ESL to host Indian league

ESL has announced that they will be creating a Indian Premiership for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

India has been a steadily growing market within esports over the past several years especially within CS:GO, but it has in the past been one of the most barren regions in terms of opportunities for players to compete. ESL is looking to change that with their announcement of their first ever India Premiership, a $64,000 league that will outdo all other leagues in the country. The money will be split among CS:GO, Dota 2, Hearthstone, and Just Dance, a relatively new game that has entered the esports arena. ESL Managing Director Ralf Reichert issued the following statement on behalf of the organization:

ESL mission is to increase the popularity of esports across the globe. We are excited to help building up the esports community in India with Nodwin. The country’s diverse communities, along with the fact that India embraces technology like no other place, makes it a perfect candidate. We are very excited to get started with the ESL India Premiership, and I personally can’t wait to experience it live, as I’m sure the crowd will be fantastic. In the meantime, we will ensure that we can deliver a world-class experience – both online and offline – to the local and international fans, and hope this tournament series helps foster growth in the region.”

The league will have three types of tournaments: Starter, Challenger, and Masters. The Starter tier online events, which will be held six times a year, will determine who moves on to the Challenger bracket. The challenger bracket will be held twice a year and will feature LAN finals. Finally, winners of this can move to the Masters championship, which will crown the top team at the end of the year.

Source: ESL