Indian eSports event sketch: Triumphs, tie-ups, & new game launches

The month of July has been nothing short of spectacular for the Indian eSports community, as the industry continues to surge forward with impressive growth and exciting developments. While mobile gaming has dominated the country’s esports landscape, PC titles are making significant strides and earning accolades as well. A slew of upcoming events promises to keep enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.

PC Games Rule Too

The eSports industry in India has witnessed exponential growth in the past decade, enabling it to emerge as a force to be reckoned with on the global stage. While the country’s eSports landscape is mobile dominated, PC titles are bringing in laurels too.

Amidst the traditional eSports titles that have been the founding pillars of the video-gaming industry is Street Fighter, which was earlier played in arcades but has since made its way to consoles and PCs. Mayank Prajapati and Ayan Biswas will be representing India in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition at the upcoming Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou.

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Another PC title doing India proud is League of Legends. Despite the game having no official server in India, the determination and passion of Akshaj Shenoy, Aditya Selvaraj, Aakash Shandilya, Mihir Ranjan, Sanindhya Malik, and Samarth Trivedi saw them utilize their skills to impressively qualify for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou. The star-studded unit battled against the odds to secure their berth at the prestigious tournament.

The team also produced dazzling displays in the Central and South Asia seeding event to not only ensure favorable seeding at the tournament but also emerge as a powerhouse amongst the 19 teams that will be competing in the title.

Event Sketch

Other upcoming events in esports include Nodwin Gaming and Star Sports’ BGMS Season 2 with Rooter as the digital streaming partner. The event will kick off on August 4, 2023, with a prize pool of INR 2.1 crore and will feature 24 esports teams. NODWIN Gaming has also announced its partnership with Indian two-wheeler manufacturing giant TVS Motor Company as the tournament’s mobility partner.

In addition, NODWIN tied up with video game publisher Riot Games, celebrated the successful culmination of India’s first publisher-supported esports league in the VALORANT Challengers South Asia in 2023. The 60-day VALORANT esports showcase from the South Asian zone offered a prize pool of US$140,000. It started with Split 1 on March 18 and ended with the best-of-5 Split 2 grand finals on June 10.

eSports Tie Ups

In July, Philips India tied up with BGMI E-Sports further venturing into the world of gaming with the launch of its BGMI E-Sports team, named ‘OneBlade’.

Global Esports tied up with esports performance and wellness company Adamas, Vancouver based performance-focused brand that provides esports athletes with the tools to train and perform for competitive gaming challenges. Global Esports will utilize the services to bolster the out-of-game performance of the VALORANT roster.

Revenant Esports, an Asian esports organizations, tied up with Gigabyte | AORUS, a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, for the Skyesports Masters, India’s first franchised esports league with a Rs. 2,00,00,000 prize pool.

New Game Launch

Softstar Entertainment Inc., a Taiwanese gaming corporation, revealed plans to expand its footprint in the Indian gaming market by launching Starlight Gaming, which launched a Battle Royale game, Raider SIX. According to the company, the game garnered close to 1.2 million downloads in just 7 days.

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Sharing his enthusiasm, actor Sidharth Malhotra, said, “’Raider SIX’ is a fun game to play. The game captures the spirit of Indian culture while providing a unique and exhilarating gaming experience. I can clearly recall my childhood play when I would use my toy rifle and go on grand adventures. It brings back those priceless memories to be a part of this event where gaming meets real-world events. I’m having a wonderful time and feel excited to be a part of this amazing event.”

Raider SIX is a Battle Royale Action mobile game that immerses players in an Indian battle landscape. Tailored exclusively for the Indian gaming community, it aims to capture the hearts of Indian gamers with a rich tapestry of characters and aesthetic scenery. The game includes Indian-style characters with renamable names.