UL, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, have pushed the boundaries worldwide. S8UL will be the first and only organisation representing India at the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, competing across eight different titles and further demonstrating the country's growing presence on the global esports stage. Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, commented on the development, saying, 'It's a proud moment to see esports take the global stage at the Asian Youth Games with titles like Street Fighter, eFootball, and Rocket League being officially recognised." He believes this is just the beginning for the players, the community, and the future of competitive gaming. The fact that all three games featured at AYG 2025 are PC-based titles marks an important development for India, where mobile gaming has historically dominated. Momentum for PC gaming is growing, with key players investing in infrastructure and accessibility. CyberPowerPC India, which entered the country last year, has been at the forefront of this movement. The company recently partnered with Indian esports organisation Orangutan to power their state-of-the-art gaming facility, ApeCity, with high-performance PCs. Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer of CyberPowerPC India, expressed excitement about prominent PC titles taking centre stage at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025, viewing it as a sign that competitive gaming in Asia is evolving in the right direction. He emphasised that creating accessible spaces like their PC installation at ApeCity helps young gamers experience top-tier hardware and realise their potential. Esports will also feature at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, scheduled for next year, where 11 esports titles will be official medal events. India had earlier competed in four titles at the Asian Games 2022 and is now gearing up for a stronger showing in its next campaign. Pravan Parikh, Co-Founder and Product Lead of Dirtcube Interactive LLP, which launched India's first-of-its-kind gaming backend platform Specter, views the inclusion of esports at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025 as a landmark moment for young gamers in India. He believes it brings structure and recognition to a dream that many aspiring players have long held and sees it as an encouraging sign that esports is finally being embraced as a serious discipline within the larger sporting ecosystem. As India prepares to compete at the AYG 2025, the recognition of esports alongside traditional sports is becoming increasingly mainstream. With growing investment, improved infrastructure, and stronger national representation, India is on the path to becoming not just a participant but a serious contender in global esports.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Esports at Khelo India Youth Games: BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball at Patliputra event
Titles like BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball will debut at the ESports event of Khelo India on May 6-7 in the Patliputra Sports Complex. The demo event will feature titles that span mobile, console, and strategy-based formats like chess. BGMI has the highest participation nationwide, and will remain a popular hook. But the notable addition is of chess which most recently became part of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, which boasted a prize pool of $1.5 million (INR 12.6 crore) for the title. In India, majors NODWIN Gaming have on boarded e-chess and organised the Chess Super League, featuring national and international stars and also hosted Chess tournaments at DreamHack India 2024 across rapid and blitz formats. 'The inclusion of titles like BGMI, Street Fighter 6, Chess, and eFootball in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 signals a big step forward for grassroots esports in India,' Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, said in a press release. Rathee said Khelo India could be a great avenue to locate stars from Tier 1 & 2 cities. 'It's encouraging to see esports standing shoulder to shoulder with traditional sports, and the addition of Chess – bridging classical and digital strategy shows how in tune this initiative is with global trends. But this isn't just about tournaments. It's about creating real opportunities to discover talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, places that have been overlooked for too long, thus building the foundation for a future where Indian gamers don't just participate, they dominate on the world stage,' he added. S8UL, the global force in esports and gaming content, has signed Grandmasters Aravindh Chithambaram and Nihal Sarin to compete at the EWC 2025, but they will also field players across Street Fighter 6, as well as EAFC25, Call of Duty Warzone, Tekken 8, and Apex Legends at the prestigious tournament. Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL stated that Street Fighter 6 and chess would especially benefit. 'It is especially encouraging to see Street Fighter 6 and Chess recognised through a government-led initiative, at a time when S8UL will be representing India in these very titles at the upcoming Esports World Cup. This development is crucial for identifying and nurturing talent across a range of platforms and genres from the grassroots level. Such proactive support from the authorities is a strong indicator of the growing legitimacy of esports in India and a positive sign for the industry's future,' he adds. Bihar recently embraced the esports movement by organising the Bihar State Esports Open Championship and the Bihar Inter School and College Esports Championship over the past year. States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland have also taken proactive steps to support and formalise grassroots esports programs, as per the release. Mikhail Bhuta, Co-Founder & Tech Lead, Dirtcube Interactive LLP was hopeful that Made-in-India esports-based games could be part of KIYG's future seasons. Pavan Kampelli won the bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Esports Games in Bangkok, while Esports will be an official medal sport at the 2026 Asian Games, and the first-ever Olympic Esports Games is scheduled to debut in 2027.
