Esports

(Esports news) India’s CS:GO team produced vigorous performances in the South Asian Regional Qualifiers of the 14th World Esports Championships after hammering Pakistan and Bangladesh in the South Asian regional qualifiers.

The team, comprising of skipper Ritesh Sarda (Defaulter), Shuvajyoti Chakraborty (Mcg1LLzZz), Anshul Adardkar (KiiLSwitCh), Hrishikesh Shenoy (Crazy_Gamer) and Harsh Jain (lynX), recorded identical 2-0 victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh in the semi-finals and final respectively. 

Besides CS:GO team, prominent Tekken 7 athlete Hitesh Khorwal (rcool) and well renowned eFootball professional Hemanth Kommu (peshemak7) will also represent India at the World Esports Championships, scheduled to take place in Bali from Nov 29 – December 12, 2022. Hitesh and Hemanth secured their berths by winning the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2022, conducted by Esports Federation of India (ESFI) earlier this year.

Organised by International Esports Federation, the prestigious event will witness participation of top athletes from over 120 countries, competing in six different Esports titles—CS:GO, Dota 2, Tekken 7, eFootball, as well as PUBG mobile and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang which will be making its debut at the championships. The 14th WEC has a prize pool of USD 500K (~INR 4 Crores).

“The team was simply too good for the opposition in terms of their skills, strategies and coordination. They won comfortably against Pakistan and Bangladesh shows the confidence they have in their gameplay. We are extremely proud of their performances and are now looking forward to seeing them compete with the best teams from all over the world in Bali. Everyone at ESFI wishes them the best of luck for the grand tournament,” said Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation.

Led by Sarda, the dominant Indian team hardly had to break a sweat in their matches as they comprehensively defeated Pakistan in two different maps by 16-6 and 16-4 and then displayed a similar aggressive performance to outperform Bangladesh in both maps of the final by 16-7 and 16-5.

“It feels amazing to represent India again at the World Esports Championships in back-to-back years. We definitely want to improve on our performances from last year and have been working very hard to do so. The team has done very well in showcasing its qualities in game while prevailing in all these qualifiers but the WEC final will be a stern test on a much higher level and we want to match that. I have high hopes from the tournament and we want to bring some glory from it back home,” said Sarda, captain of the Indian CS:GO team.

The same CS:GO team had participated in the last edition of World Esports Championships, held in Eilat, and finished eighth in the final.

Also read: The 3rd edition of TGR GT Cup ASIA to take place on 9th October 2022

(Motorsport) Toyota Motor Asia Pacific (TMAP) has extended its partnership with Dentsu Singapore and ONE Esports, a subsidiary of Group ONE Holdings (ONE), for the third year running to present the ‘TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) GT Cup ASIA 2022’. The third edition of the competition is scheduled to take place on 9 October 2022. The competition will span across seven markets in Asia, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea, and will feature enhanced race formats before the Global Finals of the TGR GT Cup in November 2022.
 
Under the continued partnership, Dentsu Singapore and ONE Esports will work with TMAP to run the regional sim racing competition in “Gran Turismo 7” for Playstation. This includes  video content production, such as competition highlights, player interviews, and more, as well as a series of articles covering the competition in localized languages to be published on ONE Esports’ website, oneesports.gg. The competition will be broadcasted across its digital channels, including Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube.

Prema Techinamurthi, Managing Director, Dentsu Creative Singapore, commented, “It’s been three incredible years of delivering such an exhilarating e-Motorsport tournament with TMAP and ONE Esports. As lead incumbent agency for TGR GT Cup ASIA, we are grateful for the opportunity to bring our gaming and esports capabilities to this expanding franchise, now known for its immersive brand experience that makes motorsports more accessible and enjoyable for its growing and passionate community of younger, digital audience.”

“ONE Esports is honored to host this iconic event for the third year, and we appreciate the partnership  with TMAP over the years. We look forward to putting together yet another spectacular TGR GT Cup ASIA to grow its racing franchise,” said Carlos Alimurung, CEO of ONE Esports. “This partnership underscores our commitment to deliver a thrilling and unique esports racing experience to the growing community of passionate car enthusiasts and sim racing fans around the world.”

Also read: Revenant Esports ropes in Jay Patil to bolster its Valorant roster

(Esports news) Revenant Esports, one of India’s leading and fastest growing Esports organisations, have provided a major boost to their valorant roster by signing renowned athlete Jay Patil. This is another high-profile signing in recent times by one of India’s leading Esports organisations is a testament to the growing transfer culture in Esports

Patil, also popularly known as RNT BADlove, possesses exceptional skills and has been very impressive in the role of a sniper of second duelist in the game. Previously, he has enjoyed great success while playing for Esports organisations such as Team JHS, Team IND and Reckoning Esports.

A strong valorant roster of Revenant Esports has won the Esports Club Community Cup earlier this year and also had runners-up finishes in the Skyesports Pro Invitational Season 1 as well as in the TEC Challenger Series 7. The addition of Patil to the roster will not only offer more offensive expertise and depth for Revenant Esports but the 24-year-old’s experience will also help the team to elevate their gameplay to a higher level and dominate their opponents.
 
