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Back in September, the Indian government went ahead to ban several games in the country, especially those linked to China. The tension that exists between both countries is the most prominent reason for the ban. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) was one of the more prominent examples, with the concerns of the Indian government focused on data security, addiction, and violence.
The government was unwavering in its decision despite outcry from millions of users in the country. This led the PUBG Corporation to go into a deal with Microsoft Azure to ensure the servers hosting the game remained present in the country. Also, steps have been taken to address the issue of addiction and violence raised by the Indian government. The makers of PUBG, Krafton, set a limit on the playtime and also changed the color of blood from red to green.
However, these efforts have not yielded any results yet. This is because the gaming regulators in India are yet to approve the return of the game. This ban has dealt a heavy blow to the Esports industry in India that might be soon to be one of the biggest Esports customer bases globally. Major players in the Esports industry have come to this realization a few years ago and have since then started to make moves to enter into the potentially huge market.
Some of the Big Industry Names Making a Move
Riot Games
The ban on PUBG has created a gap that those at Riot Games hope to fill. They recently launched Valorant servers specifically for Indian players. This is a smart move as the presence of such an Esports organization will be a massive boost for the Esports industry in the country. The server will be based in Mumbai and will be a part of Riot’s Southeast Asian collection. The game will fit in well in the region as it is a free to play model and can also be enjoyed on older hardware.
Noble Esports
The North American Esports organization announced its intent to operate a roster for League of Legends Wild Rift in India. This came as uplifting news for the Indian gaming industry following the recent ban. The release of the game Wild Rift has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, there have been difficulties setting up the game in the South Asian region. Former League of Legends and Dota professional players have indicated interest to represent the team in the Southeast Asian region whenever the game is finally released.
Team Vitality
The French-based Esports organization announced that preparations are ongoing to set up in the region. The organization’s investors raised about 12-million pounds around a year ago, with part of the deal being that the company will have a presence in India and China to tap into its massive available market.
With all of these announcements, an Indian Esports organization, NODWIN Gaming, has partnered with Red Bull to host the North East Esports Summit in India. In this summit, there will be competitive tournaments for popular mobile titles like Free Fire and Clash of Clans.
The ban on PUBG and other applications has created a void that Esports organizations around the world are trying to fill. The Indian Esports market is an increasingly growing one. Every organization is looking to have a foothold in these early stages. The reaction by other Esports organizations was unanticipated because many figured that the ban might scare off other organizations. However, the reverse is the case.
More and more are looking to tap into the Indian Esports industry as it could potentially be one of the most lucrative Esports markets in the world today. Everyone is still keen to grab their share of the market as soon as possible.