Gaming
ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND CS Asia Open 2024 returns with a $100K prize pool
Mumbai: eXTREMESLAND announces the return of the ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND CS Asia Open 2024, inviting the gaming community to “Break limits!” This year, the tournament features 16 top teams and a prize pool of $100,000, promising an intense competition. The Grand Final will take place in mid-January 2025 in Shanghai, a major highlight in the global esports calendar.
Last year, eXTREMESLAND hosted an invitational event, rekindling the passion of Counter-Strike players worldwide. Eight teams from across the globe competed in Shanghai, creating unforgettable moments for both players and fans in the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2024, eXTREMESLAND returned to its open tournament format. The event will bring national teams to the final stage after they overcome rigorous regional challenges. The theme, ‘Break limits,’ embodies eXTREMESLAND’s dedication to the Asia-Pacific CS community and its commitment to pushing the boundaries of competition.
The tournament will feature 16 top teams emerging from local qualifiers. Teams from Vietnam, Mongolia, Australia, Thailand, China, India, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines, and the Middle East will compete. Regional representatives will be announced starting in November. The teams will face off in Shanghai for the Grand Final, where the champions will be crowned.
BenQ India and South Asia’s managing director Rajeev Singh shared his excitement:”We are delighted to continue supporting Indian esports, playing our part in the ongoing revolution. Gaming is a key sector for BenQ India, and it is only set to grow further. Our gaming monitors have a long-standing reputation for delivering top-notch performance, and this event is an ideal platform to showcase our dedication to the gaming community.”
The India qualifiers begin on 20 September 2024, with the first phase held online. Single-elimination matches will determine the top eight teams, who will then move to phase two for local qualifiers. In this phase, teams will play in a double-elimination format, with upper and lower brackets. The final two teams will face off at the local LAN finals, and the winner will represent India at the ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND CS Asia Open. Teams can register and find more details about the rules at https://zowieextremesland.in.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