“We are extremely delighted to secure a player of his calibre that will bolster our squad. A duelist is one of the most important roles in valorant and we have added one of the best to our team. Revenant Esports aims to inculcate a winning culture by creating the best possible rosters in multiple Esports titles. We hope Patil can help us achieve success and prevail in upcoming tournaments." said Rohit Jagasia, Founder and CEO of Revenant Esports.
 
Producing dazzling performances consistently, Patil clinched the titles of ROG Showdown Series Spring 2022, Critical X Valorant Milestone and NVIDIA GEFORCE Festival earlier this year. The former CS:GO player also finished third in the Skyesports Pro Invitational Season 2 recently, representing Reckoning Esports. He also emerged as one of the most commanding players in the tournament with 302 kills and a K/D ratio of 1.26. 
 
Expressing his excitement on joining Revenant Esports, Patil said: “It's an immense pleasure to be signed by such a successful and well-known Esports organisation. I have gathered invaluable experiences and insights while playing for my previous teams and I will look to utilise them to the fullest in order to contribute to the success of Revenant Esports. I am looking forward to linking up with the rest of the roster, getting familiar with their gameplay and formulating strategies to win matches. I hope that my skills as a duelist and sniper will benefit the team and we can become one of the best valorant rosters in the business.” 
 
Following Patil’s signing, Revenant Esports’ revitalised valorant roster will be as follow:
 
●       Saaransh "Whimp" Dang
●       Abhay "KnightRider" Mulchandani
●       Arnav "Logistaa" Kalra
●       Shailesh "blackhawk" Dalvi
●       Kasif "Paradox" Sayyed
●       Jay "BADlove" Patil
 
Revenant Esports has cemented their remarkable consistency in Esports by creating a highly capable valorant roster of high-skilled talented individuals that will assist them in becoming a successful team in upcoming tournaments.

Also read: Gameoff launches website to build bridges between gaming communities

(Esports news) With the objective of putting India's gaming and content creators community first to aid them in earning more revenue, Gameoff has launched its website. The platform builds bridges between the Indian gaming communities and is open to everyone to upload their content as well as watch their favourite creators play popular games like Valorant, Call of Duty Mobile, GTA V, Minecraft and Free Fire Max. The gaming video platform aims to help creators maximise their earnings by offering a revenue-sharing model of 90-10 which is higher than most streaming platforms

According to data from YouGov, 94% of an influencer's following end up playing the same game that their favourite creators play. These creators are also the beeline that directs a brand toward their exact target audience between the ages of 18-34. Focusing primarily on monetization, Gameoff aims at rewarding these content creators that are such integral cogs of the Indian gaming ecosystem. The platform will provide an instant upgrade on what are the major revenue streams for any creator - ads from the platform that they stream on and sponsorships.

Gameoff offers a revenue sharing model of 90-10 which is higher than most streaming platforms. The creators acquire 90% of the total earnings and will also earn from the various other monetization features that will be added to the platform. By being a platform that remunerates its gamers with what they deserve, it hopes to build a growing community of some of the country's leading creators as well as up-and-coming enthusiasts of the industry. 

Founder and CEO Sunny Malhi who has been building apps for the past 5 years isn't new to the gaming industry. Having previously created apps like Newkit, a news-sharing app and Trophyapp, an app where gamers can share their short gaming clips with others, he has been surrounded by the gaming space for the past 2 years. 

Speaking on the significance of his platform, Sunny Malhi said, "Analysing the overall gaming ecosystem, we felt that creators in India are undervalued, their content is undervalued and we want to fix that. We want to open every possible door for creators that have never been opened before. Unlike other platforms, we are optimised for creators and have concrete plans to help them maximise their earnings as well as bring them closer to their fans. The Indian gaming scenario is growing rapidly and we want to make sure that Gameoff is an integral part of this revolution."

The Platform is a one-stop solution to:

Interacting with the gaming community
Growing as a creator

Recognition as a potential gaming professional

Earning from the content you consume as well as upload

Engaging with your favourite creators by gaming with them

Amongst its other features, Gameoff's most unique one is the opportunity that they will offer to their superfans to pay and play any game of their choice with their favourite influencers on the platform. They also value their viewer's time that is spent on the platform and will pay them for the content that they watch.

Gameoff has the goal of becoming the leading video platform for gaming creators in the country. Their beta version which was launched in March 2022 earned the registration of 24,000 users in just a month and a half and their website is currently up and running. Also, Gameoff is onboarding new creators, reaching out to them through their socials and getting enrolled to be a monetized creator.

