The biggest gaming spectacle in the world — the 2024 Esports World Cup — ended on August 28, 2024. With 19 esports titles and a prize pool of $60 million, the extravaganza attracted players from across the globe. India, however, had a limited presence at the big show. The country didn’t see representation in even one game out of the 19.
For Indian players who want to take up esports, the journey is always riddled with hurdles, starting with the significant trouble of convincing their parents. Lack of structure, grassroots arenas — the list is endless — then pose challenges. Last but not the least is the lack of support from the government. Well, if it were just a lack of support, then that would still be managed somehow. The banning spree of gaming titles because the developer is from China has created huge setbacks in India’s developing ecosystem. As the players take a few significant steps forward, making waves on the global stage, a new ban hits them, setting back not just their careers but esports as a whole in the country.
For instance, from 2018 to 2020, India participated in various PUBG Mobile World Championships, a game that was also part of the Esports World Cup. However, due to the aforementioned ban, India has not been able to take part in any international event of PUBG Mobile since 2021.
The story of Tanmay ‘ScoutOP’ Singh is a testament to the short-sightedness that players have been faced with. ScoutOP is an esports athlete who began playing in Electronic Sports League’s (ESL) Counter-Strike tournaments on the international stage with limited success before shifting from PC to mobile esports. This was because the growth prospects in PC gaming were limited. Scout chose to pick up PUBG Mobile since the game was new, and he took the early bird advantage.
PUBG Mobile changed the course of his career — turning him into a legend and an inspiration for thousands of teenagers and young adults who wanted to make a career in esports. In Singh’s career and the mobile gaming scene in the country, predominantly dominated by PUBG Mobile back then, all that momentum fizzled out soon after the government ban. Singh has resurrected his gaming journey on multiple other titles. His story reflects India’s esports ecosystem, where players fend for themselves to make a career before their careers get snatched away.
PUBG Mobile’s Arrival in India
Tencent’s PUBG Mobile was released globally, and the Indian audience adopted the game very quickly. Due to an influx in smartphone usage, it was readily available for download. Given the game’s popularity, Tencent started investing in creating an esports culture in the country and hosted the PUBG Mobile Championships, which eventually allowed Indian teams to compete against the best teams from around the globe.
ScoutOP’s skills quickly became unmatched, and only some players came close to his skillset. Talking about his esports journey, Tanmay Singh said, “I used to play Counter-Strike before I started playing PUBG Mobile or BGMI. I have competed in ESL, and I named myself Scout. Not many people know this but I didn’t start using the moniker Scout in PUBG Mobile. I had been using it since before the game existed.”
ScoutOP played many of the tournaments hosted by the developers of PUBG Mobile and finished second in the PUBG Mobile Club Open—Spring Split: India 2019. From there, his path to recognition began.
ScoutOP and his previous teams (Fnatic and OR Esports) eventually represented India twice internationally, and even though they did not win, he created individual records. While playing for Team Fnatic, Scout competed in PEC (China’s version of PUBG Mobile) and got the highest number of finishes by a non-Chinese player. In India, the record is still unbroken. In PUBG Mobile World League 2020: EAST, Scout played for OR Esports, and the team finished second.
PUBG Mobile was in a league of its own. No game, no esports title could come close to this mobile game’s hype. If one had to make a comparison, if there were something that could match the hype of cricket in the future, it would have been PUBG Mobile.
However, the Indian government banned the game in 2022 under Section 69A of the IT Act. After this, ScoutOP temporarily switched to content creation.
His manager, Urvesh Bidwe, talks a lot about his brainstorming sessions with ScoutOP: “As his content lead, I believe healthy competition is essential for growth and innovation. It motivates us to push boundaries and deliver unique, engaging content that stands out to our audience. Scout and I are constantly in communication, discussing our next moves and planning meticulously. This collaborative approach ensures that our content is always fresh and distinctive, making execution smooth and effective. By embracing competition, we improve ourselves and bring something new and exciting to the audience.”
ScoutOP Remains…
When the game returned with stricter restrictions, many thought it would have a bleak future in the country. But ScoutOP remained hopeful. Recalling his goal from PUBG Mobile days, Scout says, “The goal still remains the same: To get a trophy for the country and wear that Indian flag.”
When asked about where he gets his determination and willpower from? Scout had another interesting story to tell. “You know, I was a national-level football player before I took up esports as a career. I had a promising career ahead in football, and everyone who knew me in Daman, where I am from, thought the same. However, fate had something else planned altogether.”
Scout was a promising athlete, but like many, his career was cut short due to a football injury. However, that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dream. But it seems far-fetched now—not just for him but for millions who share this dream with him.
Scout eventually formed a team and named it Team XSpark. The team still competes in Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the Indian version of PUBG Mobile.
Urvesh also sheds light on the challenges of managing an athlete like ScoutOP. He says: “Managing someone who is constantly in the limelight, especially someone like ScoutOP, is both a challenging and rewarding experience. It brings a unique set of hurdles, such as maintaining a consistent content flow, dealing with the pressures of public expectations, making up to the brand’s expectations while working with them and ensuring the influencer’s well-being.”
The Aftermath
The World Cup has a prize pool of $60 million, and PUBG Mobile alone has a prize pool of $3 million. Even the biggest esports athletes think it is a lost opportunity for many who could have competed and tried to take the trophy home.
ScoutOP says, “Now that we cannot compete internationally, I want my team (Team XSpark) to create such fear in the lobby that it feels like all the other teams are competing with someone as good as an international team.”
While the government is opening up dialogues about gaming and esports, India as an ecosystem is far from achieving the feat of hosting countries and getting the support that it needs from the government. When that happens, more ScoutOPs waiting in the wings, maybe even languishing, will emerge, fighting for honours on the world stage. Till then, ScoutOP’s story, his legacy of resilience, will hopefully keep the flame alive and inspire the country’s esports athletes to keep at it against the odds.
Copyeditor: Megha Mann