PUBG Mobile Increased Indian Esports Prize Pools By 180%

The esports industry has been expanding crazily in India. The evidence is that the Indian esports prize pool grew by 180% in 2019 due to PUBG Mobile.

India Reached Esports' Forefront Thanks To Mobile Games

Before the emergence of mobile games, India had never been named in the esports industry. It was very hard for esports athletes in this country to join and compete in global esports tournaments.

However, PUBG Mobile came and changed everything. It made PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds accessible for Indian players who had been experiencing the poor technological condition. Soon after its launch in this country, PUBG Mobile emerged phenomenally. It proved that Indian players are greatly interested in battle royale games and competitive gaming. So, PUBG Mobile brought a big chance for them to compete in international esports events.

Now, this country becomes a big market for this mobile game with over 50 million registered users. Despite many controversies and social evils caused by addicted players, PUBG Mobile is still growing in this country.

Indian Esports Prize Pools Rose By 180%

Before the coming of PUBG Mobile, India isn’t in the top destinations for big esports tournaments. The first global esports event held in this country DreamHack Mumbai in 2017. In the following year, Indian hosted three big tournaments, including DreamHack Delhi, ESL One Mumbai, and COBX Masters. The total prize pool of these events was over Rs 3.5 crore.  

But this number rose by 180% in 2019 to over Rs 10 crore. According to Esports Observer, 40% out of the total esports prize pool was contributed by PUBG Mobile. The sum of money coming from PUBG Mobile events in India was so fascinating. PUBG Mobile is growing as domestic pop culture in India and continues to increase in popularity.

And this year, India is still a top destination for international esports tournaments. Not only PUBG Mobile but other games, such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Clash Royale are likely to choose India as the host country for their esports events in 2020.