Pixel P&L: EWC Expansion, Steam's Record Year, & a Counter-Strike Comeback

The Esports World Cup has announced the 40 teams selected for its 2025 Club Partnership program, marking the first time an Indian team has been included. Also in focus: Valve’s record-breaking year for Steam, a fan-made remake of Counter-Strike 1.6, and other industry highlights in today’s Pixel P&L.

S8UL Joins Esports World Cup Partner Program

S8UL Esports has been named a Club Partner for the 2025 Esports World Cup, becoming the first Indian esports organization to join the program. The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced Monday that 40 teams worldwide had been selected for the initiative, which offers up to $1 million in funding to promote the tournament through content creation and marketing.

The team, a significant force in Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Pokémon UNITE, has recently expanded into VALORANT and Call of Duty: Mobile. The organization is also eyeing growth in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe as part of its global expansion strategy ahead of the 2025 Esports World Cup.

S8UL joins international organizations such as FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, and Team Liquid in the expanded program, which grew from 30 to 40 teams for 2025. The eight-week Esports World Cup will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is organized by ESL FACEIT Group.

Valve Reports Record-Breaking Year for Steam in 2024

Valve corporation reported record-breaking sales for its PC gaming platform Steam in 2024, calling it the platform’s “best year ever” for new game sales in its annual Steam Year In Review 2024 blog post.

Revenue from new releases (defined as sales from a game's first 30 days and pre-orders) was ten times higher than in 2014. Valve said more than 500 titles earned over $250,000 in early sales, while over 200 games surpassed $1 million, reflecting year-over-year increases of 27% and 15%, respectively. Valve's handheld Steam Deck device saw notable growth as well, accounting for 330 million playtime hours in 2024, up 64% from the previous year.

“The 1.7 million customers who originated from a top 2023 release went on to enjoy more than 141 million hours of playtime in additional games, on top of any playtime from the game that brought them onboard. And they weren’t just playing games—they were buying new ones, too. That cohort of players has gone on to spend $20 million on in-game transactions across hundreds of other games—plus another $73 million on premium games and DLC across thousands more products,” added Valve in the blog.

The results reflect Steam’s continued ability to attract users and generate strong sales, with Valve expressing confidence that momentum will carry into 2025.

?Quick Bytes

Fan-Made Counter-Strike Remake 'CS: Legacy' Announced

A group of developers behind the former CSPromod project has unveiled CS: Legacy, a fan-made standalone remake of Counter-Strike 1.6. The game features rewritten rendering systems, new shaders, and fully custom game assets. Fans can support the project via Patreon as development continues.

Krafton Unveils Creator Network for Gaming Influencers

Krafton has launched the Creator Network, a program designed to support gaming content creators. Approved participants can join marketing campaigns and earn at least 5% of net revenue from in-game purchases made with their creator codes.?

Discord Unveils Social SDK for Seamless In-Game Integration

Discord has introduced the Discord Social SDK, enabling game developers to integrate friends lists, voice chat, and other social features directly into their titles. Developers like Theorycraft Games and Tencent are already adopting the SDK, which competes with Epic’s Online Services and Steamworks API.

You're reading "Pixel P&L by AFK Gaming"

Want these daily in your email? Join free.

?? Did You Know

In 2014, EVE Online saw a massive in-game battle that resulted in an estimated $300,000 worth of real-world money being lost. Known as the Battle of B-R5RB, the conflict erupted after a missed payment triggered a war between powerful alliances. Thousands of ships, including massive capital vessels, were destroyed in the 21-hour conflict. Since EVE Online allows players to purchase in-game assets with real money, the staggering losses made headlines, marking the battle as one of the most expensive virtual wars in gaming history.

?Pixel P&L Recommends

?Watch: Tetris, a biographical thriller about the popular video game.

?Play: Retro-inspired detective adventure The Roottrees are Dead

?Listen: Indian creators on platforms, algorithms & content strategy

?Read: Why the AI-Powered Aloy From Horizon Zero Dawn is terrifying

?Buy: Keep your PC, Smartphone, Console clean with a specialized Cleaning kit

You're just read "Pixel P&L by AFK Gaming"

Want these daily in your email? Join free.