5 November 2020 | By Anzu
Image Credit: Riot Games
It’s nearly time to reflect on 2020 in the world of esports and video games. While many industries slowed down during the pandemic, the esports and video games industry has shown impressive growth, setting numerous records and proving to be a valuable media channel. Stay ahead of the curve by keeping track of the significant investments and promising partnerships happening in the industry with our weekly news digest!
2020 is already a record year for gaming investments! GamesIndustry.biz cites the results of the DDM's Games Investment Review stating $5.2 billion in investment in Q3 bringing the year's total to $9.9 billion with one quarter to go. According to the review, investment in Q3 was primarily driven by IPOs, which amounted to $2.1 billion and accounted for 41% of the total investment. When looking at mergers and acquisitions, DDM tracked 54 total M&As in Q3 with the total value of disclosed deals reaching over $3.5 billion, while esports and mobile have been the most active segments.
Esports marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming has signed a strategic partnership with Infront for the commercialization of a new Valorant-focused German platform, Agent’s Range. The platform will provide editorial and video content for the game as well as host various tournaments. As part of the launch, Agent’s Range will host its first tournament -- Kingdom Calling -- on Friday, Nov. 6. The platform has secured Samsung, Red Bull, and AMD as sponsors for its inaugural event. Additionally, Agent’s Range will serve as the exclusive German broadcast partner for Riot Games’ first official Valorant championship, First Strike, reports the Esports Observer.
TiMi Studios, the brain behind viral mobile game Honor of Kings, announced at the game’s five-year anniversary gala that it has crossed 100 million daily active users. The title not only has broken user records, but it has generated other unprecedented accomplishments along the way. For one, it consistently ranks among the top-grossing mobile games worldwide, jostling with the famous PUBG Mobile made by another Tencent studio. The game also is credited for popularizing the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) category in China and has an unusually high female player base -- around 50% -- for a genre dominated by males, reports TechCrunch.
One more important study! Google Play presented a mobile gaming in the context of COVID-19 research conducted in partnership with Savana. Insights for the study were taken from 10 markets -- the US, the UK, Brazil, Japan, China, India, Korea, France, Germany, Russia. Alongside the general increase in playing mobile games, 65% of players have claimed their game sessions are also getting longer. Reported reasons for longer play include: relieving stress, staying connected with friends during these challenging times, and choosing titles that require more skill. Find the key findings on PocketGamer.biz.
Nintendo Switch fans, assemble! The hybrid game console has been on fire during the pandemic, as per the sales numbers the company reported for the six months ended September 30. Nintendo claimed revenues were $7.38 billion, up 73.3% from $4.25 billion for the same period a year ago. Net profit was $2.04 billion, up 243% from $590 million for the same period a year ago. Find more stats and games most played on VentureBeat.
Anzu.io is an in-game advertising platform that brings real-world brand ads to video gaming and esports. Backed by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, WPP, and Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Anzu redefines digital advertising through seamless integration of non-intrusive ads into the gameplay. Bringing real-time data and programmatic to the video gaming world, the platform promises native advertising, brand safety and ad viewability. Follow Anzu on
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