The Hope Valorant Brings for Indian Esports in 2024.
Reflecting on 2023: Insights from Riot Games' Sukamal Pegu on the Esports Winter and Valorant Challengers: South Asia
The last 12 months have been a wild ride for the esports industry, especially for myself and everyone within the Indian esports ecosystem, as the market has undergone a massive correction. This was a shocker for most, but a few experts were already ringing alarm bells back in 2022.
In this conversation, I sat down with Sukamal Pegu (Esports Leader, South Asia, Riot Games), to reflect upon 2023, 'the esports winter', and fan experience in Valorant Challengers: South Asia (VCSA). Sukamal, — or as I referred to him in the podcast, “trashhead” — was very clear on most of the opinions put forward as his own and not from his position at Riot Games. That being said, there were moments when he did speak from the publisher’s perspective.
We spoke about some crucial issues that revolved around revenue models, player salaries, sustainability, and how players themselves were not responsible enough to make the most out of their pay checks in the last couple of years.
I touched upon some issues I faced as a talent in the Indian circuit, such as the idea of retiring because there were not enough events to sustain a regular income. In addition, we discussed the issues faced by third-party tournament operators (TOs) who were unable to host events throughout most of the year, because of how broadcast rights worked, along with the fact that VCSA and other official tournaments occupied the calendar.
One of the most important changes Riot Games has made this year is that they have clearly defined what they consider ‘esports’ and what they do not, so that TOs can have a sustainable path to building a business around the game. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved in the ecosystem and this is something I have highlighted in the past.
The biggest change they have made with VCSA this year is that rather than holding the entire tournament in one place on LAN, it will now be divided into two splits: split 1 and split 2. It will also be a mix of online and offline matches. The reason behind this decision was to take the product and the experience to audiences in different cities rather than calling the audience from all around the country to Delhi. (for more details, check out this article by AFK Gaming)
TL; DR It was a fun conversation, especially, because of how candid Sukamal was, for which I cannot thank him enough. But for the readers, I hope this brings you insights on what to expect in 2024.