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7 state ministers unveil franchise teams for Esports Premier League 2021, the final leg of ESPL to kickstart on August 16

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India’s first-ever franchise-based Esports league, the Esports Premier League (ESPL) has finalised the top eight teams as the ultimate face off in the inaugural edition of the nation-wide Esports league is set to begin on August 16. State ministers from seven regions launched their respective franchise team names, logos, and jerseys.

While the Esports industry has been in quest to gain legitimacy and recognition from the government, involvement and acceptance from the government at this level to the tournament is a giant stride for Esports industry in India.

“To have the best gamers from across the country representing final eight franchise teams as well as their team’s official jersey being unveiled by the state ministers is a matter of absolute honor and pride. Even in its inaugural edition, ESPL has received exceptional response from the Esports community, the players and the audience,” said Mr. Vishwalok Nath, Director, ESPL.

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Here is the complete list of Ministers and personalities that unveiled teams representing their respective states:

  • Mr. V. Srinivas Goud

Hon’ble Minister of Sports & Youth Services

Govt. Of Telangana

 

  • Mr. Sunil Chhatrapal Kedar

Hon’ble Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare

Govt. of Maharashtra

 

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  • Mr. Manish Sisodia

Deputy Chief Minister

Govt. of Delhi

 

  • Mr. Manoj Tiwary

Hon’ble Minister of Department of Youth Services and Sports

Govt. Of West Bengal

 

  • Mr. K.C. Narayana Gowda

Hon’ble Minister of Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports Department of Planning

Govt. of Karnataka

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  • Mr. Ashok Chandna

Hon’ble Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs (Independent charge)

Govt. of Rajasthan

 

  • Mr. Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi

Hon’ble Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs
Govt. of Punjab

  • RJ Balaji

Radio jockey, director, sports broadcaster, and writer based out of Chennai

 

The final eight franchises teams and the players were chosen through a draft process. And the teams that are qualified through various stages of the competition for the draft process include BADGE99, Total Gaming, 4 UNKNOWN, TSM FTX, No Chance, AFF Esports, Head Hunters, and TWO SIDE GAMERS. Each of these teams were picked to represent a city team and in the final stage during the draft, popular influencers and Esports gamers were roped in to conduct the process.

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The eight franchise teams are Punjab Paladins, Chennai Celestials, Delhi Dukes, Hyderabad Hydras, Kolkata Kaijus, Rajasthan Reapers, Mumbai Marshals, and Bangalore Ballistics. Below is the complete list of players of all these teams who will represent the respective state teams:

BADGEE99 will represent Kolkata Kaijus

 

Ø  Hriteek Ranjan

Ø  Muhammed Faizal. N

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Ø  Prahast Garg

Ø  Azmal Akhtar Choudhury

Ø  Yogesh Buchale

 

 

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Total Gaming will represent Hyderabad Hydras

 

Ø  Ajay Sharma

Ø  Vora Hetkumar

Ø  Daksh Garg

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Ø  Narai Yadav

Ø  Anshul Rawat

4 UNKNOWN will represent Rajasthan Reapers

 

Ø  Swastik Madhukar Dushing

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Ø  Anand Madhukar Dushing

Ø  Radhe Thakor

Ø  Vadehr Anil Devashibhai

Ø  Mohd Zuber

 

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AFF Esports will represent Delhi Dukes

 

Ø  Owais Bhati

Ø  Kanishk Verma

Ø  Rahil Katoch

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Ø  Pavan Adwani

Ø  Arpit Tyagi

 

TWO SIDE GAMERS will represent Bengaluru  Ballistics

 

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Ø  Ritik Jain

Ø  Ojasvi Kamra

Ø  Vihan Datta

Ø  Bhavesh Lakhwani

No Chance will represent Chennai Celestials
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Ø  Priyansh

Ø  Devesh Chauhan

Ø  Aritra Adak

Ø  Priyanshu Kumar

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Ø  Soumya Sundar

 

TSM FTX will represent Mumbai Marshals

 

Ø  Sagar Patel

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Ø  Indranil Saha

Ø  Jayesh Yadav

Ø  Naitik Khosto

Ø  Asjad Khateeb

 

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Head Hunters will represent Punjab Paladins

 

Ø  Satyam Thakur

Ø  Md. Abdul Moghni

Ø  Aasim Usama

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Ø  Jatin Taneja

Ø  Priyanshu Halder Saha

ESPL 2021, which began on June 16, will see the athletes competing in the popular battle royale game Free Fire as the winners will have INR 25 lacs prize money to win.

This final phase has lot more in store and a spectacle series of matches and exciting live-action will be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar, Free Fire official streaming platform Booyah and Malayalam OTT platform Koode alongside official YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak and its websites.

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From Street Fighter Glory to a Global Tetris Path: Inside the First-Ever Red Bull AFK Party

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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

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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.

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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.

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Fighting Game GOAT Justin Wong Joins BASILISK, Science’s Esports Team

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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.

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“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.

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S8UL Esports crowned champions of Legends Ascend South Asia 2025

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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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  1. S8UL Esports – Champions (Advance to LCP Wild Card Playoffs)

  2. Kakao Gaming

  3. 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.

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The post S8UL Esports crowned champions of Legends Ascend South Asia 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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