“We bought a lakh of installs, and almost nobody was playing a week later.”
Aim ads at players who reach a set level or come back. Our performance marketing shows retention next to cost per install (CPI, the price of each download).
This is mineHome / Industries / Gaming & esports
Industries · Gaming & esports
Gaming and esportsmarketing agency
For game studios and esports teams, and for brands that want gamers. Installs are easy to buy. Players who stay take real work.
/ 01 Gaming marketing agency in India
Players who stay.Fans who show up.
In gaming, an install is the cheapest thing to buy and a player who stays is the hardest. PromotEdge is a gaming and esports marketing agency.
We plan launches and user acquisition, creator campaigns, sponsorships and events. We work for game studios, esports teams and organisers, gaming hardware brands and other consumer brands that want to reach gamers. Then we measure the work on players who keep playing, because a download alone tells you little.
We judge gaming work on what happens after the install. We watch day-1 retention first, the share of new players who come back the next day. Then we check who still plays after a week and a month, and what each paying player costs.
We take game launches, esports and tournaments, and campaigns with streamers. We also take casual and skill-based games that put no money at stake, and gaming hardware. Studios and streamers who make shows and videos can also read our media and entertainment page.
Our view: gaming branding starts with one clear idea for your game or team, so players can tell you apart. Gaming website design should then put the trailer, the store link and your Discord invite on the first screen.
We do not promote real-money gaming, and we say no to those briefs.
/ 02 What usually gets in the way
What gets in the wayand the way through.
“A big gaming creator promoted us, and the downloads barely moved.”
Pick creators by who watches them, not by followers. In influencer marketing, each creator gets a trackable link or code.
This is mine“We sponsored an esports team, and can't say what we got for it.”
Set targets before the season, such as viewers reached and codes redeemed. We write them into the deal and count them with analytics and tracking.
This is mine“Our real-money game was hit by the 2025 law. Can you help us pivot?”
Move to a social game or an esport with no money at stake. We build the go-to-market plan for it, and your lawyers confirm it falls outside the ban.
This is mine/ 03 Proof
Who we haveworked with.
We haven't done gaming yet. Our nearest work is sports: for Kolkata Thunderbolts, a volleyball club, we made the identity, jerseys, a mascot called Volley Biswas, launch films and fan campaigns on social media. In media, Sony Music and ZEE are on our client list.
Brands we have worked with
“An aligned partner is always a welcoming step. Someone who can think deep through lines, understand the matrix of product management. Fortunate enough, PromotEdge has been a partner in progress for me. …”
Bobby SrinivasChief Manager Marketing & Brand Marketing at Utkarsh India“As a progressive and emerging digital marketing company, PromotEdge is doing something right to enhance the experience of companies associated with them. …”
Anish Basu MallikMarketing Executive at Unimark Group“PRAN & PromotEdge have been working together for last 1.5 years. Throughout, the work experience is good and satisfactory. As a client, we found PromotEdge very professional and dedicated towards any project assigned to them. …”
Sharif Rezwan KabirBrand Manager at PRAN RFL Group/ 04 Order to start
Four steps,one player funnel.
| Step | What we do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Strategy | Market research on your player. Then targets for retention and paying players, and a launch calendar. | A clear picture of one player makes each rupee go further. |
| 2. Advertising (mainline) | Launch films and trailers, and public relations with gaming and tech media. | Trailers and press give a new game credibility first. |
| 3. Digital | User acquisition on Google Ads (including YouTube) and Meta Ads. Then creators, social media with Discord care, and retention campaigns. | Gamers find new games on phones, often through a creator. |
| 4. Below the line (BTL) and events | College tournaments, LAN events and booths at gaming expos, plus esports viewing parties. | Events turn players into fans who bring friends. |
Every number comes from one source: your analytics, or your mobile measurement partner (the tool that matches installs to ads).
/ 05 Cost
What gaming marketing costs.
We don't publish a price list. After a 30-minute strategist call, a written quote follows within 2 working days. Ad spend, creator fees and sponsorships are billed at actuals.
What affects the cost
- User acquisition budget and the number of platforms
- How many creators, and how big they are
- Launch assets, such as trailers and store pages, in each language
- Event production, sponsorship and community hours each month
How we quote
- We ask about your game, your player and today's retention
- We read your store page, trailers and any early campaign data
- We write a scope, platform by platform. You approve it before work starts
What you get in the quote
- Our fee, creator fees and ad spend on separate lines
- The platforms, creators and launch assets, each named
- Who does what each month
- A report that leads with retention and paying players
How it is billed
| Way of working | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Launch project | Strategy, store page, trailer and the first weeks of user acquisition. We confirm the timeline in the quote |
| Monthly retainer | Ongoing user acquisition, creators, community and reporting. Minimum 3 months, 30 days' notice to stop |
Ask any agency, including us, to report retention and paying players first, with installs and views after.
