iWorld
GodLike Esports partners with gaming agency Numen
Mumbai: GodLike Esports has joined hands with Numen Esports and Gaming for esports and gaming management services. The professional esports team, which has BGMI, Free Fire and CODR rosters, features top gamers from India including Jonathan Amaral, Arshpreet “Gill” Singh, Abhishek “ZGOD” Choudhary, Vivek “ClutchGod” Aabhas and Suraj “Neyoo” Majumdar to name a few. Through this association, Numen Esports will be managing the team’s tournament development, investment and consulting services, merchandise and more.
Founded by Chetan “Kronten” Chandgude, GodLike Esports has been making waves in the Indian and global gaming space for a few years now. Having won big at renowned tournaments like CODM India Challenge 2022, PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021, LOCO War of Glory 2021, Skyesports Championship 3.0 and more, the members of the different rosters of GodLike Esports have managed to become established names in the esports industry in India. GodLike is among the few teams in the country with a Girls BGMI Roster, who have been creating a splash in various tournaments like BMOC, where they were semi-finalists, Truth N Fair, Rooter Underdog 1.0 and 2.0. The team also recently announced an exclusive streaming deal with Rooter, one of India’s largest gaming and esports streaming platforms.
Numen Esports & Gaming is a gaming and esports focused agency, with industry veterans, Manoj George, Sachin Parkale and Kaustubh Purohit at the helm. They bring their expertise and industry know-how to the table to provide a wide array of services from talent management, large gaming IPs, short/long format content & brand partnerships. Numen also has a host of talent, including other top creators like, Gaming Guru, Spike, Lolzzz, Novaking and more. Raking in a revenue of Rs 136 billion last year, and projected to hit Rs 290 crore by 2024-25 (as per a KPMG report), the gaming industry in India is scaling at a rapid pace and Numen Esports was founded to support this ecosystem by creating opportunities for talented gamers to pursue a viable career in it.
Talking about the partnership, Numen Esports and Gaming co-founder & CEO Manoj George said, “GodLike is undoubtedly one of the most recognized names in the Indian esports industry and we are happy to partner with them to take the team and the brand to unparalleled heights. The gaming industry in India is at a very exciting stage, with huge developments and incredible opportunities for the esports athletes and brands. We are excited to be the bridge between them and create extraordinary content and experiences for fans.”
Numen Esports and Gaming director Kaustubh Purohit said, “Our focus at Numen Esports has been to contribute to the growing Indian esports and gaming ecosystem by scouting and representing gamers and teams. GodLike is a huge phenomenon in the Indian gaming space, with all that they’ve managed to achieve in a short span of time and we are going to work together to accelerate this growth even further.”
Numen Esports and Gaming director Sachin Parkale said, “Numen and GodLike have a common vision to make India a superpower in the global gaming and esports industry. With the rapid growth the industry has been seeing recently, we are confident we can make a significant impact together.”
GodLike Esports founder Chetan ‘Kronten’ Chandgude, said, “We are ecstatic to partner with Numen Esports and are assured they will help us achieve great things. In the preliminary discussions itself, I saw the synergies and the shared passion to build something exceptional for GodLike and the Indian gaming industry and we’re looking forward to setting everything in motion.”
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Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