Metro
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Battersea organises virtual pitch invasion of AI dogs to promote adoption
A new rescue dog adoption campaign is appealing to gamers by recreating a selection of dogs in live video games. In an effort to encourage gamers into adopting a rescue dog, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and Pedigree have made AI generated copies of actual dogs and modded them into a football game. Eight dogs made an appearance during a livestreamed match of a game on Twitch, streaking across the pitch, much to the surprise of viewers. Battersea and Pedigree haven't specifically stated which football game it's used for this promotional campaign, but you have to assume it was either EA Sports FC 25 or Konami's eFootball. You can see individual clips of the AI dogs over on Dailymotion, all of which have real life counterparts that are currently available for adoption. This comes amid research conducted by Pedigree that says 32% of Gen Z gamers, aged 18 to 30, have already adopted a rescue dog while 85% would consider it. By comparison, when non-gaming members of Gen Z were surveyed, 70% says they'd consider it. 'Owning a dog can be incredibly rewarding but does require a lot of commitment, training and patience – all things that are needed for gaming too,' says Battersea Dogs & Cats Rehoming Manager Sofia Papaloizou. 'Rescue dogs are incredibly special and it's great to hear that so many gamers are already enjoying the wonderful companionship of a rescue pet. We hope that this campaign will not only help find a home for the dogs involved but also showcase how unique every rescue dog is and inspire more people to consider adoption when looking to get a pet in the future.' More Trending According to Pedigree brand director Ed Owen, part of the goals for this gamer-centric campaign is to also clear up misconceptions about dog ownership, which is assumed to be why less than half of Gen Z (48%) have adopted a dog of their own. 'At Pedigree, championing rescue dogs is part of our purpose and our DNA, we've broken new ground with this campaign by creating canine avatars to reach new potential pet parents,' says Owen. 'Whilst this campaign has a fun side, there is a serious purpose behind it all – we want as many rescue dogs to be rehomed as possible to the right home and to challenge the misconceptions young people have of the sorts of dogs in rescue centres like Battersea.' The campaign's official website includes links to information for the eight dogs featured in the game mod. At the time of writing, one of them has already been adopted. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Paul O'Grady's generosity knew no bounds as he leaves staggering amount of £15million will to Battersea Dogs Home MORE: EA Sports FC 25 just got a £9 battle pass after disappointing sales MORE: Ordering video games from CeX on Just Eat is now a thing you can do
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Neymar tips Barcelona sensation to become ‘one of the biggest football stars'
There are not many young talents in football better than Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, and the player's consistency and age speak for themselves. At just 17 years of age, the La Masia graduate has cemented himself as one of the first names on Hansi Flick's team sheet and is one of Barcelona's most influential players in the final third. His rise to fame, moreover, has not stopped at the club level as he is also a regular international for Spain and even was a crucial part of their UEFA Euro 2024 winning side. Earlier today, football videogame giants Konami revealed Yamal to be the latest ambassador for their eFootball video game. Speaking to eFootball via YouTube in a recent interaction, Barcelona legend Neymar Jr. was asked to give his opinion on the youngster and whether he saw a similarity between his and the teenager's game. 'Lamine Yamal is a great player. We obviously share some similar characteristics in our style of play,' he said, admitting the similarity that the world has been talking about for a while. The Brazilian superstar then went on to shower massive praise on Yamal and the scary potential he has to become one of the most magical players of his generation. 'I think he has everything to become one of the biggest football stars in the world,' Neymar added. Just as Neymar was known for his ability to dribble through tight spaces with flair and flamboyantly dance his way through defences, Yamal is showing promising signs of a similar skillset at an early stage in his career. His goalscoring is an avenue that is yet to improve and one where the Brazilian star was significantly superior, but given Yamal's age, he has it in him to improve on his weaknesses and come out a better-rounded player. So far this season, the 2024 Golden Boy winner has scored five goals and provided ten assists in La Liga and also has two goals and as many assists to his name in the UEFA Champions League. He looked slightly off-colour in Barcelona's most recent outing but will look to return to his best when the Catalans take on Las Palmas later this week.