Also read: ONE Esports partners with FWD on its newly launched lifestyle app Omne

(Esports news) Building on a successful partnership with FWD Group since 2021, ONE Esports, a subsidiary of Group ONE Holdings (ONE), has extended its partnership with the pan-Asian insurer. ONE Esports has been appointed by FWD Group to drive the esports vertical of their newly launched lifestyle app, Omne, which aims to change the way the esports community feels about insurance. The partnership will span across Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, deepening FWD Group’s reach and engagement within the gaming and esports community in Asia. ONE Esports is working closely with FWD Group on its newly launched lifestyle app, Omne, which aims to change the way the esports community feels about insurance.
 
Omne is a new mobile app by FWD Group that empowers individuals with a unique set of value propositions centered on personalised goal-based journeys to help bring the best out of them. Esports, Music, Games, Sketching, the app is designed to help people celebrate living and empower micro-habits for everyday success. The easy-to-use app provides personalised content to enable everyone to define their journey, according to their way. The app can be downloaded for free on both the Apple and Google app stores in selected markets. 

As part of the partnership, ONE Esports will run an integrated marketing campaign aimed at boosting awareness and promoting the download of Omne. The campaign will see collaborations with popular gaming personalities and promotional content that will be amplified through ONE Esports’ digital channels including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and its website,  http://oneesports.gg.

ONE Esports will also produce exclusive experiences and contribute gaming and esports content, such as articles and videos, to be hosted on the app. These experiences include interviews with professional esports athletes, as well as a mini content series that gets up close and personal with esports personalities.

“ONE Esports and FWD launched a successful partnership last year, and we are thrilled to expand the scope this year. Working with them on their Omne app avails more opportunities for us to create better fan experiences and grow the esports ecosystem across Asia,” said Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports. “It is great to see FWD, an internationally renowned brand, doubling down on its focus and investments in esports, and we are honoured to be the platform of choice for their efforts to deepen engagement with the community.”

“Our flagship mobile app, Omne, reflects our vision of changing the way people feel about insurance by anticipating their lifestyle needs. Asia’s increasingly digital and mobile population is one of the fastest growing regions in terms of esports audiences – a clear sign that esports is pushing into the mainstream. We’re excited by the possibilities to scale up our partnership with ONE Esports and build brand affinity with the passionate esports community in Asia,” said Troy Barnes, Group Chief Transformation Officer, FWD Insurance.

Also read: Indian Esports Industry calls for Esports recognition as a sport

(Esports news) Esports has exploded in popularity over the last few years in India. Esports (Electronic sports) is a competitive sport where esports athletes use their physical and mental abilities to compete in certain genres of video games in a virtual, electronic environment. Recently, the Indian DOTA 2 team produced a power-packed performance to clinch the bronze medal at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship. The Indian Dota 2 team, comprising Moin Ejaz (captain), Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubham Goli, and Vishal Vernekar, defeated New Zealand by 2-0 in a best-of-three format in Birmingham (6-7 Aug 22).

As esports is going to make its debut at the Asian Games 2022, earlier in 2018 it was there as a demonstration title when our esports athlete Tirth Mehta won a bronze medal (Hearthstone). The Asian Games 2022, originally scheduled for September this year, will now be held from September 23 to October 8, 2023. With the conclusion of the ESFI’s National Esports Championships in April 2022, India’s 18-member esports contingent for the Asian Games 2022 was finalised.

FIFA22 - Charanjot Singh and Karman Singh Tikka

Street Fighter V - Mayank Prajapati and Ayan Biswas

Hearthstone - Shikhar Choudhary and Karthik Varma

League of Legends - Captain Akshaj Shenoy, Samarth Arvind Trivedi, Mihir Ranjan, Aditya Selvaraj, Aakash Shandilya and Sanindhya Malik

DOTA 2 – Captain Moin Ejaz, Krish, Abhishek Yadav, Ketan Goyal, Darshan and Shubham Goli

Before this big tournament, for India to become an Esports nation, the game needs to be recognised as a Sport and build a solid grassroots structure in the country which can result in bringing more laurels to the country in competitive gaming. The same is advocated by esports athletes and industry players:
“After winning the medal at the Commonwealth Esports championship in Birmingham, it’s high time that esports should be recognised as a sport. Esports athletes need their due recognition and support from our government and help us in providing better facilities, coaches, health physios and all other things which other sports athletes get as getting a medal for the country need proper support.” said Indian DOTA 2 team captain Moin Ejaz 

“With the medal wins at Asian Games 2018 & now at Commonwealth Esports Championship, the time has come to recognize esports as a sport. The potential of Indian esports and our athletes cannot be ignored and its recognition becomes more critical before the Asian Games 2022 (scheduled next year), this will open up doors for investments & opportunities which will lead to training & skill development of our athletes. It is encouraging to see our Hon’ble Sports Minister Shri Anurag Thakur ji launching a mobile video game “Azadi Quest: Heroes of Bharat & Match3” in line with India’s celebration of Azadi Ka Amritmahotsav, following should be recognition of esports as a sport” said Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF)

Charanjot Singh, FIFA 22 athlete who will represent India in the next year's Asian Games said “Recognising esports as a sport will help a lot. This can lead to esports having a proper framework, facilities and opportunities for everyone. This will automatically lead to the growth of the Esports industry as well. More athletes would want to join in and represent the country at global stages.”

