India-based gaming-focused PR and marketing agency Max Level is now representing Riot Games in India and South Asia, in addition to being in charge of deploying more general announcements and PR for the makers of League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Valorant in these regions. The firm will also deploy global announcements from time to time, from what we understand. There was no formal announcement on this new relationship.
Noida, India-based Max Level was formally launched in February 2024 by AFK Gaming—which, at that time, ran B2C (an esports and gaming website of the name) and B2B businesses aimed at the India and South Asia market. In December 2024, one of the largest tournament and gaming festival companies in the region, NODWIN Gaming, acquired AFK Gaming for INR ₹76M INR (roughly $893,000 USD). Following that acquisition, AFK launched a curated gaming business newsletter called Pixel P&L and refocused its long-running website to support those efforts, in addition to running its agency business with Max Level.
Through the lens of NODWIN Gaming’s existing relationship with Riot Games in the region—it signed a two-year deal with Riot in 2023 to operate the Valorant Challengers League esports tournaments in South Asia—the new partnership with Max Level makes sense.
While other companies may be curtailing their activities in esports, NODWIN has been expanding into new regions with acquisitions over the last several years, spurred by investments from Nazara Technologies. Those acquisitions include AFK Gaming, Ninja Global FZCO, Freaks 4U Gaming, Comic Con India, StarLadder, and Trinity Gaming, among others.