India’s eSports scene has experienced a huge surge lately. Competition prize money increased by 180% in 2019. In a land obsessed with sports, electronic athletes are rising the ranks to critical acclaim. The eSports Federation of India reports a phenomenal 264 million Indian gamers, with almost half of those logging in to do battle online. But, no matter how big the playing field, a handful of talented trailblazers always shine through. Here are three Indian eSports stars all gaming fans should watch.
#1 – Balaji “BlizzarD” Ramnaratan
Balaji “BlizzarD” Ramnaratan is a professional Dota 2 player and currently India’s second-highest-paid eSports athlete with over $23,000 in winnings. Having only entered the game of professional eSports four years ago, BlizzarD has quite literally blown away the competition during his whirlwind ascendency. At only 24 years old, he’s a six-time ESL India Premiership winner and has taken first place in 80% of the top tournaments he’s entered.
Dota 2 – aka Defence of the Ancients – has always been one of the more popular eSports games. Yet, it’s been one of the top draws in India year after year, having peaked around the 2016-2017 season. Dota-2 has a huge dedicated fan base and always amasses a hefty percentage of the nation’s eSports prize money. Now, all of BlizzarD’s massive earnings make sense.
#2 – Saransh Jain
Saransh Jain is one of India’s top-flight professional eFIFA players. But, Jain didn’t always have aspirations to play the beautiful game for a living. He only started out competing in local tournaments for fun, but his prowess and dominant performances highlighted he’d stumbled upon something special. Jain wasn’t just good at eFIFA, he was one of the top players in the whole of India. Now, he’s got his sights set on becoming the number one ranked eFIFA player in all of Asia, not just his home nation. We think it’s important to mention he’s a PlayStation guy too.
India loves football, so it should come as no surprise that eFIFA has swept the nation too. Last year there were four qualifier tournaments held in India for the FIFA19 World Tour, and the eSports game now offers some of the best betting online opportunities too. According to Betjaw, India is one of the fastest-growing online sports betting markets in the world, and many key bookmakers provide markets for eFIFA.
#3 – Ankit “V3nom” Panth
Today, Ankit “V3nom” Panth is a name all Indian gamers recognize. Not only is he one of the nations highest-ranked Counter Strike: Global Offensive players, but he’s also a DJ, social media star, and fitness industry professional too. Not bad for a guy who everyone called a bad influence for his dedication to gaming. Did we mention V3nom’s one of India’s most active and followed gaming streamers too? Over 42,000 YouTube subscribers is an impressive feat.
V3nom’s game of choice is Counter Strike: Global Offensive, one of the most competitive fields in eSports. While he might not be in the upper echelons of elite competitors, V3nom’s skills and online personality have secured him sponsorship deals with some of the biggest names in gaming technology, as well as backing from global megabrand Red Bull.
Many people also know V3nom as a global ambassador and a positive role model for gaming culture. He’s extremely active in helping break barriers and negative attitudes toward gaming, especially in India. Last year V3nom in an interview with the BBC, V3nom addressed the need to positively combat issues such as parental conservation, and highlighted how he uses his own success in gaming to change attitudes.
If you’re a gaming fan and you’re not watching these eSports stars, start right now. You’ll find years worth of older footage to binge stream, and much more coming in their bright futures. If there were ever three Indian gamers to follow, it is these three.