“It was a big achievement for India to win the bronze medal in Commonwealth Esports. To make the industry more aligned, there should be information shared and communication between the government and stakeholders who have been investing in the Esports Ecosystem in India and including athletes and organisations. In order to have a healthy ecosystem, young athletes should also be given education in order to learn about the legal and financial nitty-gritty of Esports apart from the basic necessities of training, financial support and mental & physical well-being.” said Rohit Jagasia, Founder & CEO of Revenant Esports 

“It will definitely help the players get more exposure and all the support players need from the government and from their family itself. Getting the right infrastructure and hardware is one of the most important aspects of preparing for the Asian Games. Players will show more dedication towards the games which will definitely give us top results in upcoming games too. We are already doing so much better and this would definitely be a big step for esports athletes.” said Mayank Prajapati, Street Fighter V athlete who will represent India at Asian Games 2022 on how recognising Esports as a sport will help the esports athletes before the next year's Asian Games.

Also read: Chemin Esports partners with Brazilian Esports organization Influence Rage

(Esports news) Chemin Esports, one of India’s leading Esports company, today announced its partnership with Influence Rage, an esports organization in mobile gaming with dozens of content creators, players and staff from all over Brazil and South America. Together, they have formed Influence Chemin Esports, a venture that will enable Chemin to expand its operations in Brazil and other western countries. A strategic move towards capturing the world e-sports market. This partnership will lead Chemin to become a Multinational esports Company. Chemin Esports to get the benefit of leading Western region operations from Brazil. Brands associated with Chemin Esports to benefit from added global fan base

Through this collaboration, Chemin Esports will benefit from the 4 rosters that Influence Rage manages, and it includes:

PUBG Mobile Roster – Currently, PUBG Mobile Pro League Americas Champion
Call of Duty Mobile Roster - Qualified for Call of Duty World Championship 2022
Arena of Valor (AoV) Roster – Currently, AOV Pro League Brazil Champion
PUBG Mobile Female Roster - The performing one in Brazil circuit

Along with the above, Chemin Esports will be able to capture the content creation space too as the content creator associated with Influence Rage will now be creating content under the Influence Chemin Esports banner. This is Chemin Esports's first inline strategic partnership that the company has announced, and there are more in the pipeline that the company will be announcing in the near future. 

Commenting on the development, Mr. Ishan Verma, Founder & Director, Chemin Esports, said, “Esports industry has the potential to attract a global audience. It is currently in a nascent stage and therefore makes it the right time for us to expand operations in the international markets. This collaboration with Influence Rage will provide us the early mover advantage in the global market. It is part of our strategy towards building a strong global team and creating a platform for brands to associate with a wider fan base from different regions.”

Mr. Wagner Damasio, CEO, Influence Rage, said, “We are very happy to explore the opportunity with Chemin Esports. Brazil and India are two giant markets for esports and together we can boost the process of global expansion for both brands. We started our partnership on a very good note with the qualification for the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship 2022. We now intend to hire new rosters for new games and to have a greater presence in this market.”

Esports caters to a large audience, especially the young Gen Z. The Gen Z audience prefers to consume niche content that is in tune with their interest. Esports organizations have been successful in attracting and engaging them. This has become one of the key reasons for global brands to invest in Esports companies. While the Esports market has significantly grown globally, a report on Esports viewer statistics estimated 234 million Esports enthusiasts in 2021, and this is likely to touch 318 million by 2025. The report also forecast on touching the occasional Esports viewership to 322.7 million by 2025.

Also read: South Korean team Kwangdong Freecs wins EACC Summer 2022

(Esports news) South Korean team Kwangdong Freecs has been crowned the champions of EACC Summer 2022, emerging victorious among 12 teams from 4 countries – China, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. In addition to the title, the team also walked away with the grand prize of US$35,000. The final day of EACC Summer 2022 saw a stunning grand final performance from Kwangdong Freecs. Despite a day five loss to fellow Korean team Daejeon Hana Citizen FC, Kwangdong Freecs booked their ticket to the grand final by defeating Vietnam representatives Tony Tonyy and DIH Esports in the lower bracket.

In the final, the Freecs faced rival Korean team CrazyWin, who looked formidable after beating DHFC by 3-2 and ProGamer by 3-1. While CrazyWin took an early lead after winning game one, KDF quickly retaliated with two back-to-back victories. KDF Hoseok stepped up in game two, evening out the scoreboard with a clutch goal by Gianluca Caprari inside the penalty box. But KDF SeongMin was the star of the series, winning game three through a thrilling penalty shootout. After securing a 6-5 shootout lead, SeongMin successfully blocked CW GWAN’s slower, grounded shot to claim the game three victory.

