September 1, 2023 – World-leading emerging market esports and gaming media company, NODWIN Gaming, in association with sports broadcast giants Star Sports and leading gaming and esports platform Rooter celebrates the successful culmination of another blockbuster season of the BGMI Masters Series. The 22-day mega BGMI-LAN event which kicked off on August 4 with 24 teams saw a host of qualified and invited teams battle it out for BGMI Masters glory. Amidst several contending esports outfits, it was Gladiators Esports who took the crown and the INR 1 crore prizemoney with an exhilarating high-octane BGMI Masters Series Grand Finals performance.
The Grand Finals, which spanned three days, commenced on August 25th. During the initial two days of intense competition, the highly acclaimed esports team, Orangutan Gaming, surged ahead in the leaderboards, with each member of the team making significant contributions to the overall points tally. Nonetheless, Gladiator Esports remained in close pursuit throughout, consistently challenging the leaders. As the final match concluded, it was Gladiator Esports who emerged as the triumphant victors. They secured the INR 1 crore prize money and earned the prestigious title of the 2023 BGMI Masters Series champions, clinching victory by a solitary point.
Among the players of Gladiator Esports, SHOGUN achieved 11 finishes, Deltapg accumulated an impressive total of 15 finishes, while the formidable duo of Justin and Destro earned 25 finishes each. Justin from Gladiators was recognized as the MVP of the finals and was also bestowed with the TVS Raider Most Wicked Player award. Meanwhile, Akshat from Team SouL claimed the Audience Favourite Raider award.
BGMI Masters Series Season 2 unquestionably fulfilled its commitment to the Indian esports community by delivering exhilarating BGMI entertainment, showcasing intense battles throughout the 22 days of LAN, complete with significant upsets woven into the narrative. On Rooter, the BGMI Masters Series broadcast garnered over 85 million views from across the nation.
While certain goliaths of the BGMI esports circuit couldn’t quite reach the coveted Grand Finals threshold, a few underdog teams remarkably overcame all odds, securing their place in the thrilling concluding phase of the highly sought-after BGMI Masters Series, giving fruition to the much anticipated David vs. Goliath encounter that was on the cards from the very beginning of the tournament.
Speaking on the recently concluded BGMI Masters Series Season 2, Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming said, “ We are extremely pleased to draw curtains upon yet another hugely successful season of the BGMI Masters Series! My heartiest congratulations go out to the fantastic Gladiator Esports. We had promised the community an enthralling BGMI experience over the course of the 22-day LAN, and we feel we have been successful in delivering just that, the Grand Final stage was definitely one for the history books. This season of the Masters Series has been an exhilarating roller coaster ride, and I hope our passionate community has had just as much fun experiencing BGMS as we have enjoyed delivering it to them in the benchmark defining audience experience that the community expects from a NODWIN Gaming IP.
We at NODWIN Gaming are thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with our friends at Star Sports, Rooter, TVS Motor Corp, OnePlus, and Philips, every single brand has pooled their individual strengths in the success of the BGMI Masters Series. We feel such collaborations are integral in the Indian esports ecosystem being sustainable and thriving in the coming years.“
NODWIN Gaming and Star Sports and their partners Rooter, TVS Motor Corp, OnePlus, and Philips have jointly committed their core brand strengths for the overall upliftment of the Indian esports ecosystem. The BGMI Masters Series Season 2 stands as a testament to the joint efforts of the mega-corporations that have come together to create a sustainable ecosystem for esports in India.
Speaking about how the tournament has evolved this season, Dipesh Agarwal, Co-founder and COO, Rooter said “The BGMI Master Series has become one of the most popular esports tournaments on the calendar and we are happy to have delivered a grander edition this year. On the back of Rooter’s multi-platform distribution strength spanning mobile, web, TV, DTH, and connected TV, millions of passionate fans got to enjoy the best viewing experience across every possible platform, which was visible in the kind of attention we got on our streams. Our viewers spent an average of 42 minutes per day watching the tournament – which is more than the engagement for most non-cricket sports! What’s more, with our curated suite of branded integrations and activations, we were able to bridge enriching connections between this highly engrossed audience and our brand partners and advertisers like Lenskart, TVS, Kreo, Intel, KFC, OnePlus, ACT, and more. This year, younger teams shone. Despite the biggest teams in the country not qualifying beyond the league stage, fan viewership continued to soar, reaching over 85 million views on content throughout the tournament. Goes to show how a growing community of passionate Gaming fans, and industry leaders collaborating to elevate their entertainment experiences, will together script India’s esports growth story.”
As the trend of esports as a category continues to gain momentum, and since there is a very large skew towards younger audiences, the second season of the BGMI Masters Series witnessed several brands come on board who wanted to target these audiences and build powerful associations. The BGMI Masters Series 2 saw prominent two-wheeler manufacturer TVS unveil two of their exclusive Marvel Avengers series motorbikes created around the hugely popular Marvel heroes Iron Man and Black Panther from their sporty commuter TVS Raider stable. Similarly, world-renowned lifestyle tech company Philips has advertised their wares through a multitude of in-match integrations. Continuing its outreach efforts with the Gaming community, Asia’s largest eyewear company Lenskart also curated a series of organic fan engagement experiences on Rooter streams like branded watch parties, predict & win activities and product showcases, and new-gen electronics brand Kreo explored branded advertising.
Speaking on the recently concluded BGMI Masters Series, Grand Finals MVP and TVS Most Wicked Player winner Justin from Gladiators Esports said, “Our journey in the BGMI Masters Series stage began in Season 1, I was a fairly new player and when the team came seventh we took a vow that the next time we return to the Masters Series stage, we will prove our mettle. We are growing as a team and we take every setback as a learning experience, and I am honestly elated with the results.
I feel that tournaments of the BGMI Masters Series’ magnitude play a huge role in enriching the entire ecosystem. It keeps upcoming esports players hopeful and provides the quintessential tailwinds to transform their dreams of one day taking to the big stage and lifting the trophy in front of millions into reality. I held a very similar dream and now that dream is finally a reality. I feel such tournaments truly embody the soul of Indian esports and uplift the overall esports ecosystem. “
