Sri Lankan CoDM gamer gets sponsored by Activision

Noob Alliance’s Umindu ‘Fly’ Perera has received an official sponsorship from Activision, one of the world’s leading game publishers. Umindu, who goes by ‘Noob Alliance XTz.Fly’ has bagged this sponsorship following his Call of Duty Mobile (CoDM) performances.

What does the sponsorship incorporate?

The sponsorship, exclusive for CoDM, includes a monthly stipend, in-game goodies worth USD 300 every month, along with exclusive sneak peeks to seasonal updates/announcements. Of course, eSports player sponsorships aren’t new even in Sri Lanka. But this is the first time a Sri Lankan gamer has been recognized and contracted by a global game publisher on the scale of Activision.

As a CoDM player, Umindu is well-known in the local gaming community. With SMGs and Snipers being his go-to weaponry, Noob Alliance XTz.Fly has a reputation to top fragging and clutching rounds. When he’s not busy immersed in CoDM you’ll find him with his content creator hat on, making videos in all things CoDM.

Wait, how big is CoDM?

Call of Duty is one of the world’s biggest shooter franchises and has been for years. So that carries weight even on mobile. This is what helped the franchise launch its battle royale-style game Call of Duty Mobile back in 2019. The game was such a hit that it was dubbed the “Best Mobile Game” at The Game Awards 2019.

As per activepleyer.io, there are about 210 million active players in the world with over 30 million playing daily. Even in Sri Lanka, the game is well received among hardcore gamers and casual players alike. In fact, CoDM is among the top five most popular Android apps as well as on iOS in Sri Lanka.

What does this mean for Noob Alliance XTz.Fly and Lankan gaming?

Of course, this doesn’t mean that game publishers are going to queue up to sponsor Lankan gamers in high anticipation. But it’s an indication that local gamers are getting the spotlight and that spotlight isn’t going unnoticed. True, Activision might not be the best name in the gaming industry right now, especially considering the recent controversies. However, Umindu’s recognition is still a healthy step forward for the growing Lankan eSports scene.

Just almost three years ago, we had our first national eSports team take part in the Asian Games 2018. More recently, we even had the national eSports women’s team for DOTA-2 represent Sri Lanka at the Global eSports Games. Indeed, Sri Lankan eSports has been growingly eventful over the recent years. So here’s to more XTz.Fly’s out there!