Nazara Games to invest Rs 136 crore on new professional eSports gaming league

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“We are targeting the 4 million people who are passionate for these games. They love to play 2-3 hours everyday and have their clans already; they are connected on the global network; they aspire to play in the global leagues; they follow the global gamers; and they already paying for that; they are paying for the items inside the games,” Agarwal explained in a telephone interaction.

Gaming has always been seen as a waste of time in our country, even though professional gamers known to earn big bucks. While Agarwal declined to give exact figures, he did say that a serious gamer can make a good living out of it, much better than a regular job.

The league will have two seasons per year, Agarwal said, adding that the first season will kick off in the middle of this year. A total of six teams will be selected through open and free online qualifier tournaments. The league will include popular games like Counter-Strike : Global Offensive and DOTA 2, with more to be announced soon.

Nazara is likely to opt for a sponsorship model though Agarwal declined to name the potential brands who have been approached for tie-ups. The newly announced eSports league will follow the franchise route with different teams just like in the Indian Premier League (IPL).