Gaming

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is coming back to India

Published

3 years ago

May 19, 2023

Mumbai: As per the official announcement by game publisher Krafton, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is coming back to India after a 10-month suspension.

As BGMI is a mobile-centric game, According to the latest data provided by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), India is currently home to over 430 million mobile gamers and is estimated to grow to 650 million by 2025. As per Niko Partner’s India Games Market Report 2022, India is a mobile-first market with 98.8 per cent of gamers playing on the platform, accounting for 85 per cent of total market revenue. Data costs in India are the lowest in the world. The game clocked about $33 million in in-app spending from July 2021 to July 2022.

8Bit Creatives founder & CEO Animesh Agarwal, India’s esports consulting and talent agency boasts of top BGMI content creators said, “The weekend fever has never been higher for all of us at 8Bit Creatives. The game represents so much for the gaming community, and we are thankful to the team at Krafton, Indian Govt. Officials & everyone else who has been working relentlessly to make this possible. This is sure to infuse new energy into the Indian Gaming Industry, and I am sure the whole industry is going to join forces to make it bigger than ever before. We are looking forward to accelerating this journey, with renewed vigour. We are most thankful to the players, and audiences, who showed great resilience during this period and continued to support the gamers. Hopefully, all the patience will be well rewarded and all of us get to work hard, and party harder as we take Indian gaming to newer heights. Personally, for me, I want to take a moment to feel that it’s happening, before going back to grind, and making more interesting things happen in the industry!”

Asian Esports Federation (AESF) director and Esports Federation of India Vice President Lokesh Suji said, “The long-awaited return of BGMI after a 10-month hiatus is a much-needed boost for the Esports community in our country. We express our gratitude to the government of India for bringing back the game for the nation’s passionate gaming audience and promoting the Esports ecosystem through this development. While the game is set to undergo certain changes to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for users upon its comeback on a trial period, it is encouraging to see the government bringing these safety measures for the youth of the country. With Esports getting official recognition from the government and the community adapting well to the absence of BGMI by expanding other titles, we eagerly anticipate the exponential growth that the sector will experience now that the game is back in the picture.

Alpha Zegus founder & director Rohit Agarwal the next-gen marketing agency specialising in the domains of gaming & lifestyle said, “BGMIs return is definitely big news for the entire industry, and everyone is thrilled about the good old days coming back. There has been a dry spell in the mobile competitive scenario for a while now, and this announcement is definitely making many stakeholders happy. Tournaments of all scales can restart, and players/content creators who have been on pause can resume. However, we need to be very cautious and responsible towards the rules set by the government. We’ve had the misfortune of the game going the previous 2 times, but if we all approach this carefully, it’ll be here to stay, and here to win!”

The Gamer’s Social Network Qlan co-founder & CEO Sagar Nair said, “The news that was eagerly awaited by the Indian esports community has finally been broken! It is great to see that the patience and perseverance on Krafton’s part to ensure that India’s most loved esports title returns in accordance with the Meity guidelines has paid off. Gamers have long waited for this moment and their happiness will be seen and heard loud and clear in the coming days. With the Indian authorities sure to keep a close eye on the game during the issued three month trial, it will have to uphold the guidelines that are demanded. On a macro level, this could potentially set the tone for future esports titles being released in India. Hoping for a long and continued stay for BMGI with no further complications, as the community rejoices and gets back to the grind.”

Gaming

Checkmate Goes Digital as Chess Joins Esports Nations Cup 2026

From boards to bytes, chess readies for a nation-first showdown in Riyadh.

Published

1 month ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When pawns meet power plays, the game changes. Chess, the world’s oldest mind sport, is officially stepping deeper into the digital arena after the Esports World Cup Foundation confirmed it as one of 16 titles at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026, set to unfold in Riyadh from 2 to 29 November.

For a game synonymous with quiet halls and ticking clocks, this is a bold move. Chess at ENC 2026 promises scale, spectacle and serious competition, fielding an unprecedented 128 players and opening the board to fresh talent and underrepresented nations as the sport’s esports evolution gathers pace.

The chess competition will run from November 2 to November 8, culminating in a playoff final. The opening phase features 128 players split into 16 round-robin groups of eight, with the top four from each group advancing.

That leaves 64 players battling it out in a single-elimination playoff bracket. Early rounds will be best-of-two, while the quarterfinals onward step up to best-of-four encounters. Deadlocks will be settled via Armageddon tie-breakers, and all matches will be played in a Rapid 10+0 format, designed for speed, tension and drama.

National pride is front and centre. Of the 128 slots, 64 players will receive direct invitations based on Champions Chess Tour rankings, limited to one per nation. Another 56 players will qualify through regional online qualifiers, while eight wildcard spots round out the field.

Qualifiers will be hosted by Chess.com across seven regions, including Middle East + India + Central Asia, with two qualifier windows in June 2026. Each country can field a maximum of two players, ensuring both depth and diversity across the draw.

