Highlights
- LVL Zero selected 10 studios from more than 240 applicants for its first incubator cohort.
- Microsoft (Xbox), Google, and NCSoft specialists will mentor Indian studios building PC and console games.
- The program provides $100K in equity-free funding and direct publisher access within a 100-day development cycle.
LVL Zero has introduced a global mentor network for the first cohort of its gaming incubator program, expanding support for Indian game studios targeting international markets beyond mobile gaming. Similar efforts are underway across the region.
GameFounders, one of the world's longest-running game accelerators, has supported studios from emerging markets, including Asia. Antler has run structured early-stage programs helping game and tech founders access mentorship and investor networks globally.
In India specifically, Lumikai, the country's first gaming and interactive media fund, has been actively backing early-stage studios with capital and strategic support to help them scale beyond domestic mobile markets.
The LVL Zero initiative is backed by Nazara Technologies, MIXI Global Investments, and Chimera VC, the initiative will support 10 selected startups through a 100-day incubation program structured around testing, building, and shipping games. The mentor network includes specialists from Microsoft (Xbox), Google, and NCSoft, along with professionals in publishing, live operations, analytics, audio production, marketing, and investment readiness.
The program embeds mentors directly into development workflows through sprint reviews, playtesting analysis, product feedback sessions, and go-to-market planning.
According to LVL Zero, the model is designed to help studios create playable builds, validate gameplay loops, and prepare investor-and-publisher-ready pitches within a compressed production timeline.
Indian Game Studios Increasingly Target PC and Console Markets
Applicant data from the program points to changing priorities within India’s independent game development ecosystem. LVL Zero stated that over 65% of applicants were founded within the last two years, while 58% of studios are developing PC titles and 36% are focused on console games rather than mobile platforms.
Speaking to PocketGamer.biz, LVL Zero founding partner, Krish Anurag, said the selection process narrowed more than 240 applications to 10 studios after extensive founder interviews and deep-dive calls with around 70 teams.
“The best teams aren’t building just for India. They’re building from India for players across the globe,” Anurag said.
LVL Zero Combines Funding, Mentorship, and Publisher Access
Each selected startup will receive a $10K USD equity-free grant as part of a $100K funding pool. LVL Zero noted that the funding is intended to provide working capital for short-term hiring, testing, and development experiments without requiring founders to negotiate ownership early.
The incubator also connects participating studios with publishers and platform partners during development rather than after production milestones are completed. Anurag pointed out that the structure compresses what would normally take six to 12 months of publisher outreach into a more direct pipeline.
LVL Zero head of incubation, Sagar Nair, indicated that the initiative aims to address the lack of operational support available to early-stage studios in India. “Our focus is simply to help these teams build better products, faster, and prepare them to compete on a global stage.”
