With the inclusion of Esports as an official medal sport at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee (AINAGOC) announces that esports will be among the nine newly added medal sports for the upcoming Asian Games from 2026. 

In Asian Games 2022, Esports will debut as a Medal Sport. India will also compete in Hangzhou in four titles: DOTA 2, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V and League of Legends, which will kick off on 23 September. 

Also read: Team India To Compete At IESF Asian Qualifiers For Dota 2

The Inclusion Of Esports As A Medal Sport At The Asian Games 2026 Will Give A Boost To Indian Gaming Ecosystem: Stakeholders

In the recent "Windows of Opportunity" report by FICCI-EY, the number of Esports players across all competitive level games in India increased from 600,000 in 2021 to 1 million in 2022. The projection for 2023 is to reach 2.5 million, alongside growth in the number of international Esports teams in India from 7 to 10. 

With the announcement of Esports as a medal sport in Asian Games 2026, here is what Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of 8Bit Creatives and S8UL Esports has to say:

"The Esports industry and its passionate community have long been working towards gaining recognition, and the recent announcement clearly indicates the significant progress made by the esports ecosystem on international platforms. The official recognition of Esports as a medal sport further enhances and elevates the standing of esports athletes, placing them on par with mainstream sports personalities. We are optimistic that in the Asian Games 2026, our team, S8ul and 8bit, will have the opportunity to participate and showcase their skills in several esports titles. Moreover, this announcement solidifies the fact that both endemic and non-endemic brands are actively seeking avenues to engage with gamers today and are enthusiastic about investing in the Esports ecosystem."

Since it is big news for the India Gaming ecosystem, here is what Lokesh Suji, the Director of the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and the Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF), has to say about the development of esports in India:

"With this announcement, it becomes crucial for us to expedite the development of our infrastructure, education programs, training facilities, and overall awareness within the esports ecosystem. Additionally, it is imperative that we provide our athletes with top-notch equipment and resources, empowering them to deliver their best performances on international stages. We encourage the entire nation to embrace this remarkable development."

Stakeholders are excited to see the growth of the Indian Esports ecosystem and want Esports to a scale similar to traditional sports. 

Krafton has announced its second official event of the year. Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS 2024), will begin on August 20, 2024. The finals of the coveted event will take place in Kochi, Kerala from September 26-29 and will have a prize pool of Rs 2,00,00,000. The more than a month-long event will see top BGMI teams compete against each other and battle it out for the prize pool and the title. 

Also Read: Team iQOO Soul Wins BGMS Season 3

BMPS 2024 To Start On August 20

In a trailer released on multiple social media platforms, Krafton announced the BGMI pro tournament and released a few details about the same. The iQOO-sponsored tournament will begin on August 20, 2024. Here is what the announcement read: 

The stage is set, and the stakes are high! Dive into the iQOO BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA PRO SERIES 2024!!! Gear up for the tournament starting AUGUST 20th, where the PROs battle it out. Ready to see who rises to the top?

Fans will get to see a lot of reputed teams at the tournament, which includes BGIS 2024 champions, Team Xspark, BGMS Season 3 winners, iQOO Soul, Vasista and MOGO Esports. A lot of other teams have been invited for the event and a lot of new teams, which are also likely to include girls' lineups will be added to the teams who play in the event. 

Before the tournament kicks off, a lot of new announcements are expected from the teams that have been invited. In the run up to the tournament, Team Z has announced the addition of Vexe and Carnival Gaming, who came fourth in BGMS Season 3, bid farewell to SPower. 

More details about the tournament are yet to be announced. These include the BMPS 2024 format, schedule and the teams. However, considering what a great hit the last iteration of the tournament was, fans can expect the same kind of action this year also. 

Nodwin Gaming's BGMS Season 3 has come to an end and Team iQOO Soul has been crowned as the winner of the tournament. The team that consists of Nakul, Manya, Rony, Joker and Saumay won the competition with a total of 123 points. Entity Gaming and Team Tamilas were placed second and third respectively. 

The team won a total of Rs 55 lakh as the prize money and lifted the coveted trophy. The team's manager, Ayogi and coach, Mayavi were also at the backend cheering on for the team. 

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iQOO Soul Wins BGMS Season 3

Team iQOO Soul started the day out with a lot of confidence as they were placed in the top five. With that momentum set, the team took on one match at a time. When the team dropped into Sanhok, they eliminated Global Esports in a quick drop fight, but unfortunately, the match got re-hosted due to technical difficulties. 

The match restarted and the team wasn't able to replicate the drop clash performance but finished in a decent place in the match. This match was the changing point in the game and the final match, which was played in Erangel was the one where they proved themselves and survived long enough with enough finishes to be crowned as the champions. 

The last match of the day was won by BGIS champions, Team XSpark, who eventually finished ninth on the overall points table and had an average run compared to their BGIS 2024 performance. 

Three other awards were given out during the awards ceremony. The MVP of the event was Orangutan's AKop. He also won the TVS Wicked Raider award. The third prize of the night was given to Global Esports' Beast. He was given the fan-favourite award. 