Chess already tasted esports stardom at the 2025 Esports World Cup, where 20 nations were represented and the intensity surprised even purists. The event ended with Magnus Carlsen lifting the title for Team Liquid, sealing chess’s credentials as a natural fit for high-stakes digital competition.

India’s top-ranked player Arjun Erigaisi called the experience “unlike any chess tournament I’ve played before”, adding that the energy of the esports stage is drawing new audiences into the game.

For commentators and fans alike, the shift to a nation-based format raises the stakes. Chessbase India co-founder Sagar Shah likened the moment to the excitement of the Chess Olympiad, while grandmaster and broadcaster Tania Sachdev said the national format adds “pride, pressure and passion” that pulls viewers in deeper.

From silent calculation to roaring crowds, chess at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 is less about moving pieces and more about moving perceptions. Checkmate, it seems, has gone fully digital.

Gaming

Road to EWC unites 230 tournaments worldwide ahead of Esports World Cup 2026

Published

1 month ago

February 5, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation has launched Road to EWC, a worldwide qualification programme for the Esports World Cup 2026, stitching together more than 230 tournaments across major esports regions into a single global competitive season.

Running from grassroots qualifiers to elite international leagues, the initiative creates a unified pathway for players and clubs to reach the Esports World Cup finals in Riyadh from 6 July to 23 August, 2026. The season integrates publisher-led ecosystems and major circuits into one calendar, offering year-round visibility for fans and structured progression for competitors.

“Road to EWC brings together the journeys that shape competitive esports,” said Esports World Cup Foundation chief product officer Faisal Bin Homran. “It gives players, clubs, publishers and fans a defined season to plan around, building a sustainable and global competitive ecosystem.”

The qualification network spans leading events including the Apex Legends Global Series, Capcom Cup, Chess.com Global Championship, EVO, Free Fire World Series, EA Sports FC Pro, Pubg Global Series, Rocket League Championship Series, Overwatch Champions Series, Tekken World Tour Finals, and official circuits for Call of Duty, League of Legends, Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, Trackmania and Valorant.

Open online qualifiers will also run for titles such as Dota 2, Teamfight Tactics, Call of Duty: Warzone and Chess, widening access for emerging talent.

In 2025, more than 2,500 players from over 100 countries qualified through the Road to EWC programme. Highlights included 15-year-old Free Fire player Rasyah Rasyid becoming the youngest champion in event history, EA FC star Manuel Bachoore claiming gold, and Street Fighter icon Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun securing another major title. Team Falcons captured their second club championship following a dramatic Overwatch 2 victory.

A dedicated Road to EWC hub will track qualification events, schedules and viewing options throughout the season. Ticket sales for the Esports World Cup 2026 are now live, with international partners across the US, Europe, Middle East, India and China.

The Esports World Cup returns to Riyadh next summer, bringing together the world’s top clubs across multiple game titles to compete for the largest prize pool in esports history.

Gaming

Nintendo shares slide 10 per cent despite profit jump, hit by chip shortages

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

KYOTO: Nintendo shares slid more than 10 per cent on Wednesday, a day after the gaming giant missed market forecasts for quarterly revenue and warned of mounting pressure from a global memory chip shortage, as per media reports.

The company beat profit expectations, posting a 24 per cent year-on-year rise, driven by strong sales of the Nintendo Switch franchise. Revenue surged 86 per cent, with the original Switch now the firm’s best-selling console since its launch in 2017.

Yet rising component costs are weighing on investor sentiment. Nintendo relies heavily on dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a segment grappling with acute shortages as artificial intelligence and data centre demand soak up supply.

Ortus Advisors head of Japanese equity strategy Andrew Jackson, said markets remain uneasy about the impact of higher memory prices on Nintendo’s margins.

President Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged that while soaring memory costs have not yet dented results for the current financial year, prolonged price pressures could squeeze profitability.

TrendForce estimates that contract prices for conventional Dram chips in the first quarter could jump between 90 and 95 per cent from the previous quarter. A senior semiconductor industry executive recently told CNBC the shortage may last until 2027.

Kantan Games chief executive of consultancy Serkan Toto, said sustained cost inflation could force Nintendo to raise console prices: a risky move for its largely casual user base.

The company’s newest device, Switch 2, launched in June last year and already dominates its console sales mix. But analysts warn that momentum in the first year is critical for any new platform.

Concerns persist over whether Switch 2 can match the runaway success of its predecessor, despite Nintendo holding firm on its full-year sales forecast.

The outlook hinges on upcoming blockbuster releases, including Mario Tennis Fever in February and Pokémon Pokopia in March. Nintendo is also banking on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, due in April, to replicate the sales boost sparked by its 2023 hit film.

Omdia senior analyst James McWhirter, said 2026 would be a “make-or-break” year as Nintendo seeks broader mass-market appeal for Switch 2.

Nintendo shares are down more than 15 per cent so far this year.