‘Esports is aspirational like any other sport…’: Riot Games exec

India is still new to esports, the world of professional competitive video games played on a variety of platforms. Competitions are often hosted in large venues and live-streamed for audiences to watch as professional players vie for supremacy. One of the most ambitious publisher-led efforts in esports has come from Los Angeles-based game developer Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends and Valorant, which operates leagues around the world.

Riot Games is developing an esports ecosystem around its tactical first-person shooter “Valorant” in India. (Image credit: Riot Games)

Executives from Riot and tournament organisers see India as the next frontier in esports and are targeting youngsters who aspire to pursue a career as professional players. It works two ways: game publishers who host events get the opportunity to promote their games, and brands that associate with them for a big-ticket esports tournament grab eyeballs.

“For every dollar that you spend in India, the mileage that you can get is far higher than in any other market that we have experienced, not just in developed markets but also in some of the emerging markets across APAC as well,” says Pegu. “We are seeing not just growth in terms of players playing the game, but also how they are interacting with our esports products,” he adds.

Prize money and fame have also contributed to the adoption among younger audiences. However, esports is still heavily concentrated in bigger cities and towns, and this is preventing it from gaining the national spotlight. “Access is something which I don’t think we can solve as a publisher by ourselves, it needs the infrastructure and the support of the market and the country that we are playing in,” agrees Pegu.

Sukamal Pegu, Riot Games’ esports lead for India and South Asia. (Image credit: Riot Games)

“We are cognizant that a lot of our athletes, and even people who are interested in the PC esports scene, would be primarily from the big cities but not necessarily from the villages or tier-3 towns,” he continues. But Pegu hopes that will change in the future, and more athletes from smaller parts of India get drawn to the lucrative world of professional video game competition.

In countries like South Korea, there is the concept of “PC bangs” that has played a key role in developing the local gaming ecosystem in the country. Along those lines, India could have similar gaming cafes that not only host esports leagues and area tournaments at a local level but can also spur an increase in esports viewership.

“We are interested in it, but we won’t be able to invest in building those infrastructures ourselves. However, what we have in our plans is to partner. Suppose there is a chain of experiences being built. In that case, we’ll be very happy to support not just with our IPs but also make a specific investment to ensure the footfalls are there and people who visit those cafes and areas can experience our game in a way that is not possible when you play at home,” he says.

While creating infrastructure at the local level is critical to boosting esports in India, there is also a need to make policy changes to support a young, growing industry. Pegu urges the government to make it “easier” to bring big events to India, which not only helps sports tourism but also speeds up infrastructure development in Indian cities, especially in upcoming towns and cities. “There is a need to have guidelines to provide a safe and meaningful conversation and engagement platform for the young Indian through esports,” adds Pegu.