BGMS Season 3 Survival Week Day 2 came to an astonishing end as Vasista Esports continued their impeccable run. The team is still at the top of the points table with 65 points. Second on the points table is Raven Esports with 47 points. The next on the points table is Global Esports with 40 points. 
 

The 20 teams played two matches on Sanhok and Erangel. In the Survival Week, these 20 teams will play all the matches in a pre-determined schedule and after that, the teams will move to Domination Week. 

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BGMS Season 3 Survival Week Day 2 Results and Points Table

The first match of the day was played on Sanhok. WSB Gaming won the match and got a total of 26-point Chicken Dinner. In the same match, Global Esports gained a total of 10 points. Here is the points table for the day: 

1. Vasista Esports - 65 points
2. Raven Esports - 47 points
3. Global Esports - 40 points
4. CarpeDiem - 36 points
5. Team Tamilas - 35 points
6. Reckoning Esports - 33 points
7. Team Soul - 31 points
8. Entity Gaming - 27 points
9. WSB Gaming - 27 points
10. Carnival Gaming - 20 points
11. Orangutan Gaming - 20 points
12. Team 8Bit - 20 points
13. Team GodLike - 19 points
14. Team Forever - 18 points
15. Team Z - 18 points
16. Gods Reign - 17 points
17. OneBlade - 12 points
18. Revenant Esports - 10 points
19. MOGO Esports - 9 points
20. Team XSpark - 5 points

The second match of the day was played on Erangel and was won by Raven Esports who got 16 points from the game. In the same match, Orangutan, Team Tamilas, and 8Bit scored 15, 14, and 14 points, respectively. 

BGMS Season 3 Survival Week Day 1 came to an end with Vasista Esports topping the points table with 53 points. The team managed to achieve this remarkable feat in just two matches. The team capitalised on the changed format of the game and got two bounties in one game. 

Team Soul also took a bounty and got a total of 31 points from the two matches and Carpe Diem got 28 points after two matches. 

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BGMS Season 3 Survival Week Day 1 Results and Points Table

The first match of the day was won by Vasista Espirts and they got 43 points from the first match itself. They eliminated two of the bounty teams and got 13 finishes. Carpediem, Soul, and Forever managed to get 14, 13, and 10 points each. Here is the overall points table from Day 1:

1. Vasista Esports - 53 points
2. Team Soul - 31 points
3. CarpeDiem - 28 points
4. Reckoning Esports - 27 points
5. Global Esports - 22 points
6. Raven Esports - 20 points
7. Team GodLike - 19 points
8. Team Tamilas - 19 points
9. Entity Gaming - 17 points
10. Carnival Gaming - 17 points
11. Team Forever - 14 points
12. Team 8Bit - 6 points
13. OneBlade - 5 points
14. Team Z - 4 points
15. MOGO Esports - 4 points
16. Team XSpark - 2 points
17. Revenant Esports - 2 points
18. WSB Gaming - 1 point
19. Team Orangutan - 0 points
20. Gods Reign - 0 points

Entity Gaming won the second match and got 17 points from it. However, it was Global Esports that got the highest points from the day: 22. Team Soul and Reckoning Gaming got a total of 18 points each and Carpe Diem got 14 points.

The matches will continue on the remaining days and then the teams will play Domination Week. Four of the 20 teams will move directly to the finals after Domination Week and the rest will go to the Playoffs. 

BGMS season 3 has entered Survival Week. Starting on July 22, the Week will see 20 teams or five groups take part in the competition to make it to the finals or the playoffs, depending on the position they finish on. Only four teams from the League Stage, which consists of Survival Week and Domination Week will move to the finals. The rest of the teams will play in the Playoffs to find a place for themselves in the finals. Here is everything we know about the Survival Week, including its team, live stream details and dates. 

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BGMS Season 3 Survival Week Teams and Dates

After the Opening Week, four teams have been eliminated from the competition and 20 teams will play in the Survival Week. Here is a list of all the team participating in the competition: 

Group A

1. Team 8Bit
2. Carnival Gaming
3. Raven Esports
4. Team Z

Group B

1. OneBlade
2. Reckoning Esports
3. WSB Gaming
4. GodLike Esports

Group C

1. Team Soul
2. Team Forever
3. Vasista Esports
4. CarpeDiem

Group D

1. Team Xspark
2. Gods Reign
3. Orangutan Gaming
4. Team Tamilas

Group E

1. Revenant Esports
2. Entity Gaming
3. Global Esports
4. MOGO Esports

Just two matches will be played on weekdays, and three will be played on Sundays. Here is the match order for the weekdays: 

• Game 1 - Erangel - 7:15 pm IST - (Group A, B, C, D)
• Game 2 - Miramar - 8 pm IST - (Group A, B, C, E)

As usual, the matches will be streamed live on Nowdin Gaming's YouTube channel and Star Sports. The live stream for the same will begin from 7 PM onwards, and on the Sunday, the live stream will start from 6:30 PM onwards,