After CrazyWin tied things up in game four, the last game of the series turned into a rematch between SeongMin and GWAN. In extra time, SeongMin flexed his dribbling skills on Karim Benzema. Once he got rid of a defender inside the penalty box, the KDF star immediately scored for a 1-0 lead at 94 minutes. With GWAN not able to equalize the score, Kwangdong Freecs won the series 3-2 and secured their first-ever EACC Summer 2022 title.

Also read: Revenant Esports to represent India at Pokemon UNITE WC 2022

(Esports news) Hustling their way amongst the top Esports teams in the country, Revenant Esports booked their spot in the Pokemon UNITE World Championships 2022 by clinching the Indian regional qualifier with a dominating performance. 
The team emerged champions in the regional qualifiers with an unbeaten record; global event set to take place in London from August 19 to 20

They thrashed Ascension by 3-1 in the final and also took home the prize money of $20,000. A total of 24 teams, including popular Esports teams like True Rippers Esports, Enigma Gaming, Entity Gaming and S8ul, featured in the regional qualifiers. Revenant Esports were impressive throughout the tournament, winning all of their nine games in the group stages and playoffs. The team will now represent India at the Pokemon UNITE World Championship, scheduled to take place in London from August 19-20. The tournament will feature a massive prize pool of USD 500,000.

"I am extremely delighted that the team has qualified for the World Championship, considering the fact that these qualifiers were the current roster’s first competitive appearance. The way they sailed through the group stage and playoffs was impressive. Being the first Esports team to represent India in this particular tournament is a commendable achievement for us and we are confident that the team will make everyone proud. We are looking forward to the tournament and competing with the best teams from all over the world,” said Rohit Jagasia, Founder & CEO of Revenant Esports.
 
The team, comprising captain Raunak Sen (Crowley), Omkar Sawardekar (Omen), Adnan Badshah (Badshah), Jeet Kundra (Swifty), Anklesh Satelkar (Novaa) and Vishnu Khatri (Xesol), were assembled recently on June 13.
 
“Having earned a lot of recognition through DOTA 2, it feels like a great accomplishment to represent your country on the international stage for multiple games. Everyone in the team put in a lot of effort and was confident about our chances right from the beginning. This was visible in the qualifiers as we went unbeaten in the regional championships in spite of the high level of competition. I hope that we transition that form to the World Championship as well and bag the trophy,” an elated skipper Raunak "Crowley" Sen expressed.
 
The event will feature 16 teams, qualified from 26 countries across the globe, battling to win the inaugural edition of the tournament. The teams will be divided into four groups with the top two teams advancing to the playoffs. All games will be played in a double elimination best-of-three format while the final will be played in a best-of-five format with a bracket reset.

Also read: Indian DOTA 2 Team win bronze at Commonwealth Esports Championship 2022

(Esports news) the Indian DOTA 2 team produced a power-packed performance to clinch the bronze medal at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship on Sunday. The Indian Dota 2 team, comprising Moin Ejaz (captain), Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubhnam Goli, and Vishal Vernekar, defeated New Zealand by 2-0 in a best-of-three format. Despite the early pressure from New Zealand, the Indian contingent kept a cool head and won the first two rounds by taking the enemy’s lead with their intense gameplay and strategies. 

"This win symbolises the amount of hard work the team has put in over the years and we dedicate this win to our country. Winning a medal at the Commonwealth was a dream for us and we're super proud as a team. We were very much aware before leaving for Birmingham that the tournament was going to be tough. Keeping in mind the intensity and level of the game on such an international platform, each and every team member gave their best shot during the practice sessions. 

“We have invested a lot of time in preparing the strategies and improving our gameplay, which finally culminated in this win. We would like to thank the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and Lokesh Suji Sir for their continuous support, motivation & encouragement. We hope that this win will encourage more tournaments around DOTA 2 and other esports titles, which will help the ecosystem as a whole to grow in our country," said an elated Indian DOTA 2 skipper Moin Ejaz after winning the bronze medal.”

Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation said “This is a historic win. The team DOTA has made the entire country proud by winning the bronze medal in the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship 2022. Moreover, it's a dream come true for the Indian Esports Ecosystem as we have won the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2018 as well. The entire esports community is overwhelmed with this win and will fuel many esports athletes to represent India on a global stage in coming years. 

“Our next stop will be Asian Games 2022, where Esports is a proper medal event, and our focus is to excel in the tournament with multiple podium finishes and bringing the laurels for our country. The esports community wants and requires esports to be recognised by the government as a sport in India to gain the benefits and support any sports community and athletes would receive. We want our esports industry to grow, develop and be nurtured just like any other sports in India.”

Earlier in the DOTA 2, India came away with a convincing victory against Wales, got a bye against Trinidad and Tobago, but lost to England. They went on to the semi-finals but couldn't go past Malaysia's team and ended with a bronze medal match with New Zealand, which the team won convincingly. The Indian team in the Rocket League, which Hargun Singh led with Sandeep Sahani and Rushil Reddy, were not able to make it through after losing out to Canada by 3-0 in the best of five series in their first group stage match. The team faced similar defeats against Wales and England, which resulted in their exit from the Commonwealth Esports Championship early in the group stage.  