Every client and project is different. The cost depends on the effort it takes, so we price after the first call.
/ 06 Services
Services forgaming and esports.
Gaming website design
A fast site on phones for your game, team or event, with Call and WhatsApp buttons for sponsors.
Gaming branding
A name, logo and look that players and fans recognise on streams, jerseys and store pages.
Digital marketing for gaming
One plan across search, ads, social and WhatsApp for gamers, read on players who stay, not installs.
AI for gaming teams
AI helps sort player feedback and draft event updates, and your community lead decides what is said.
Player acquisition ads
Google, YouTube and Meta ads aimed at players who stay or pay, not only at installs.
Google AdsYouTubeMetaStore page optimisation
Test your icon and screenshots on Google Play and the App Store, one change at a time.
AndroidAppleAll services for gaming & esports (9)
Gaming creators and streamers
Creators and streamers picked by their viewers, each with a trackable link or code.
YouTubeInstagramTrailers and launch films
Short trailers for YouTube and your store page, and a launch film.
YouTubePublic relations
Launch stories for gaming and tech media, before a game or tournament goes live.
Community management
Discord and social channels with an owner for each, for quick replies.
Tournaments and LAN events
College tournaments and LAN events (players on one local network), and viewing parties.
Tracking and reports
Retention and paying players from one source, and sponsorship counts agreed early.
Go-to-market plan
A launch plan around festivals and tournaments, with targets for retention and payers.
Brand strategy and positioning
A clear idea and look for your game or team, so players can tell you apart.
Gaming gear on marketplaces
Creator reviews and ads on Amazon and Flipkart for headsets and controllers.
AmazonFlipkartPlanning a game launch or a tournament? Share the date, and we'll work out together what should happen first. Share the date
/ 07 AI and automation
Where AI can help Gaming and esportstoday.
Real business problems, from sales to back office, each with a plain AI fix. A person stays in charge of every step.
Getting Android game installs in India is cheap, but in most games studied very few players are still playing after a month. Keeping players matters.
The AI fix AI spots where players quit and who may leave soon, and suggests in-game nudges or rewards (WhatsApp only with consent). The game team decides what changes.
Source: Indiantelevision.com reporting Mintegral's India Gaming Growth Outlook 2026, July 2026
Reduced brand spending is one of the top challenges named in a survey of India's esports industry. Organisers must win sponsors.
The AI fix AI lists brands that already sponsor gaming or youth events, drafts a proposal for each and writes a plain post-event report. The sales head sells and sets terms.
India's 2026 online gaming rules require every game provider to run a working complaint system. Players unhappy with the reply can appeal within 30 days.
The AI fix One inbox where AI sorts complaints by type and language, drafts replies from past answers and flags overdue ones. The support lead decides bans and signs replies.
Source: PIB backgrounder 'A New Era of Online Gaming Governance', 30 April 2026
After the 2025 law banned online money games, India's gamer base shrank. Studios of lawful games must plan how players find them before launch.
The AI fix AI drafts and tests store-listing texts and ad versions in Indian languages and sums up player reviews each week. The marketing lead picks what runs and checks translations.
AI and automation systems WhatsApp automation Chatbots
These show what such tools do. Each card links its source. We do not claim a past project here.
Go deeperMore on this
The gaming and esports market in depth
Market size and trend
Lumikai counted India's video games market, without real-money games, at about $1.5 billion in 2025, up 17%. Gamers fell from 609 million to 555 million after the 2025 ban, yet one in four still pays. Older reports counted real-money games, so do not compare them with these.
Source: Lumikai, State of India Interactive Media Report 2025, key signals, March 2026, as reported by Outlook Respawn, 23 March 2026
How buyers decide
Our view: a player sees a creator's stream or hears of a game from a friend, then checks YouTube and the store page for rating, size and reviews. Parents check too. Many drop out at a slow first session, a big download or an early ad.
What buyers expect
In their words: "Is it free? Will it run on my phone? Is it fair, or only for those who pay?" Few say the rest aloud: a small download, quick replies on Discord and no surprise charges. Parents want a clear age rating and safe chat.
