Asia

ESFI introduces national rankings for esports

Published

5 years ago

January 25, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Esports Federation of India (ESFI) in a bid to streamline the sport as well as bring in legitimacy among the gamers involved, released the first-ever national ranking system based on the open ranking tournaments played in the last two months to determine the best performing players. Team Resilience, Checkmate and Adbhut Esports have topped the individual categories in the national rankings.

ESFI released national rankings for games- Call of Duty Mobile (Battle Royale), FreeFire and Valorant, which are some of the most popular video games and played by many. The performances of 60, 65 and 26 open matches conducted for Call of Duty Mobile, FreeFire and Valorant respectively during the period of November to December in 2020 were considered while announcing these rankings.

“With esports being included as a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games among other major Championships, it is important that we follow all the necessary requirements like in any other medal sports to determine the best players of the country. In the month of November and December, we organised several scrims and there have been huge responses in these events. While the gamers (athletes) showcased great technique and competitive, each scrim was keenly contested before the champions were declared,” ESFI Director Lokesh Suji said.

Seven-member Team Resilience pitted themselves very strongly with 682 points and were declared the top team in the Call of Duty (Mobile) category followed by Team Revolution (629) and Zelotz 2EZ (627) taking the second and third position respectively. Checkmate (111) and Adbhut Esports (78) became the winners in the Freefire and Valorant categories respectively.

“Creating a pool of credible national gamers is a key responsibility that ESFI intends to shoulder in order to initiate and streamline a professional approach towards playing and organizing tournaments that are played in India. The athletes will help to maintain a certain standard of play, it will also regulate the esports ecosystem,” Suji further added.

While Esports witnessed exponential rise in the pandemic which catapulted the urge to create a community closer and build a much bigger plethora of professional athletes in order to determine the future of Esports in India. ESFI will continue with the process of announcing national rankings for various games in the future as well.

While, Free Fire Daily T1/T2/T3, Call of Duty Mobile Battle Royale scrims season 2 and multiplayer are already underway, Valorant will also begin from the last week of January with more games like PES, DOTA 2, FIFA , CR, COC and Brawl Stars to take place soon.

Details of teams at top:

Team Resilience (Call of Duty Mobile Battle Royale):

Sushain ‘Dexter’ Gupta

Mannat ‘Truman’ Khanna

Naurav ‘Pollax’ Kumar

Shaurya ‘Neta’

Yash ‘Wizard’ Gupta

Shivansh ‘Skullxyy’ Kalra and

Ronit ‘Edith’ Kataria

Team Checkmate (FreeFire)

Arun ‘Deadend’ Yadav

Ram ‘Scooper’ Devdas

Nirmal ‘Unique-007’ Kumar

Akshay ‘Syko’ Shiyani and

Arshpreet ‘Arsh’

Team Adbhut (Valorant)

Hridya ‘RektyRowdyy’ Dham

Kunal ‘IshocKK’ Khandelwal

Bhavay ‘Fishy Bubbly’ Batra

Prashant ‘FranK’ Das

Mayank ‘Deadsec’ Roy

Armenia

Totogaming.am Adds SPRIBE’s Aviator in Long-Awaited Release

Published

7 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

totogaming.am-adds-spribe’s-aviator-in-long-awaited-release

Aviator is SPRIBE’s top crash game, launched in 2019. In this rapid and vibrant setup, the payout multiplier rises as the plane ascends, with players individually choosing when to cash out by pressing the “Cashout” button.

To enhance the launch of this already iconic game in the Armenian market, Totogaming kicked off an innovative teaser campaign, allowing 10 users to win a private flight for three.

“We wanted our users to experience the emotions, dynamics, and uniqueness of the Aviator game not only on the platform, but also in real life. This idea became the foundation of the teaser campaign, which resulted in a successful launch and strong interest from players,” said Victorya Harutyunyan, Head of Product Marketing at Totogaming.

“Launching Aviator on Totogaming is an important milestone for SPRIBE in the Armenian market. This partnership allows us to bring our flagship crash game to a highly engaged local audience, while ensuring the premium level of experience that players worldwide expect from Aviator. We value Totogaming’s commitment to innovation and are delighted to see such a strong reception from players from day one,” said Taras Kozovit, Head of Business Development at SPRIBE.

SPRIBE’s Aviator is solely offered on Totogaming in the Armenian market, underscoring the company’s commitment to broadening its selection with internationally acclaimed games while providing unique experiences to its local players.

The post Totogaming.am Adds SPRIBE’s Aviator in Long-Awaited Release appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Akshat Rathee

Indian Esports 2026: Strategic Growth and the Asian Games Milestone

Published

1 week ago

January 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

indian-esports-2026:-strategic-growth-and-the-asian-games-milestone

The Indian esports landscape is transitioning from a period of rapid “spectacle” growth to a phase defined by lasting institutional structure. Following the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2026 is set to be the year where regulatory clarity, international competition, and domestic grassroots development converge.

