Calling all PUBG players

...and other gaming enthusiasts, to battle it out with hundreds at this tournament

They call it the South Indian eSports League. Featuring three popular games — Players Unknown Battle Grounds (PUBG), World Cricket Championship and Clash Royale — Chennai-based Skytou Studios is hosting a tournament that has already attracted gamers from across the country.

“The squad qualifier rounds for PUBG are already over; of the over 740 squads that had applied from across the country, 60 have qualified. These include leading national pro player squads,” says Kiruthika Gopalan, director of Skytou Studios, “PUBG solo, WCC and other registrations are still open.” And why should you care about a restrictive LAN tournament, you ask? Because this will be your chance not only to meet, bond and fight with gamers from multiple cities at the same venue, but also win an attractive cash prize if you make it to the top.

The winning prize for PUBG is ₹3 lakhs, while that for World Cricket Championship and Clash Royale are ₹1 lakh each. A number of sponsors are backing the event, including Nippon Paint India, Phoenix MarketCity, ACT Fibernet and Monster Energy.

“Only qualified teams will be invited to play at the venue in Chennai: semi finals and the final round will be LAN tournaments,” says Kiruthika.

While the finals will be held in Chennai soon, qualifier rounds will be held online. Entry is open to all, though you will need to mention your Rivals ID at the time of registration. “We are also organising various collegiate events in the coming future which will open up the market to a whole new audience. Recently, we conducted a PUBG mobile championship for Sastra Deemed University and got a good response,” she adds.

The organisation is looking to build a vibrant, responsive gaming community in South India: this is also the raison d’etre for the tournament itself. “Currently, we are exploring our expansion into the eSports domain in the name of Sky Esports. We believe in creating a better eSports environment in Chennai and South India, through this tournament. Our focus is primarily south Indian gamers but if other eSports athletes from around the country want to come down and give it a go, they are welcome,” she says.

Clearly, gamers from around the country have answered this call for battle. You can, too.

Sky Esports Rivals Championship 2019 will be held at Phoenix MarketCity, Velachery, on March 23 and 24. Qualifying rounds are underway online. To register and for details, visit the Sky Esports India Facebook page.