eSports
7 state ministers unveil franchise teams for Esports Premier League 2021, the final leg of ESPL to kickstart on August 16
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.
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
- 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
- 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.
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 Ø Prahast Garg Ø Azmal Akhtar Choudhury Ø Yogesh Buchale
|
Total Gaming will represent Hyderabad Hydras
Ø Ajay Sharma Ø Vora Hetkumar Ø Daksh Garg Ø Narai Yadav Ø Anshul Rawat |
| 4 UNKNOWN will represent Rajasthan Reapers
Ø Swastik Madhukar Dushing Ø Anand Madhukar Dushing Ø Radhe Thakor Ø Vadehr Anil Devashibhai Ø Mohd Zuber
|
AFF Esports will represent Delhi Dukes
Ø Owais Bhati Ø Kanishk Verma Ø Rahil Katoch Ø Pavan Adwani Ø Arpit Tyagi
|
| TWO SIDE GAMERS will represent Bengaluru Ballistics
Ø Ritik Jain Ø Ojasvi Kamra Ø Vihan Datta Ø Bhavesh Lakhwani |
No Chance will represent Chennai Celestials
Ø Priyansh Ø Devesh Chauhan Ø Aritra Adak Ø Priyanshu Kumar Ø Soumya Sundar
|
| TSM FTX will represent Mumbai Marshals
Ø Sagar Patel Ø Indranil Saha Ø Jayesh Yadav Ø Naitik Khosto Ø Asjad Khateeb
|
Head Hunters will represent Punjab Paladins
Ø Satyam Thakur Ø Md. Abdul Moghni Ø Aasim Usama 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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Welsh driver beats Ismael Fahssi by two points after a 12-round season running March 27 to May 28 with a $750,000 prize pool.
G2-backed Alpine Sim Racing driver Otis Lawrence has been crowned 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Champion after the season concluded on May 28.
The 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship ran from March 27 to May 28 and featured a $750,000 prize pool. Drivers representing Formula 1 teams competed across four events, starting with a live opener at DreamHack Birmingham.
The title was decided at the final event. Lawrence secured multiple race victories across 12 rounds and finished top of the standings.
Lawrence won the championship by two points ahead of Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports driver Ismael Fahssi. Reigning champion Jarno Opmeer of Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing placed third overall.
The post G2’s Otis Lawrence wins 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the venue for Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled to run in Paris, France, from July 06 through August 23.
EF said tickets for all 25 competitions will go on sale from Friday, May 29, 2026, via esportsworldcup.com/tickets. The organiser said the venue will host competition arenas, broadcast operations, and fan activations across the seven-week programme.
According to EF, more than 2,000 players from over 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries will compete for a $75 million prize pool as part of the event’s cross-game Club Championship. The tournament lineup spans major competitive genres, including first-person shooters, strategy, sports, MOBAs, battle royales, fighting games, racing games, and Chess.
EF also outlined ticketing tiers, including Regular Tournament Passes, Premium Tournament Passes (with fast-track entry and a limited-edition goodie bag), Daily Regular Tournament Passes, and tiered Final Day seating zones (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) for select championship matches across VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2.
The published schedule lists Week 1 events including VALORANT (July 9–12), ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs (Apex Legends) (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 7–12), and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (July 8–11), with Counter-Strike 2 closing out Week 7 from August 19–23 alongside Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship, Trackmania, and CROSSFIRE.
The post Esports Foundation books Paris Expo Porte de Versailles for Esports World Cup 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Tickets go on sale May 29 for the seven-week Paris event running July 6 to August 23, with a $75 million prize pool across 25 competitions.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the venue for the Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled for July 06 through August 23 in Paris, France.
Ticket sales open Friday, May 29, 2026 via esportsworldcup.com/tickets. EF said the event will run for seven weeks and span 25 competitions, with more than 2,000 players from over 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.
EF said Paris Expo Porte de Versailles will host competition arenas, broadcast operations, fan activations, and festival experiences. The organiser also pointed to the venue’s track record as the home of Paris Games Week since 2010 and as a site used during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Ticketing includes Regular Tournament Passes and Premium Tournament Passes, alongside Daily Regular Tournament Passes. For select championship matches across VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2, EF said “Final Day Seating Zones” will be split into Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers.
The published schedule lists Week 1 events including VALORANT (July 9–12), ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs for Apex Legends (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 7–12), and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (July 8–11), concluding in Week 7 with Counter-Strike 2 (August 19–23), Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship (August 19–22), Trackmania (August 19–22), and CROSSFIRE (August 18–22).
The post Esports Foundation sets Esports World Cup 2026 venue at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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