In Chennai, esports has transcended its image as a hobby for young people playing on mobile devices, and has quietly emerged as a multi-million business. The city now cultivates professional e-gamers who compete internationally, earning between 10 to 20 lakhs per month. Recognizing this burgeoning trend, the Tamil Nadu government has embraced esports by incorporating it into the CM Trophy competition.
Sudin Dinesh, originally from Chennai, transitioned from playing online games casually with friends at local gaming hubs to representing India in global tournaments. Initially, gaming was a leisure activity, but Dinesh dedicated himself to honing his skills, practicing for 10 hours daily and achieving victories in tournaments across the country.
His growing reputation caught the attention of a gaming organization based in Delhi, which led to his participation in the 2015 Esports World Championship where he was ranked among the top 32 players worldwide. Reflecting on the evolving landscape of esports, Dinesh, who has now retired as a player, serves as the Head of Production at an Esports Club in Bengaluru, emphasizing the increasing interest in the profession among young enthusiasts, evident from the growing viewership on social media platforms.
Livestreaming has become a key platform for gamers in Chennai, with top players garnering millions of views as they demonstrate their gaming prowess to a predominantly novice audience seeking to learn from their techniques. Apart from streaming income, gamers receive rewards from tournament organizers and collaborations with brands looking to align with successful teams. The scope of esports has expanded significantly in recent years, transitioning from modest prize pools in earlier tournaments to multi-crore competitions like the recent Battlegrounds tournament in Kochi, akin to India's version of PUBG, which boasted a prize pool of ₹2 crore. International game developers are also increasing their involvement in organizing tournaments in India.Indian cities are embracing esports to gain popularity. In late November, Chennai will host a major event showcasing the country's top e-gamers. Not all players are professionals, as individuals like Kirubakaran Sundar Rajan, a doctor from Georgia, enjoy playing with friends in Chennai out of passion. Some professionals, aged between 20 and 40 and working in fields like medicine and engineering, see gaming as a means to enhance concentration, despite the growing concerns of addiction. Dr. D Sidharth, who treats cases of back pain and stress resulting from excessive gaming, mentions that many players spend 4-6 hours playing continuously after work, affecting their sleep, posture, and eyesight. To counter this, some game publishers have implemented self-regulatory measures such as restricting daily gaming to six hours and sending alerts every two hours to prevent health issues, according to Sriram Vishaal, the Head of esports at Skyesports, a tournament organizer. In contrast to games of chance and betting, skill-based esports, unlike rummy or poker, is unlikely to be monitored by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority.
