Assam youth look to Esports as career option with handsome earnings.

The esports culture in India has been increasing day by day. The last few years have witnessed the immense growth of esports among the youths of India.

And it has seen an uplift during the pandemic. While many lost their jobs and struggled to make a living when the unprecedented pandemic strikes, the gamers on the other hand earned handsomely while playing games and participating in online gaming tournaments.

What is Esports?

Esports is short for Electronic Sports played on online platforms. There are competitive tournaments of video games, especially among professional gamers. Its major point of attraction is its 'real time gaming facility'. It is a feature where players can interact in real time with their teammates and opponents.

Gaming and Esports in Assam

Esports culture in Assam is also increasing day by day. However, this riding trend has led many youngsters to drop out of schools and colleges to opt for this easy means of earning. They live stream their games and take part in international tournaments.

On the brighter side, many local players are also representing Assam and the country at the international level- both in solo games or as teams.

The players are also specialized in playing specific games and live streams the games in which they are specialized in. For example, a player who specifies themselves in playing Free Fire will live stream Free Fire only and also participate in tournaments which focus only on that game.

Some of the famous gamers of Assam are AXOM Ghastly which streams PubG and Free Fire, Axomiya Gaming Zone which also streams PubG and Free Fire, Axom Shockwve, Axom Vyper and Tara Badosa and more. These players usually do solo livestream and play in solo tournaments. Some of the famous esports teams in Assam are 8 bit thug, Assam Esports, Insane Esports, Valorant Esports and more. Not only boys but even girls are equally doing good in esports and gaming. Assam’s Kangkana whose Gaming name is Mystic Ignite is one of the youngest female gamers in India.

While talking to Business NorthEast some of the players said, “the gaming culture in Assam has been seeing an increase in the number of players and live streamers. Many youngsters and my fellow gamers who have started gaming years back have seen a growth in views after the pandemic hit and when people were having zero income, we were earning pretty well due to the increase in the number of views.”

This statement also throws light that life after the pandemic has changed and also gives us an alternative option to earn a living.

Another player named Akshaydeep whose gaming name is Franky said, “The gaming and esports culture in Assam is still in a growing stage, gamers can live stream in Youtube as well as in Discord where it is easier to interact with teammates and play in real time without any obstruction. As Assam is still in its growing stage the earnings of the players are still meager. Yet the players are earning at an average between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 respectively.”

The games which the gamers live streams and plays are termed as “AAA” games. These games are high-budget, high-profile games that are typically produced and distributed by large, well known publishers. The AAA games have high quality graphics which require devices with high configurations. The average gaming setup costs Rs. 2-3 lakhs.

The gaming industry in India is growing steadily and it is expected to increase threefold in value and reach USD 3.9 Billion by 2025 according to a KPMG report.

The gaming sector not only focuses on streams, growth and tournaments but has also been contributing for the welfare of the society.

Another former gamer Abhimanyu Phukan whose gaming name is ‘Nightdoom’ has experience of over 12 years. He started when professional gaming was not a thing neither in India or Assam. Abhimanyu opined that esports and gaming do have a future in Assam and in the Northeast. He added that lack of family support has prevented many good players from choosing sport as a career in Assam.

Many players from Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram have claimed that due to lack of internet connection, the gamers are unable to showcase their talents. The high ping of the internet makes it difficult for them to play the game as it gets lagged immensely.

Notably, the report players have raised substantial donations and donated during the pandemic and also to help the victims of floods in Assam.

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