Gaming has always been big in India. Counter-Strike, DotA, Age of Empires and many more others had a huge following in the country. The ultimate boom happened with the increase in the popularity of esports.
Esports brought video games the popularity that they command today. That said, due to lack of mainstream media coverage India never had its share of stars, TV programs or live broadcasts – thus everyone was playing in silos. The first wave of esports that came with WCG, ESWC, Kode5 and other international events; didn’t bring in the change that was expected.
Today, with the advent of mobile gaming on smartphones – India has entered a golden period for Mobile Esports. PUBG and Lords Mobile are currently the market leaders for Action and Strategy games respectively and boast of huge daily users and revenues. With PUBG India Series garnering an astounding 5,75,000+ participants – PUBG has ushered in the winds of change. Lords Mobile events are also growing with a community focused model. Small groups and guilds are forming across India and meeting up for gaming marathons.
WCG – often called the Cyber Olympics has been revived after 6 years. ESL, DOTA International, LOL Worlds Championship, Indiajoy and many more events are building the event infrastructure needed. Without a doubt, the sponsors will support events which have loyal fans, and only games with active communities can ride this wave.
Primary growth is to be seen in these games in the coming years:-
PUBG Mobile ( Battle Royale ) – The game that changed the gaming landscape of the country, PUBG is one of the dominant esports in the subcontinent, with tournaments being organized by brands like Oppo having prize pools in the lakhs. With more of India being connected to the Internet and having access to a wide range of smartphones, the battle royale game is all set to make its appearance on the national stage.
Lords Mobile ( Strategy ) – An underrated title masked by the rise in popularity of PUBG. Lords is one of the few strategy games to have made it to the mobile, providing tough competitions to Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. With the rise of mobile gaming and esports, Lords is ready to enter a new era within the subcontinent.
Mobile Legends ( MOBA ) – The game that officially brought the MOBA craze to the mobiles, albeit sometime after the MOBA boom. Mobile Legends is still one of the most popular titles not only in India but also in Asia as a whole. A lot of potential for a MOBA, with tons of tournaments already in the works, Mobile Legends is already poised for vibrant growth in India.