The Impact of PROGA: Policy into Practice

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), signed into law in August 2025, has officially moved from policy to practice. Its primary contribution to 2026 is the explicit separation of esports from money-based gaming.

Legitimacy: By categorizing esports as a legitimate competitive pursuit, PROGA has unlocked state-level adoption and cleared the way for schools and colleges to integrate gaming into their sports frameworks.
Commercial Confidence: With a clear regulatory environment, brands in sectors like FMCG, automotive, and BFSI are now viewing esports as a stable, long-term youth engagement platform rather than a risky experiment.
Athlete Pathways: PROGA facilitates the creation of standardized national registries for athletes, ensuring that competitive integrity is maintained across grassroots and professional tiers.

The Asian Games 2026: A Global Stage

The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, serves as the most critical milestone for the ecosystem this year.

Medal Status: Esports will feature as a full medal event with 11 confirmed titles, including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), and Pokémon UNITE.
Indian Prospects: India’s best historical result (quarter-finals in League of Legends at Hangzhou) has set a high bar. For 2026, the focus has shifted toward high-performance training camps and long-term athlete mentorship to secure a podium finish.
Multi-Sport Integration: Participation alongside traditional athletes reinforces the narrative that esports is a viable professional career, further encouraging government investment through schemes like Khelo India.

Market Evolution and Key Trends

The Indian gaming market is projected to reach approximately $5.02 billion in 2026, driven by a massive player base exceeding 500 million gamers.

Trend	Impact in 2026
Mobile Dominance	Over 95% of the market remains mobile-first, fueled by 5G expansion and affordable hardware.
Beyond BGMI	2026 is seeing a push to diversify the market into fighting games, sports simulations, and PC titles to avoid “one-title dependency.”
Monetization Shift	Revenue is shifting from pure advertising toward battle passes, subscription models, and in-game progression.
Tier II & III Growth	Most new user acquisition is coming from smaller cities, demanding more vernacular and localized content.

The post Indian Esports 2026: Strategic Growth and the Asian Games Milestone appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Asia

Insurgence Gaming Company Introduces La Imperia, a Community-First All-Female VALORANT Tournament

Published

4 weeks ago

December 18, 2025

Wladimir P.

insurgence-gaming-company-introduces-la-imperia,-a-community-first-all-female-valorant-tournament

La Imperia, a new all-female esports IP by The Insurgence Gaming Company, will make its competitive debut this month with an online VALORANT invitational tournament running from December 19 to 21, 2025. Designed as a visibility-first platform for women competitors, the event brings together four invited Indian teams for a three-day broadcast competition.

La Imperia marks the inaugural tournament by the Insurgence Gaming Company, a newly founded esports company led by Jasper Shabin, who previously served as a poject manager at Skyesports. Positioning itself as a community-first tournament operator, the Insurgence Gaming Company aims to refocus attention on grassroots competition and long-term ecosystem building at a time when entry-level and women-led esports pathways remain limited.

The tournament will be played in VALORANT and feature a round-robin group stage followed by single-elimination playoffs, culminating in a BO5 Grand Final. All matches across the three days will be broadcast live on YouTube, along with additional watch-parties.

The four invited teams competing at La Imperia include Huntrix, Sin Sisters, Plushie Gang and MyKil. All teams feature all-female rosters, aligning with La Imperia’s positioning as a dedicated women’s esports IP.

Broadcast production for the event will be handled by Momentum Gaming, serving as the official Broadcast Partner. The on-air talent lineup includes Star Tania, Nekroz, Odawg, and Hikari Jane, who will guide viewers through the tournament across all three days.

Beyond competition, La Imperia is also placing emphasis on player well-being. Sattva by Pallavi joins the tournament as the Mental Health Partner, integrating conversations around mental health and holistic wellness into the event’s broadcast and content output. The partnership reflects a growing recognition of sustainability and mental resilience within competitive gaming environments.

Speaking on the launch, Jasper Shabin, Founder of The Insurgence Gaming Company, said: “La Imperia is built to be a visibility platform first. There is no shortage of talent in the women’s VALORANT scene, but there are very few consistent stages where that talent can be seen, supported, and taken seriously. With the Insurgence Gaming Company, we want to return focus to grassroots competition and create formats that players can grow with, not just compete in once.”

The tournament carries an INR 15,000 prize pool, with the primary focus placed on competitive exposure, broadcast quality, and long-term ecosystem value rather than one-off incentives.

With its inaugural edition, La Imperia sets the foundation for a new women-led esports property in India—one that combines structured competition, professional broadcast standards, and a community-first philosophy.

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