Gaming
Yuki Chiba teams up with Riot Games for new VCT Pacific anthem
MUMBAI: What happens when one of Japan’s hottest rap voices joins forces with gaming giant Riot? You get an anthem that slaps harder than a last-round clutch. Riot Games has teamed up with Japanese rapper and singer Yuki Chiba for ‘Shinpai Muyou’, the official music anthem of VCT Pacific. It marks Chiba’s first venture into gaming music, and the collab couldn’t have come at a more hype-fuelled moment just ahead of the league’s Stage 2 kickoff.
Dropping globally on 11 July via Coup D’Etat Recordings, the track blends a punchy bassline with feel-good flow, carried by Chiba’s signature cadence and packed with lines that are bound to echo across Discord servers and stadiums alike. A music video will also premiere on the VCT Pacific YouTube channel the same day.
“Shinpai Muyou is a reminder to myself and my fans to not worry and always believe in yourself,” said Chiba, whose laid-back swagger and lyrical optimism are front and centre in the track. “There’s no need to stress when you can just vibe.”
And that message couldn’t be more timely. Valorant Champions Tour Pacific is heading into Stage 2 from 15 July in Seoul, with the much-anticipated Grand Finals roadshow making its Japan debut on 30-31 August in Tokyo.
Valoerant Esports Head of APAC Jake Sin called the anthem “a dream project,” saying: “We’re thrilled to work with someone as talented as Yuki Chiba, especially as we gear up for our first-ever Finals roadshow in Japan.”
The stakes are high, two teams from Stage 2 will qualify directly for Valorant Champions Paris, with two more determined by their cumulative 2025 Championship Points. With both music and esports fans tuning in, ‘Shinpai Muyou’ is set to become the sound of the season.
Ticket details for the event will be announced shortly on the Valorant Esports website. Until then don’t stress, just press play.
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