Also read: India’s Ibrahim qualifies for Sim Racing World Cup final

(Esports news) Ibrahim secured second position in the Continental Qualifiers and stood fifth globally. The SRWC final will be held in Monaco from October 23-24 as India’s Mohammed Ibrahim secured his place in the final of the first-ever Sim Racing World Cup. Ibrahim ended the race impressively with a lap time of 1:33.575 behind Thailand's Thanathip Tanalapanan, who grabbed the top position after completing the race in 1:33.561.

India’s other participating driver was Davlish Singh,who could only secure a sixth position with a lap time of 1:34.026 at the Qualifiers which saw the participation of 14 top drivers from across Asia, competing for two available spots in the final. Both Ibrahim and Davlish had won the NESC22 (Simracing), the Indian National Qualifiers which were held in a hybrid mode at INOX’s Megaplex, Malad, Mumbai.

 “Since my childhood, I’ve been fascinated with racing cars, which developed into a passion for motorsports. It is a surreal feeling to qualify for the grand final of the SRWC. I feel glad to have carried the momentum in the qualifiers after winning the NESC and hope to do so in Monaco as well. It is going to be a challenging experience to compete with the best sim racing drivers from all over the world. I will be working on a few minor things to improve my gameplay and perform at the highest level to make my country proud in the finals. Racing is my goal and vision, wish to excel in both Sim as well as on Real Motorsports, and always look for opportunities and support." said the jubilant Ibrahim, who already has titles of the Isolation E Championship, McLaren Logitech G Challenge, US F4 Kcr Championship and Ultimate E Championship to his name.

Interestingly, Ibrahim's timing was also the fifth fastest, globally. Apart from Tanalapanan, only David Toth of Hungary (1:33.197), Slovenia’s Jernej Simonic (1:33.329) and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez (1:33.336), qualified from the European continent, recorded less time than Ibrahim.The Continental Qualifiers saw drivers from 39 countries, divided into 5 continents. The final will take place in Monaco from October 23 to 24 as Ibrahim will be in the 12 top drivers to fight for the title.

 "Ibrahim has made the entire country proud by making sure India is one of the countries that contests in the inaugural Sim Racing World Cup final. Both Ibrahim and Davlish performed brilliantly against the top drivers from the Asia region. This is a huge achievement for the sim racing community and another step towards further growth of Esports in India. Everyone at ESFI wishes him the best of luck to win the championship." said Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation.

Also read: ESFI gives grand send-off to Indian contingent for 2022 CW

(Esports news) Esports Federation of India (ESFI) hosted a grand send-off ceremony for the Indian contingent participating at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship on Sunday. The inaugural multi-nation esports tournament is organized by Commonwealth Games & Global Esports Federation; scheduled in Birmingham from August 6-7. The inaugural edition of multi-nation tournament is set to take place in Birmingham on August 6 and 7

The members of the DOTA 2 and Rocket League, who will be representing the country at the prestigious event, were present on the occasion alongside Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP- Asian Esports Federation, Satinder Sikri (VP-Haryana Esports Association) and Yash Bhalawala (Gen Sec-Esports Association of Gujrat) at INOX Insignia in Ardee Mall, Gurgaon.  
ESFI also unveiled the Indian team’s official kits for the Commonwealth Esports Championships during the event. 

“Esports is like every other sport and we wanted to make sure that we bid farewell to our Indian contingent in the best way possible ahead of the big event. We are grateful to INOX for helping us organize this wonderful send-off ceremony. The rise of Esports in India in the last few years has truly been remarkable and the participation of two teams on behalf of the nation on the global stage is a result of that. We, at ESFI, wish the best of luck to the Indian contingent and we are confident that they will make the nation proud," said Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP- Asian Esports Federation.

“We are honoured and super excited to be part of this inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championship and there is a high probability that esports will be a medal sport in the next Commonwealth Games scheduled in 2026” Suji added.

The Indian team in the Rocket League will be led by Hargun Singh (Hargun <2) with Sandeep Sahani and Rushil Reddy being the other two members. Team Dota 2, on the other hand, comprises captain Moin Ejaz, Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubham Goli and Vishal Vernekar. Both the teams have already proved their mettle by clinching impressive wins in the tournament’s South Asian Regional Qualifiers last month.

"I am really excited about esports being included in a Commonwealth event as this will really change how esports is perceived among people around the world. As a player, it's a huge opportunity being given to us and we are really going to do our best to represent India as best as we can. All of us are putting in extra effort to maximise everyone's potential and work together as a team," Hargun said on the sidelines of the event.

"The entire team is looking forward to playing against the best teams in the world and proves our mettle. We have been paying a lot of attention to our strategies and practicing a lot in the hopes of a podium finish. Getting the chance to represent the nation in the very first Commonwealth Esports Championship is a very sweet reward to show for all of the efforts we have taken in playing this game at the highest level. A big thank you to ESFI for today’s send-off ceremony and especially for the sports psychology session that taught us a lot of valuable things," DOTA 2 skipper Moin Ejaz added.

