Mumbai: Skyesports, a premier global IP builder for gaming and esports, has announced the return of its longest-running esports IP, the Skyesports Championship, for its sixth edition in 2024. The Skyesports Championship 2024 Counter-Strike 2 esports tournament will feature a prize pool of $200,000, with teams from around the world travelling to India to compete for the title from July 23 to 28.
India’s gaming market has rapidly grown to USD 3.1 billion in FY 2023, per a report by Statista. At a CAGR of 20 per cent, the gaming industry is among the fastest-growing segments in India’s media and entertainment industry and will be worth over USD 7.5 billion by FY 2028.
Commenting on the exciting competition, Skyesports founder and CEO Shiva Nandy said, “At Skyesports, we are leveraging the rapid growth of gaming to build globally recognized esports IPs from India. The Skyesports Championship 2024 exemplifies this effort as we bring the top international esports teams from around the globe for an on-ground event. The tournament will be broadcast for global audiences right here from India. This will not only empower local esports and gaming audiences but also bring international attention to the scene, further fueling local growth and investments.”
So far, five of the eight teams have been confirmed for the Skyesports Championship 2024. This includes Aurora Gaming from Serbia, The Mongolz from Mongolia, BetBoom from Russia, Eternal Fire from Turkey, and Brazil’s Furia Esports.
Additionally, one local team who will win the upcoming Skyesports Championship 2024 Counter-Strike 2 India Qualifier will get the chance to compete against the best of the world as the home team in the on-ground finale.
Serbia’s Aurora Gaming won the Skyesports Grand Slam 2024 in Pune
The Skyesports Championship 2024, with a prize pool of $200,000, is the third tournament in Skyesports’ Counter-Strike 2 esports roadmap. Earlier, the company successfully executed the Skyesports Grand Slam 2024 in Pune, India with a $50,000 prize pool and the Skyesports Masters 2024, which had a staggering $350,000 on the line.
Skyesports project manager Sudarshan S commented, "India's esports audience is rapidly growing and extremely passionate, yet we have seen limited international events on our home turf. At Skyesports, we are committed to changing this by not only bringing premier global tournaments to India but also ensuring significant local participation. Our goal is to foster a thriving and sustainable esports ecosystem that elevates the entire scene."
Sachin Tendulkar at the Skyesports Championship 2021 Award Ceremony in Taj Lands End, Mumbai.
The Skyesports Championship is a multi-game esports IP launched in 2018 as a regional tournament in Chennai, India. Since then, the tournament has become one of the most recognized esports competitions with global participation. The IP has produced some iconic moments for Indian esports, starting with a 221,000 peak concurrent viewership in the 2021 edition. Additionally, the winners of the 2021 edition were felicitated in a grand award ceremony in Mumbai, India by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar.
