eSports
Battlegrounds Mobile India launch party gets record-breaking views, shows its potential to become the best ‘India Ka Game’
With the much-anticipated and successful Esports title launch of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) in the Indian market, the launch party of the exclusive Indian game surprised all with the total number of views going past the 25-million mark throughout the entirety of the launch party across all platforms. Country’s eighteen prominent gamers, content creators and known personalities in the world of Esports came up with their exclusive squad and became the part of this virtual launch party which was held on July 8-9, 2021.
While accumulating the numbers, 97,19,493 and 79,14,400 views came on the first and second day respectively across Hindi and English language on BGMI’s official YouTube channel, the engagement throughout the launch party proved the potential of the game as well as it lived up to the hype created in the whole Esports and gaming community.
Some of the country’s prominent content creators were featured in the BGMI launch party tournament, led by 18 squad captains—Dynamo, Kronten, Mortal, Ghatak, Shreeman Legend, Maxtern, Gaming Guru, Classified YT, Antaryami, Alpha Clasher, K18, Snax, Sangwan, Godnixon, Ronak, Jonathan, Bandookbaaz and Clash Universe. This ultimate stand-off showcased in-game skills of India’s finest gamers and Hindi casters Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal and Ocean Sharma with their host Varun Thakur and English casters Icybaby12, Experiment, FYXS with their host Super Jonny was very enthralled to see their favourite streamers back in the action after a gap of several months. The launch party tournament was live-streamed on the Battlegrounds Mobile India’s Facebook and YouTube channels in Hindi as well as English.
The tournament, which boasted a whopping prize pool of INR 6,00,000, saw Team Snax emerging as the winners and securing prize money of INR 3,30,000 while Team Kronten and Team Ronak took home INR 1,50,000 and INR 1,00,000 with their second and third-place finish respectively.
Abhishek Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO at Trinity Gaming, who manages most of these talents, said, “This launch was a huge step in the space of Esports as it gave the players a new arcade to explore and compete. We are very proud to be associated with Krafton as their Official Talent Partner and initiated the first-ever Battlegrounds Mobile India launch party in the country and the event received more than 25 million views combining official YouTube, Facebook platforms of BGMI and the streaming channel of the content creators who were invited on this launch party. We have witnessed some of the best content creators and gamers battling it out and displaying their skill set with their exclusive squads.”
“The event was quite good as it starts up the spark of competition in a chill way to begin with, honestly this is one of the best starts to a game that wraps up around the emotions and understandings of influencers and the audience” said Ocean Sharma after the conclusion of the launch party.
With the fierce level of competition in the tournament and the amount of fans supporting the launch party, it’s safe to say that the game indeed has a very bright future in India and has the potential to become the country’s favourite game.
It was a crazy run for our team in the first-ever BGMI launch party, we are very thrilled to come out as the winner of the inaugural tournament where we outclassed a lot of top teams from across India. It will be a memorable tournament for us as we succeed to get four chicken dinners in the game. All thanks to Krafton and the whole production team which concluded this first-ever launch party successfully. We are looking forward to the upcoming tournaments of BGMI and our squad is fully prepared for it. Last but not the least, many thanks to viewers to give us an overwhelming response throughout this launch party” said Snax after winning the first prize with his squad.
“The BGMI launch party was a grand success with the Esports community joining the wave of the virtual gaming industry. The main attraction of the launch event was the BGMI tournament and the excitement was over the top I must say. We surely didn’t want to lose this opportunity and my squad took up the challenge, securing the second rank with impressive prize money to celebrate. We are eagerly waiting for the esports roadmap of BGMI where teams across all India can showcase their talent, skills and strategies. A brand new era of gaming has just begun,” said Kronten after coming second in the tournament.
Battlegrounds Mobile India has been receiving an overwhelming response, within a week after its release; the game has surpassed 34 million registered users. The game also recorded the highest of 16 million daily active users and 2.4 million peak concurrent users and this seems to be just the beginning of the rise of popularity of the much-awaited game.
Mumbai turned into a gamer’s paradise as Red Bull hosted the first-ever Red Bull AFK Party – a one-of-a-kind celebration that brought together gaming, music, and culture in a way India has never seen before. Described by many as the coolest party for gamers, the night united the country’s top gaming creators, esports stars, and fans for an immersive, high-energy experience done the Red Bull way.
The party welcomed people the Red Bull way, with a real static Formula 1 car right at the entrance. Inside, the venue transformed into a playground for gamers: an adrenaline-pumping RC Racing Track hosted by Ocean Sharma, Red Bull Athlete V3nom’s Reflex Challenge to test reaction speeds, Retro Arcade Section with a life-sized PAC-MAN and Tetris arcade, while the Console Gaming Zone buzzed with intense matches in EA FC 25 and Street Fighter.
As the night wore on, the gaming gave way to a packed dance floor with sets from OG Shez and DJ Kaartl.
V3nom on Red Bull’s Push for Gaming in India
The Red Bull AFK put Red Bull’s gaming athletes at the heart of the experience, showing the brand’s commitment to growing the ecosystem. As V3nom summed it up:
“Red Bull is getting into gaming full-on, hosting a lot of events and bringing together top creators and gaming athletes at gatherings like Red Bull AFK. It’s a huge and positive step for the community. I’m really happy to see it, and I hope events like this continue because we have so much more to do for gaming in India, ensuring future generations can make the most of the opportunities ahead.”
When asked about his favorite part of the party, V3nom added: “I think my V3nom Reaction Challenge, because it combines a bit of fitness with reaction time, and tests your reflexes — which are essential for gaming.”