The players also took part in an enlightening sports psychology session “Building High-Performance Mindset” by Mitesh Jain (Founder & Chief Sports Psychologist – Mandeha). It included mental exercises and activities to improve focus, mental skills, self-confidence, motivation and communication skills for the players. It was followed by a special movie screening for the players as they enjoyed and relaxed ahead of their long journey. The Indian contingent left for Birmingham early in the morning on Monday (1st Aug, 2022).

Also read: Revenge Esports, True Rippers, Entity, Reckoning and Walkouts seal their spots in the LAN Finals of ESPL 2

(Esports news) Team Revenge Esports emerged winners, while True Rippers and Entity bagged the second and third spots respectively in the first round of Invitational Qualifiers of the second edition of ESports Premier League to book their spots in the ESPL LAN Finals. The teams finished in the top 5 of the Invitational 1 table after two weeks of intense battle with the country's top BGMI esports teams. Besides, Team Reckoning and Walkouts comfortably secured fourth and fifth positions respectively to seal their berths in the ESPL LAN Finals.  
 
The top 16 of India's highly talented teams competed in the first invitational round from July 9 to 17, playing a total of 20 matches each. The round witnessed multiple nail-biting and exciting matches between these top teams. Revenge Esports, winners of PUBG Mobile India Tour (PMIT) 2019, finished at the top of the table with a total of 230 points (Finish Points - 99 + Position Points - 131) and 4 Winner Winner Chicken Dinners (WWCD). The team's star assaulter Akshay was the top performer on the final day with 44 finishes as well as the top fragger overall in the first invitational round. 

True Rippers, who finished third in the MediaTek BGMI Gaming Masters last year, bagged second place with 216 points (Finish Points - 95 + Position Points - 121). Entity finished third with 200 points (Finish Points - 97 + Position Points - 103). The Mumbai-based esports team had previously won the Mafia Cup in 2019 and the PUBG Mobile Club Open - Fall Split: South Asia.

Reckoning Esports, who parted ways with their previously successful BGMI roster earlier this year, contested with their new lineup and were in first place after an outstanding performance in Week 1. However, they failed to sustain their performance in Week 2 and fell down to 10th place to finish fourth overall with 182 points (Finish Points - 83 + Position Points - 99). Team Walkouts were the final team to make it to the LAN Finals after accumulating 169 points (Finish Points - 67 + Position Points - 102). They were level on points with Gravity Esports but finished above as they had three WWCDs compared to Gravity's two.

"After the Open Qualifiers, we were happy to see the top teams fight so fiercely in the first round of Invitational Qualifiers. These teams raised the level of competition as most of them have been successful in the past in various other tournaments. This attracts a lot of viewers eager to see their favourite teams and players in action. I wish all of these 5 teams the very best and will be looking forward to seeing them play against the other qualified teams in the LAN Finals." said Vishwalok Nath, director of ESPL after the Invitational 1 results. 

The league is being played in two separate stages in the initial phase -- online qualifiers and invitational qualifiers -- to shortlist the top 16 teams. The Online Qualifiers saw two underdog teams; GOG Esports and Dragon Esports make it to the LAN finals in what was their first major tournament appearance. The second phase of invitational qualifiers is underway since July 18 and will end on July 27. The final eight teams will progress to the Finals from this round of invitational qualifiers. 

Recently, ESports Premier League (ESPL) extended its association with youth icon and renowned Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff as the face of India’s first-ever franchise-based Esports league for the second consecutive year. India Today Gaming has also roped in global smartphone brand, TECNO Mobile as Presenting Sponsor for the tournament. 

Also read: GOG Esports and Dragon Esports seal a spot for ESPL 2 LAN Finals

(Esports news) In its bid to give promising gamers a chance to showcase their skills on a national platform, the second edition of the Esports Premier League organized the Underdog Phase, where Team GOG Esports and Dragon Esports put up a stellar display of talent to conquer the open qualifiers. Both teams finished in the top two positions with their dominant performances in the open qualifiers. 

ESports Premier League envisioned this “Underdog Phase” to ensure that non-established BGMI Esports players and teams from across the country get an opportunity to show their talent and ability. This will be for the first time such an initiative was taken to give opportunity for the Underdogs only via open qualifiers. Led by Manish Jangid, team GOG Esports topped the chart with a total tally of 142 points (Finish Points – 52 + Position Points – 90) while Team Dragon Esports led by Ritik Rawat finished second with 130 points (Finish Points – 70 + Position Points – 60). Both teams registered one WWCD (Winner Winner Chicken Dinner) each to their name too.

GOG Esports played their first major tournament during BMPS (Battleground Mobile Pro Series) and finished that mega event with the 21st rank. Buoyed by other talented members in Nick, Bullet, and Trex, the team is currently prepping for the mega final in a Boot Camp in Bhopal. The whole team is practicing for about 13 to 14 hours daily to give a tough competition to the best teams during the grand finals of the ESPL Season 2. 