How gaming brands earn here
Free games earn from in-app purchases and ads, which together grew 17% in 2025. Paid PC games sell on Steam, where the store page does the selling. Esports earns from sponsors, as on our sports page. Gaming gear sells like direct-to-consumer brands: through reviews and marketplaces.
Source: Lumikai, State of India Interactive Media Report 2025, as reported by Outlook Respawn, 23 March 2026 (in-app purchases and ads together up 17%)
Where it is heading, and AI today and next
Lumikai expects the same market to reach $3.2 billion by 2030. AI today answers player questions on Discord, sorts reviews by theme and drafts store-page tests. AI next may suggest games by name, so clear store pages matter. AI cannot make your game fun. See our AI systems.
Source: Lumikai, State of India Interactive Media Report 2025, as reported by Outlook Respawn, 23 March 2026 (forecast to 2030, a 17% yearly rise)
People, bodies and stories
Associations and bodies
MeitY: the ministry behind the Online Gaming Act. Its Online Gaming Authority registers esports.
Electronic Sports Federation of India: calls itself India's governing body for esports.
ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India): a voluntary ad regulator with rules for paid creator posts.
Nasscom: India's technology industry body, which gave MeitY its views on online gaming rules in 2023.
Source: Each body's own website, read 10 October 2026; PIB, Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, 22 April 2026; Nasscom community post, 31 January 2023
People who scaled the category
Akshat Rathee co-founded NODWIN Gaming, an esports company. Storyboard18 reported in April 2025 that it earned ₹165 crore in one quarter. He says NODWIN does not accept real-money gaming as a model for esports.
Nischay Malhan, known as Triggered Insaan (@triggeredinsaan on YouTube), won the gaming creator award at the first National Creators Award in March 2024.
Source: Storyboard18, We won't risk the esports ecosystem on Real Money Gaming, 15 April 2025. NODWIN Gaming, read 10 October 2026. PIB, PM's interaction with the winners of first-ever National Creators Awards, 8 March 2024. Triggered Insaan on YouTube, read 10 October 2026
A brand journey worth knowing: Nazara
Nitish Mittersain says Nazara earned little at first. Real income began in 2007-08, when it began working with telecom firms. In March 2021 it became India's first listed gaming company, with bids for 175 times the shares offered.
Its group includes NODWIN Gaming and Sportskeeda. It also held 46% of PokerBaazi's parent, which stopped real-money play after the 2025 law.
Source: Entrepreneur India, Playing to Win: Nitish Mittersain (Paromita Gupta), 18 September 2024. Business Standard, Nazara Technologies lists at 81% premium, 30 March 2021. YourStory, Nazara Technologies debut on public markets, 30 March 2021. Entrackr, Nazara-backed PokerBaazi suspends real-money gaming operations, 22 August 2025
What you can do, and how we would deliver
What you can do, and what is not ours
Making the game fun, setting its age rating and judging what is legal to promote are yours, with your lawyer. Hire in-house when Discord needs a daily owner. We do not promote real-money gaming, including fantasy games with cash prizes, and we say no to those briefs.
How we would deliver, and why each step
First a go-to-market plan with retention and payer targets, so you chase players who stay. Then a trailer and a store page, because ads sent to a weak page are wasted. Then capped ad and creator tests with stop rules. Community care and events run alongside, since fans bring friends. Sayantan Guha, our Chief Creative Director, writes the creative brief and the campaign ideas, and directs ad films and sports work. Jhalak Agarwal, our Performance Marketing Lead, runs the Meta campaigns and the D2C (direct-to-consumer) ads.
Digital marketing for Gaming and esports
First step: we would fix the store page before buying ads. It needs a trailer and clear screenshots, because ads sent to a weak page are wasted. We would measure how many players still play after 7 days, and the cost of each paying player, not installs alone. One rule: Apple does not allow an app on the App Store without an age rating, and Google Play asks you to fill in a content rating questionnaire. The answers are yours. We do not promote real-money games. Game design is not ours.
Source: Apple, App Store Connect Help, Set an app age rating, read 11 October 2026. Google, Play Console Help, Content rating requirements, read 11 October 2026
/ 08 Worth knowing
Worthknowing.
Useful before you start. Open it when you need it.
Checklist, rules, AI for operations, global events (4)
Brand basics checklist
The basics
- Logo and brand guidelinesOne set of logo files and a one-page guide to colours and fonts.
- Domain and business emailyourname.com and name@yourname.com, not a free mail address.
- A website that works on phonesFast, secure, with Call and WhatsApp buttons.
- Google Business ProfileCorrect name, hours, photos and category.
