Nodwin Gaming and Google Play are putting mobile gaming in the big league with Google Play Arena, a six-game championship featuring MS Dhoni’s Mahi Clutchers, a competitive esports club, alongside GodLike, S8UL and other esports clubs.
Free registrations opened on 23 October, with open qualifiers leading to the grand finale in December. Players selected through the qualifiers will get a chance to represent Dhoni’s club, which will compete against Orangutan, GodLike, Apex Gaming, Revenant XSpark and S8UL.
The championship features Battlegrounds Mobile India, Free Fire Max, Moba Legends: 5v5!, Real Cricket, Chess through Chess.com and EA Sports FC Mobile.
Nodwin Gaming will oversee the tournament’s planning, partnerships, operations, production and campaign management.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee shared, “At Nodwin Gaming, we look forward to bringing our experience in building gaming IPs and delivering large-scale competitive gaming experiences to create an event that resonates with players and fans across the country.”
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) could cost the US economy around US$1 billion in lost productivity as employees take time off to play, according to an estimate reported by Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser.
Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra University economics professor José García Montalvoat commented, men aged 18 to 30 and technology workers could be particularly likely to take time away from work. Remote working could also make it easier for some employees to play during office hours.
The game is scheduled to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on 19 November. However, the US$1 billion figure remains an estimate rather than a confirmed economic loss.
Epic Games is offering US$65,000 in cash prizes and development grants of up to US$50,000 per team through its AI MegaJam, scheduled for 12 to 15 November. Participants must build playable games using Unreal Engine (UE), a 3D computer graphics game engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), which enables you to design, build, and publish content. Teams can have up to five members, with AI use remaining optional.
A24 is reportedly investing nearly US$200 million in its Elden Ring adaptation, according to The Wall Street Journal. Written and directed by Alex Garland, the film is scheduled for 3 March 2028. If confirmed, the budget would make it the studio’s most expensive production to date, surpassing the reported US$70 million cost of Marty Supreme.
Microsoft has missed an Xbox-linked executive compensation target for the fifth time in six years, according to a game file. Xbox content and services revenue fell six per cent in the year ended 30 June, against a growth target of 4.3 per cent. The metric affects a portion of senior executives’ compensation, including that of CEO Satya Nadella.