The team is excited to play in their first ever major LAN event as Manish Jangid, the team leader for GOG Esports added, “This moment gives me a sense of accomplishment and honor that our team’s diligence and commitment finally paid off. We are grinding really hard together at our bootcamp and are really excited as this will be our first LAN event. The open qualifier was an eye-opener as multiple underdog teams were playing like pros and I am sure all other teams learned a lot and will continue their grid in the upcoming events.”

Team Dragon Esports leader Ritik, son of a retired army officer, opted out of education after 12th to pursue a career in gaming. His journey began in 2018 with PUBG. With Sanket Salam, Krishna Sharma, and Ashish Singh, Rawat formed the team Dragon Esports which is his third esports team. The 22-year-old also participated in the PMCO Open qualifiers 2019. He also joined NADE gaming in 2020 and now the Dehradun-based gamer is focused on the upcoming LAN event in Delhi. 

Speaking on the success and response of the Open Qualifiers, ESPL director Vishwalok Nath noted, “We have seen multiple tournaments only catering to top teams on an invitational basis, and opportunities for underdog teams are very less in regards to bigger platforms. So, to give equal opportunity to all the teams, we conducted open qualifiers for underdog teams across the country to give them a bigger platform to perform. The Underdog phase was one of its kind, as it provided budding gamers with a promise to get a chance to showcase their skills on a national platform. Both the teams that won thoroughly deserve their success. Now, these teams will get a chance to put their skills and strategies to test against the top names in BGMI Esports. Who knows, we may get our new BGMI heroes out of these two underdog teams.”

This year’s league which carries a massive prize pool of Rs. 1 crore is set to engage esports athletes across the country in a high-voltage action of the most popular battle royale game, BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA.

The league is being played in two separate stages in the initial phase -- online qualifiers and invitational qualifiers -- to shortlist the top 16 teams. ESPL has already got their 2 top Underdog teams from online qualifiers. The invitational qualifiers are being played in two phases; the first phase will select top 5 teams whereas in the second phase, 8 top teams will be chosen from the leaderboard. The finals will also witness one direct invited team competing and vying for the title. Recently, ESports Premier League (ESPL) extended its association with youth icon and renowned Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff as the face of India’s first-ever franchise-based Esports league for the second consecutive year. 

India Today Gaming has also roped the Global smartphone brand, TECNO Mobile as Presenting Sponsor for the tournament. The smartphone maker is committed to supporting and helping aspiring underdog esports players with its gaming-focused smartphones like the latest, Tecno Pova 3. Esports fans can also watch the BGMI action live on India’s leading streaming platform, LOCO, the exclusive digital broadcast partner for ESPL Season 2. The tournament organizer has also signed Ishq FM as the exclusive radio partner for the ongoing tournament.

Also read: Xspark player Sayyam Otswal signs for Revenant Esports’ BGMI roster

(Esports news) Revenant Esports has signed one of the top BGMI players Sayyam Otswal to boost their roster. Sayyam’s role of assaulter has given him plenty of recognition in India and will bolster Revenant’s attack. He will be seen in the upcoming Battlegrounds Mobile India Showdown (BMSD 2022) LAN event which will take place from July 21-24. 

Founder and CEO of Team Revenant, Rohit N Jagasia explained the thought process behind Sayyam’s inclusion and said “With a thriving Battlegrounds Mobile India gaming scenes in the country, the competition among teams are fast getting closer. In order to strengthen our BGMI roster, we have signed Sayyam as an assaulter. His experience of playing alongside BGMI veterans like Scout and Mavi, as well as the skill of going for the kill at crucial points will definitely be a plus point for us. Sayyam has an impeccable eye and reads the game perfectly. He also has a very sharp game-play approach which will surely enhance the performance of our team holistically. The addition of Sayyam is an asset to the organisation.”

Sayyam previously played for Team Insane in the NODWIN Loco All Stars Invitational, where he made it to the top five fraggers list with 23 kills and a K/D ratio of 1.53 despite his side coming sixth in the competition. His contribution was more than 34% of the total team kills. At the same event, Revenant Esports team grabbed the third position in the LAN event that was hosted in Gurgaon.

“I am thrilled to join Revenant Esports as an assaulter in their BGMI roster. With all my experience and grind in the game, I am really looking forward to taking the team to the next level. The team has always been consistent in the BGMI scene and I am looking forward to utilising my experience and contributing in bringing more glory for the roster. We as a team will now work in syncing our skills, strategies and gameplay and bring the best out of us in the upcoming BGMI events.” said an elated Sayyam after joining Revenant Esports.

After the addition of Sayyam, The new lineup of BGMI Revenant Esports is the following:

Encore – Filter/Scout

Sayyam - Assaulter

Topdawg – Assaulter (Entry)

Ky0ya  – Assaulter (Support)

Paradox – In-game Leader

Also read: Chemin Esports to take part in the historic BGMI Master Series