From Mumbai to Dubai – The Tetris Challenge
One activation that had everyone talking was the Tetris challenge, inspired by Red Bull Tetris. Here, players could stack their way up the leaderboard for a chance to represent India at the Red Bull Tetris World Finals in Dubai later this year — bringing a global competitive pathway right to the AFK floor.
Jonathan’s Championship Moment
Another highlight was the Street Fighter x BC One Dance-Off, a crossover where gaming skill met dancing. Four creators — Jonathan, Ocean, Sharkshe, and V3nom — each teamed up with a professional dancer for a two-part battle.
After Sharkshe edged past Ocean and Jonathan toppled V3nom in the semis, the grand finale saw Jonathan dominate in Street Fighter before his dance partner delivered a flawless routine to seal the win.
The post From Street Fighter Glory to a Global Tetris Path: Inside the First-Ever Red Bull AFK Party appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BASILISK, the global esports organization built to champion science, announced the signing of legendary fighting game competitor Justin ‘Jwong’ Wong as captain of its newly formed Fighting Game Community (FGC) Division. Wong will lead BASILISK’s entry into the FGC by recruiting players, developing community events, and creating FGC – science crossover content.
“Justin isn’t just a competitive genius – he is a cultural icon and humble leader within the FGC. We are incredibly proud to have him leading our FGC division and support the amazing work he already does for the community,” said BASILISK co-founder Christopher Bothur.
A nine-time Evolution Championship Series (Evo) Champion and Guinness World Record holder, Wong brings unparalleled FGC credibility and expertise to BASILISK. His reach extends across the entire FGC fandom of millions, and he was immortalized in Evo Moment #37 which has over 100 million views.
As Captain of BASILISK FGC, Wong will leverage BASILISK’s data analytics to scout and train the next generation of FGC pros.
“Math is super important to fighting games. I’m excited to join science’s esports team. I’m passionate about finding promising players with a positive mentality and shaping them into the next big thing. I want to see somebody else in the spotlight after me and help them reach their potential. If we can discover the next world champion, that would be fantastic,” said Wong upon joining BASILISK.
The signing comes on the heels of BASILISK’s new partnerships with The Planetary Society and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM), announced in July. These collaborations create a powerful bridge between renowned scientific institutions and gamers, which Wong will amplify to his millions of followers and fans.
“Justin is a dream addition to our organization. He exemplifies the dedication and analytical capacity required to be an esports champion or great scientist,” added BASILISK co-founder Hans Kassier.
Wong becomes the second “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) to join BASILISK, alongside Finnish StarCraft 2 legend Joona “Serral” Sotala, who just captured the SC2 Esports World Cup Championship in July 2025. The signing also creates opportunities for cross-over content with BASILISK’s diverse roster, including chess Grandmaster Vincent Keymer and award-winning science communicator Kyle Hill, who brings over 2.5 million followers and a vast network of science enthusiasts to the organization.
The post Fighting Game GOAT Justin Wong Joins BASILISK, Science’s Esports Team appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Riot Games, in association with Aftermath Ventures, has officially concluded the inaugural Legends Ascend South Asia, with S8UL Esports emerging victorious after four months of intense competition. The win secures them the coveted spot at the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) Wild Card Playoffs, set to take place between August 28 to August 31, where they will face top teams from across the region for a chance at LCP 2026 promotion.
Legends Ascend South Asia, announced in April 2025, set out to provide a structured, competitive platform for the region’s League of Legends talent. With a total prize pool of INR 10,00,000, the tournament brought together 95 teams from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan, competing across three open qualifiers, a round robin league stage, and double-elimination playoffs.
The tournament kicked off with three open-registration qualifiers held from April to May, producing nine standout teams: S8UL Esports, Kakao Gaming, PnX ASCENSION, Revenants, SUVO HATERS, Jetfire’s Dojo, Syndicate, Poro Patrol, and Report Precog Gaming. These teams advanced to the Round Robin Stage in June and July, where S8UL Esports, Kakao Gaming, Revenants, and Syndicate emerged as the top four to enter the playoffs.
The Double Elimination Playoffs in July and August delivered high-stakes best-of-three and best-of-five clashes, with S8UL Esports displaying consistency, adaptability, and fearless drafting en route to the championship title. The final standings were:
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S8UL Esports – Champions (Advance to LCP Wild Card Playoffs)
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Kakao Gaming
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Revenants
Spanning over 29 broadcast days, Legends Ascend South Asia generated more than 1.3 lakh YouTube views and attained a reach of over 7 lakh through the Aftermath Ventures’ FragNation channel. The event also saw 12 community watch parties across the region, amassing an additional 1.25 lakh views from grassroots fan hubs.
Speaking on the conclusion of the tournament, Arun Rajappa, Country Manager, India & South Asia, Riot Games, said: “Legends Ascend was about discovery, growth, and empowering the South Asian League esports landscape by providing them with a structured pathway to compete alongside global talents. Seeing S8UL lift the trophy after such a grueling journey is a testament to the depth of talent here, and we couldn’t be more excited for them as they head to the LCP Wild Card Playoffs.”
Mansoor ‘Nabu’ Ahmed, Founder & CEO, Aftermath Ventures, added: “From the first qualifier to the final game, Legends Ascend showcased what South Asia’s League of Legends community is capable of. The passion from players, fans, and watch-party hosts has been incredible. Congratulations to S8UL Esports for not just winning, but setting an example for the next generation of players in the region.”
As S8UL Esports prepares to represent South Asia at the LCP Wild Card Playoffs, the success of Legends Ascend South Asia underscores Riot Games’ long-term vision of building sustainable competitive pathways for amateur players in the region.
Fans can relive all the action from Legends Ascend South Asia on the FragNation YouTube channel, and follow Riot Games India & South Asia for updates on the region’s next big competitive milestones.
The post S8UL Esports crowned champions of Legends Ascend South Asia 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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