MetaShot opens platform with Yudiz pickleball game

MetaShot has partnered with Yudiz Solutions to launch a smart pickleball game for its motion gaming console, marking the first time it has opened its platform and software tools to an external game studio.

The Bengaluru-based sports and gaming startup said Yudiz, a listed game development company, developed the title exclusively for its system. It is due to launch in the US before a later rollout in India.

The agreement marks a shift for MetaShot as it expands from building its own sports titles to allowing third-party developers to create games on its motion gaming platform. It said the system had previously been validated through its cricket game, which has passed 5 million completed matches.

The move follows MetaShot's reported 115% year-on-year revenue growth in FY26. It is now positioning itself as a broader platform for studios, developers and sports-based game experiences rather than remaining centred on a single title.

Pickleball is the first sport outside cricket to be developed under this model. MetaShot said the integration with Yudiz was completed quickly, presenting it as evidence that external studios can build motion-led games on its technology stack without lengthy development cycles.

Platform shift

The partnership gives Yudiz a role in creating what the companies describe as the first smart pickleball game linked to a motion gaming console. For MetaShot, the project also serves as a test case for opening access to its software development kits and core platform to external partners.

More third-party partnerships, sports titles and a developer funding programme are in the pipeline as MetaShot seeks to build a larger ecosystem around its hardware and software. The approach reflects a common strategy in the games sector, where platform owners attract outside studios to expand content libraries and increase user engagement.

Until now, MetaShot has been known chiefly for using cricket as the centrepiece of its offering. The new pickleball title broadens that focus as the sport grows quickly in several markets, particularly North America.

Growing sport

Industry figures cited by MetaShot show more than 50 million pickleball players worldwide. The global pickleball market is projected to grow from USD $2.2 billion in 2024 to USD $9.1 billion by 2034, with annual growth of 15.3%.

India is also seeing rapid expansion in the sport. Active players have risen by nearly 300% in three years, while the number of courts has grown by 10 to 12 times across the country, according to figures provided by MetaShot.

Those trends help explain why pickleball was selected as the next sport on the platform. The game has built a broad recreational base and attracted growing commercial interest from equipment makers, venue operators and technology companies seeking new audiences.

For Yudiz, the project extends its game development work into a more specialised segment that combines physical movement with digital play. The category remains relatively small compared with mainstream mobile and console gaming, but companies in the space are betting that more active and socially oriented experiences can attract users looking for alternatives to conventional screen-based titles.

Chirag Leuva, Chief Executive Officer of Yudiz Solutions, said the work with MetaShot highlighted the potential for studios to build games around real-world movement.

"Partnering with MetaShot to build the world's first smart pickleball experience is an exciting opportunity for us as a gaming studio," Leuva said.

"What stood out immediately was the strength of the platform and how quickly we were able to bring a completely new motion-based sports experience to life on it. This collaboration represents a larger shift in gaming, where studios can now build experiences that combine real-world movement with connected gameplay at scale. Pickleball is the first step, and we're excited about the possibilities this opens up for future sports and interactive experiences globally."

Prince Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of MetaShot, said the deal was an early example of how external developers could use its system.

"Our partnership and the opportunity to open the MetaShot platform to Yudiz Solutions is a significant moment for us as a company," Thomas said.

"Over the last few years, we've built and validated the platform through cricket, and this partnership is the first real example of how third-party studios can create entirely new experiences on top of our motion gaming ecosystem. Pickleball felt like the perfect category to begin with given its global momentum and community-driven appeal. This is the start of MetaShot becoming a larger platform for sports gaming innovation."