eSports 2023: India to send teams to Hangzhou Asian Games, other international events

India will compete in five eSports titles (FIFA 2022, Street Fighter V, Hearthstone, League of Legends, DOTA 2) at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. (Illustration by Suneesh K.)

The inclusion of eSports as part of multi-sports events under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier this week gives the field a much-sought after shot in the arm.

For long confused to be in the same bracket as iGaming, which includes fantasy sports, teen patti, rummy, poker, online gaming, gambling, and betting, etc., the new amendment allows stakeholders in eSports to dream big, to stake claim as a legitimate sport and to seek the same benefits that other sports get.

The delay in categorising eSports as a “sport” comes from, not just the incorrect association with iGaming, but also the apparent lack of physical activity. But stakeholders in eSports refer to its exponents as “athletes”, calling this as much of a sport as chess or shooting. The inclusion of eSports in the 2018 Asian Games as a demo event has added further credibility, besides its recognition as a sport in other parts of the world.

Lokesh Suji, the director of eSports Federation of India (ESFI) and vice-president of the Asian Esports Federation, says over the phone that this amendment would have some significant impact, including the distinction of gaming from eSports. “When we talk of eSports, the biggest bottleneck is parental approval. Before 23 December (when the government notification came out) if someone was practicing for a tournament, parents would say they are wasting their time. Now parents can see the government’s support.”

He believes there will be a change in perception as well, since gambling and all card games were not looked at positively. “Drinking is legal but do we encourage anyone to do it? No. Most brands want to get involved (in eSports), but it’s perceived as teen patti, poker, fantasy sports, etc... They might have tested the waters with small activations. But now, a brand can set up a long-term plan for eSports,” Suji says.

When one of the more popular games, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), which had over 100 million registered users, was banned this year, it was a major setback for the industry. But it turned out to be the only major blip in a reasonably positive year for eSports in India.

In addition to the return of on-site events in 2022, there have been many game-changing developments, such as the advent of 5G, says Animesh Agarwal, founder and chief executive officer of 8bit Creatives. Once fully implemented, he adds through a press statement, high speed and low latency will “revolutionise the lives of players and propel the gaming industry to unimaginable heights”. Then there’s big data, the internet of things, which have enabled real-time tracking, data monitoring, and analysis, while Web3 has also created opportunities for gamers and developers to become economically independent, he says.

The Indian DOTA 2 team of Moin Ejaz, Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubhnam Goli and Vishal Vernekar, won a bronze medal in the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championship in Birmingham in August. India’s Muhammad Ibrahim qualified for the final of the first-ever Sim Racing (simulated racing) World Cup, held in October, by finishing second in the Asian Continental Qualifiers in August this year.

The inclusion of eSports in the multi-sport category comes at the time when internationally, eSports is being embraced across spheres. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will host an Olympic eSports Week in 2023, with an eye on the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s also been included in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where India will compete in five eSports titles (FIFA 2022, Street Fighter V, Hearthstone, League of Legends, DOTA 2) for medals.

Besides the pro-active lobbying by the ESFI, the official recognition of eSports comes on the back of some strong numbers.

The online gaming segment is expected to reach Rs 15,300 crore by 2024, to be the fourth largest segment of the Indian media and entertainment sector, according to a FICCI-EY report ‘Tuning into Consumer’. The eSports market in India is expected to generate economic value of around Rs 10,000 crore between now and FY2025, says a June 2021 EY report ‘The dawn of esports in India’.

According to various figures, the number of eSports players doubled from 300,000 in 2020 to 600,000 in 2021, revenue grew by 29 percent from Rs 750 crore in 2020 to Rs970 crore in 2021. Teams in eSports also grew from 60,000 in 2020 to 100,000 in 2021 while the total prize money in 2021 crossed Rs 20 crore. Close to a hundred brands are said to have invested in eSports, up from 70-odd in 2021.

The change in status would also have an impact on the entire eSports ecosystem. While only about 4 percent of mobile games on the Play Store are from Indian publishers, according to the 2021 EY report, as Indian game developers transition from developing social games to multiplayer games, Indian developers are expected to create games that are better suited for eSports tournaments. The number of Indian gaming studios has grown five times since 2015 with over 14 eSports broadcast platforms in 2021, expected to cross 20 by 2025. ‘The dawn of esports in India’ report adds that over 85 million unique viewers will watch eSports tournaments in India by 2025.

The ESFI has been seeking recognition as the national sports federation. They want to focus on coaching, skill development, to get medals, encourage investors, including foreign ones, and get infrastructure, like monitors, workstations, accessories, etc. “We have seen how players stumble when they play international teams. Coaching and skill development includes mental health—they should not lose confidence against better-known opponents,” says Suji.

He hopes that schools will build coaching and playing infrastructure. “When we speak of eSports, there are genres of video games. You don’t want children playing DOTA, but FIFA or car racing, NHL, NFL. Computer labs can be used for skill development.”

India is still some distance from catching up with some of the other, more eSport-friendly nations. But given its young population, growth of mobile and data services and general proclivity to all things digital, eSports could well become a medal-generating outlet.