- WhatsApp BusinessCatalogue, quick replies and an away message.
- Social media handlesThe same name on each platform you use.
- Business cardsName, role, phone, email and website.
- Letterhead and invoiceYour legal name, address and tax details, with your logo.
- Company profile or brochureOne document you can send on WhatsApp.
- SignageMatches your logo and your Google listing.
- Photos and short videosReal work, real people, real premises.
For gaming and esports
- Store pages and screenshots, on Play Store, App Store and SteamSteam asks for capsule images and 16:9 screenshots, 1920 x 1080 or bigger. Source: Steamworks.
- Trailer on YouTubeA short trailer for your store page and channel, with captions.
- Age rating and parental guidanceApp Store won't publish unrated apps. Google Play needs a rating form. Sources: Apple, Google.
- Privacy policy and player consentUnder 18s need a parent's verifiable consent. DPDP Act, 2023, s.9. Source: MeitY.
- Community rules for Discord and WhatsAppHouse rules, a report button and one named owner for replies.
- Press and streamer kitLogos, trailer, screenshots, fact sheet. Paid streams need ASCI labels, such as Ad.
- Tournament rulebookEsports: entry fees and prizes allowed, no bets or stakes. Source: Online Gaming Act, 2025.
- Esport registration, if you offer a game as an esportRules 2026: registered providers show registration details. Source: PIB, 22 April 2026.
What the 2025 law and the ad codes say.
Gaming marketing in India changed in August 2025. Change is the only constant, so we check these rules before every plan.
Online Gaming Act, 2025 (MeitY). It bans offering online money games, advertising them and handling payments. Advertising one can bring up to two years in prison, a fine up to ₹50 lakh, or both.
Esports are allowed. An esport may have entry fees and prize money, but no bets or stakes.
Online Gaming Rules, 2026 (PIB). In force from 1 May 2026. The Online Gaming Authority of India publishes the list of online money games and registers every game offered as an esport.
ASCI gaming guidelines, 2020. ASCI, the Advertising Standards Council of India, set rules for real-money gaming ads from 15 December 2020, for legal ads only. The 2025 Act bans them.
Children's data: the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Data of a child under 18 needs a parent's verifiable consent. Tracking, behaviour monitoring and targeted ads aimed at children are not allowed.
Creators and prizes. ASCI's code and the 2022 guidelines of the CCPA (Central Consumer Protection Authority) want paid creator content clearly labelled. Prize claims must be true and complete.
Your lawyers decide if a game is legal to promote. General guidance, not legal advice.
AI for the back office
India's 2026 online gaming rules require user safety features such as age checks, time limits, parental controls and fair-play monitoring, disclosed when a game applies.
The AI fix A tracker lists each safety feature. AI flags unusual play and rude chat for a review queue. Moderators decide every ban or warning. A lawyer checks the papers.
Source: PIB backgrounder 'A New Era of Online Gaming Governance', 30 April 2026
Global events worth a trip
Tokyo Game Show
Chiba, JapanUsually September.
Choose the business days over the public days for meetings, and make time for the indie game project and creator lounge.
Game Developers Conference (GDC)
San Francisco, USAUsually March. Next: 1 to 5 March 2027.
Spend time in the Business Hall to meet publishers and investors, and pick sessions on marketing and technology for your game.
ChinaJoy (China International Digital Interactive Entertainment Exhibition)
Shanghai, ChinaUsually July-August.
Head for the Business Halls for trade contacts, and the consumer area to watch players try more than 1,000 games.
Esports World Cup
Paris, FranceUsually July-August.
Watch matches across its 24 games to learn what fans enjoy, and check back for ticket and fan festival details.
Do players leave after the install, or is a sponsor hard to measure? Tell us which, and we'll plan the first fix. Name your worry
/ 09 Events and exhibitions
Events and exhibitionsworth your time.
Where game studios, publishers and esports teams meet each year. Pick one or two, and plan the stall, the meetings and the follow-up before you book.
India Game Developer Conference (IGDC)
ChennaiUsually October. Next: 28 to 29 October 2026.
Pick workshops that suit your studio, visit the Indie Expo, and line up meetings with publishers and investors in advance.
Delhi Comic Con
DelhiUsually December. Next: 5 to 6 December 2026.
Walk the VR and gaming zones and the product showcases to see how fans respond, and note ideas for your own stand.
Mumbai Comic Con
MumbaiUsually May.
Notice what fans and creators gather around, from gaming zones to panels to merchandise, and take notes for your own fan events.
