LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 14, 2025--
Xsolla, a global commerce company helping developers launch, grow and monetize their games, announces today the relaunch of its payment offerings in India, reintroducing support for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Net Banking through Xsolla Pay Station. With these popular local methods, developers and publishers can deliver frictionless, culturally relevant checkout experiences that align with how Indian players prefer to pay.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250814616151/en/
India is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing gaming markets globally. With over 500 million gamers, the majority (90%) of whom are on mobile devices, and a gaming industry expected to surpass USD 4 billion in revenue by 2025, India presents a high-growth opportunity for developers looking to expand their reach. Fueled by affordable data, widespread smartphone access, and increasing investments in esports and creator-driven content, India presents a high-growth opportunity for developers.
Equally impressive is India’s digital payments ecosystem. In 2024, UPI facilitated more than 130 billion transactions with a total value of approximately $2.5 trillion during FY 2023-24, now accounting for over 83% of the country’s digital payments. Net Banking also remains widely used, especially among urban and Tier 2/3 audiences who expect QR codes, real-time transactions, and low-friction experiences.
With this relaunch, Xsolla Pay Station now supports:
Key benefits of the India payments relaunch include:
“As the gaming economy in India accelerates, so does the need for localized payments that reflect how players live and pay,” said Chris Hewish, President at Xsolla. “With UPI and Net Banking reintroduced through Xsolla Pay Station, we’re giving developers the tools to reach more players, convert more sales, and deliver experiences native to Indian gamers.”
To enable payments in India or learn more about Xsolla Pay Station, get started: https://publisher.xsolla.com/
For a complete list of enhancements and developer tools, visit: xsolla.pro/rws25paymentsinindia
About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
For more information, visit xsolla.com.
(Graphic: Xsolla)
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The apparent leader of a failed coup in Benin remained on the run and the fate of hostages remained unclear on Monday, a day after a group of soldiers attempted to overthrow the government of the West African nation.
The soldiers, calling themselves the Committee for Refoundation, stormed the national television station on Sunday morning. Led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, eight soldiers appeared in a broadcast announcing the removal of President Patrice Talon, dissolution of the government and suspension of state institutions.
Before the coup, Tigri was a member of Talon's protection detail. As an artillery officer, he commanded a National Guard battalion between 2023 and 2025.
By Sunday afternoon, the coup was foiled by Benin's military, supported by Nigerian air and ground forces, which launched attacks against fleeing mutineers. At least a dozen soldiers were arrested, while others remained at large. Tigri's whereabouts weren't known.
Calm returned to Cotonou, Benin’s administrative center, with soldiers on the streets.
Talon described the coup late Sunday as a “senseless adventure,” and said the situation was under control. He vowed to punish mutineers and ensure the safety of hostages, including some believed to be senior military officers. He didn't disclose their identities, and it wasn't clear how many were held.
The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, said Sunday that it had deployed a standby force to Benin to help preserve democracy. The troops included personnel from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. The size of the force was unclear.
A Nigerian government spokesperson said in a statement that Talon had requested Nigeria’s help. It wasn't clear how many personnel or how much equipment had been deployed.
Nigeria and the ECOWAS regional bloc hadn't intervened in a member state since 2017, when it sent troops to Gambia to force then President Yahya Jammeh to vacate power following his election loss.
The bloc, led by Nigeria, tried to intervene in Niger after the country's 2023 coup. At that time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu led the bloc. His threat to intervene if the junta didn't restore the ousted democratic government resulted in a standoff between the bloc and three junta-led countries, and they later left the bloc.
Analysts say Nigeria has a strategic interest in defending its borders, especially now, while it experiences a severe security crisis.
“The coup in Benin is one too many. Nigeria cannot afford to be encircled by hostile governments,” Oluwole Ojewale, a senior security researcher at Dakar-based Institute for Security Studies, told The Associated Press.
The attempted coup is the latest in a spate of coups that have rocked West Africa since 2020. Soldiers seized power last month in Guinea-Bissau after a disputed election result, following Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Guinea and Gabon among the countries that have experienced similar takeovers in the past five years.
Analysts say ECOWAS lacks consistency in its response. In Gabon and Guinea-Bissau, the bloc was less assertive, and it has watched some other leaders stay in office via constitutional changes.
“You can make the argument that Tinubu needed to show some strength in preserving democracy, but this now speaks to ECOWAS' double standard ... It would appear that there are certain presidents who are part of the club, and when they behave anyhow, nobody says anything,” said Cheta Nwanze, a partner at the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence geopolitical consultancy firm.
Despite a history of coups following its independence from France in 1960, Benin has enjoyed relative calm in the past two decades. The country is set to elect a new president in April, because Talon is set to leave office after a decade in power.
AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo)
Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
People on motorcycles pass by soldiers guarding a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
People gather near a roadway amid an attempted coup in Cotonou, Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
FILE - Benin's President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
