Riot Games eyes bigger role in India’s booming esports industry – Times of India

Bengaluru: Buoyed by the official recognition by the government just a year ago, the booming Esports sector has begun to make a splash in India with lakhs of youngsters and gaming enthusiasts rallying around the phenomenon and becoming a part of those passionate playing communities. The Esports sector, projected to be worth more than Rs 50 billion by 2025, is not only seen as a lucrative career option for many but also fast emerging as yet another platform for sporting talents to get global recognition in a competitive way.
Even as athletes (gamers) clamour around different genres of the games, Riot Games’ Valorant—a team-based tactical hero shooter game, has made its presence felt across the country with an impressive fan following over the years. The recent successful conclusion of the first-ever Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) in the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC) in Bangkok is seen as a shot in the arm for the gamers’ community in India. Launched in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the Valorant has not only grown significantly cultivating its own communities and fan circle in India but also nativized with hyperlocal experiences to represent diverse cultures within the game.
On average over 14 million PC players are said to be playing Valorant every month with Indian and South Asian communities being one of the most active groups. “From its nascent stage a few years ago to a country with one of the largest player bases currently, India is one of the biggest countries for the expansion of Esports. It is a good sign to have such a vast base of players as a small percentage of such a large talent pool will successfully emerge as professional players at the global level,” opined Jake Sin, Head of Valorant Esports, APAC region.
Notwithstanding the recent imposition of GST on online games, insiders from the Esports arena express that India is fast emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets for Esports viewership. “Already with 75 million total hours watched by gamers, it is estimated to register 85 million viewers over the next two years by 2025. Valorant alone witnessed a peak viewership of more than 4 lakh viewers and a total of around 25 million Esports hours watched at VCT Pacific,” pointed out Arun Rajappa, Country Manager at Riot Games, India & South Asia.
Determined to attract fresh talent, especially among youngsters and working professionals, Riot has been consistently hosting events and engagements with gaming communities like Valorant Premier. “The Premier is a platform for anybody with skills to emerge as a professional in the sector. You may be playing it from the comforts of your home for months. But your abilities will be discovered through events like Premier and a victory at this level will get you access to the coveted Challengers,” explained Jake Sin.
Similarly, the programmes such as Game Changers are providing opportunities to elevate women in Esports and thereby address gender neutrality. “We have been trying to design and host Changers to allow more women to come and play professionally and acquire specific skills to compete with men in professional tournaments. We want to give equal opportunity to women to be part of any of our main events,” Sin revealed. Rajappa clarified that these leagues both within India and outside are nothing but empowering local players to compete professionally and foster talent and passion within the wider APAC gaming community.
(This correspondent was at VCT-APAC Bangkok at the invite of Riot Games)