Dates change. Check the organiser's site before you plan.
/ 10 Learn from the leaders
What we can learn from the leadersin Gaming and esports.
Well-known Indian brands, each with one plain lesson for an owner in your line of work. Names only, as public examples.
NODWIN Gaming
Say in public which kinds of business you do not take on, and why. It can protect trust with players and the wider community.
What they did In April 2025, NODWIN Gaming's Akshat Rathee said the company would not risk the esports ecosystem on a business model it is not comfortable with.
Source: Storyboard18, 15 Apr 2025
Sportskeeda
Start with a simple site on one topic you know well. Once it has readers, add nearby topics step by step.
What they did Sportskeeda was founded in 2009. In 2022 afaqs described it as a sports and eSports website, and its founder said it had grown from a plain sports blog.
Source: afaqs!, 17 Nov 2022
Gametion (Ludo King)
Listen to what your users ask for and add it. Keep rules and screens simple. Offer your product in the languages your buyers speak.
What they did afaqs reported in June 2020 that Ludo King, launched in February 2016, simplified its rules, added online play after players asked, and offered 15 languages.
Source: afaqs, 1 June 2020
Skyesports
Give your events clear names and show them on every channel your fans use, so fans can follow all of them.
What they did MediaInfoline reported in August 2021 that Chennai-based Skyesports ran tournaments such as Skyesports League, Grand Slam and Championship, with over 100 million combined views on Facebook, YouTube and Loco.
Source: MediaInfoline, 12 August 2021
Games2win
If you lack a skill, think about buying a small team that already has it, and ask its head to stay on.
What they did In June 2013, Mumbai casual games maker Games2win bought Delhi studio Backyard Game FactoRy for an undisclosed amount. The studio's CEO was to stay in charge.
Source: MediaNama, 6 Jun 2013
These brands are not clients of ours and we use no logos. Each card links its source.
We know digital inside out, and we think like an Indian business.
Want a second pair of eyes on your store page, age rating and creator labels? Send them over and we'll read them with you. Send on WhatsApp
/ 11 What happens next
What happensafter you ask.
For projects we think we can help, this is how it goes.
- 01
A strategist calls you
In one working day: a 30-minute call with one of our strategists about your business and what is not working.
- 02
You get a 1-page plan
A short, honest plan: what to fix first and what we would do. It is free.
- 03
A quote, if you want one
If you want to go ahead, we send a quote within 2 working days.
We confirm the timeline in the quote. Contracts start at 3 months, with 30 days' notice to stop.
Brands and people are named only as public examples. They are not PromotEdge clients or endorsers unless stated.
Keep exploring
Related pages.
The expertise that fits your business, and the places we work.
Launching a game, selling gaming gear or backing esports?
Tell us what's not working.We'll show you where your players are.
Straight answers.
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No. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans online money games and their advertising in India. That covers games of skill and games of chance. We work on esports and social games, on premium and ad-supported games, and on gaming hardware.
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Yes. The 2025 Act asks the government to promote esports. Entry fees and prize money for players are allowed. Bets and wagers are not. Under the rules in force since 1 May 2026, every game offered as an esport must be registered with the Online Gaming Authority of India.
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On what happens after the install. We track retention after day 1, day 7 and day 30, and how many players pay and what each costs. For esports and sponsorships, we agree the measures before the season starts, such as viewers who saw the brand and codes redeemed.
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Ask four things. Will it judge the work on players who stay and pay? Does it show how it tracks them? Does it refuse real-money gaming briefs? Can it show gaming work, or say plainly where it has none? We have no published gaming case study yet, so we walk you through our plan.
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The common ones are team and tournament sponsorships, and ads or branded segments on tournament streams. Brands also tie up with gaming creators, or run college tournaments and viewing parties on the ground. Pick by who your buyer is. The brand should add something for the fans. A logo on a jersey does not.
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Yes. People who buy phones, laptops, headsets, controllers or chairs research hard, and they trust creators and reviews. We plan creator reviews, search ads and marketplace ads on Amazon and Flipkart, and booths at gaming events. We judge the work on sales and leads, not views.
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We work on games and brands marketing to players in India. If you are an international studio launching in India, we can plan and run the Indian launch. That includes regional-language creatives and store page testing for India. We judge the launch on players who stay and pay.
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Most of the budget is user acquisition, which you control. Our fee depends on scope: a launch, ongoing user acquisition, creators or esports. We don't publish a price list. A written quote follows within 2 working days of the first call, with ad spend and creator fees at actuals.