Quest for world beaters in the ESL National Championship underway

Mumbai, April 26th, 2018: NODWIN Gaming Private Limited (NODWIN), pioneers in esports in India (Source: Industry Insights for Online and Mobile Gaming in India by Frost & Sullivan dated January 20, 2018) and subsidiary of Nazara Technologies Limited (Nazara), today announced the launch of its third flagship esports tournament, OMEN by HP ESL India Premiership 2018. The tournament began earlier this month and promises esports action throughout the year with INR 1 crore prize pool ($155,000 USD*) and streamed live, daily on Facebook and YouTube.

NODWIN and ESL, aim to develop the esports ecosystem to enable competitive online & offline gaming, create localized leagues and cups and give massive boost to creation of world class esports athletes and players emerging from the Indian ecosystem.

Akshat Rathee, Founder & CEO of NODWIN says, “Since the very beginning, The ESL India Premiership has emphasised on the three facets of Quality, Legitimacy and Excellence. The championship provides an all-round experience for both gamers as well as the viewers.  Also, we believe that 15% of the participants in the OMEN by HP ESL India Premiership 2018 will come from other countries! With a prize pool of 1 Crore (₹10 million), in 2018, we aim to provide a platform for our top teams to compete globally and we aim to break new records and locate newer outfits and talents from India.”

ESL hosts competitions around the globe to facilitate thousands of gaming competitions annually. Some of their more notable competitions include the following- ESL Play, ESL Pro League, ESL National Championship, and Intel Extreme Masters, the world’s longest-running global esports event series.

Ralf Reichert, CEO, ESL was quite elated and mentioned “We are incredibly proud to help foster the Indian esport community. Esport is the sport of the digital generation. We believe the ESL Indian championship is the stage to find the best athletes in India and a stepping stone for the global competitions.”

OMEN by HP resumes its journey for the second consecutive year as title sponsor of this tournament and this continued partnership exhibits HP’s unwavering support to the domestic competitive gaming scene. Also joining the journey, for the third consecutive year is the high-performance, gaming peripheral manufacturer, HyperX and the leading energy drink brand, Red Bull. ESL India Premiership 2018 also welcomes on board global processor giants, Intel.

Commenting on the partnership, Neelima Burra, Country Marketing Director, HP Inc. India said, “Esports is becoming popular among millennials who love gaming and our association with ESL has helped make OMEN by HP one of the top gaming brands in India. We are excited to take this partnership to the next level and we believe our recent launch of the OMEN X gaming range will provide gamers with an experience like never before. We intend to continue to bring key innovations to performance, design and customizability to give gamers a competitive edge.”

The OMEN by HP ESL India Premiership 2018 will include year-long tournaments for the games of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, DOTA 2 and Clash Royale. Inspired by its predecessors, OMEN by HP ESL India Premiership 2018 is continuing with the three season, open league format. But, there are a couple of minor changes to this structure. The Master League will now host 12 participants instead of the original 8. Similarly, the Challenger Cup will follow a double elimination format. Finally, the Starter Cup will be limited to 128 participants, chosen on a first-cum-first-serve basis.

“We are extremely glad to partner with ESL India Premiership for the third consecutive year since its inception. This association has helped us redefine professional gaming as a sport in India and we are happy to continue supporting the tournament with the HyperX peripherals. This, we believe, would give the pro gamers a right setup to play at their full potential,” said Mr. Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director, HyperX India. He added, “With our aim to build a healthy gaming ecosystem, we look forward to a successful and competitive tournament.”

OMEN by HP ESL India Premiership 2018 aims to provide bigger and better experience as it develops the Indian esports scene and provides gamers with an exciting year-long tournament. With a massive prize pool and a challenging format, the Premiership unleashes a new era in Indian esports. The Premiership also looks forward to identifying new talent and promising teams in the domestic and regional scene.

ABOUT OMEN by HP

Developed by leading computer manufacturer, Hewlett-Packard, the OMEN by HP is a series of computers focused primarily on the video gaming segment. OMEN by HP celebrates gaming by delivering high-quality desktops, laptops and other essential gaming peripherals. With a unique blend of quality and affordability, the OMEN by HP caters to both hardcore as well as casual gamers.

About HyperX

HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology encompassing high-speed DDR4 and DDR3 memory, SSDs, USB Flash drives, and gaming accessories. Targeted at gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts, HyperX is known throughout the world for quality, performance and innovation. HyperX is committed to eSports as it sponsors over 30 teams globally and is the main sponsor of Intel Extreme Masters. HyperX can be found at many shows including China Joy, PAX, Davao Cyber Expo, and TGS & Big Fest.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) expands the boundaries of technology to make the most amazing experiences possible. Information about Intel can be found at newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

About Red Bull

Red Bull Energy Drink is a functional beverage providing various benefits. Its effects are recognized throughout the world by top athletes, busy professionals, college students and travelers.

About ESL

ESL, a part of the international digital entertainment group MTG, is the world’s largest esports company, leading the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline competitions. It operates high profile, branded international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL National Championships and other top tier stadium-size events, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems. ESL covers a broad field of services in gaming technology, event management, advertising and television production, fully catering to the needs of the esports ecosystem. With offices in North America, Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Spain, China, and partners in many other countries, it has a truly global footprint.

About NODWIN Gaming

Nodwin Gaming is a pioneer in esports in India with established relationships with global gaming publishers and platforms including market leaders such as ESL, the biggest esports organizer in the world and Valve Corporation. (Source: Industry Insights for Online and Mobile Gaming in India by Frost & Sullivan dated January 20, 2018).  In addition to hosting and managing IP based gaming events such as, the ESL India Premiership and Dew Arena by ESL, Nodwin also partners with other brands to create multiple gaming events intellectual properties in India, such as Mountain Dew Arena, Indian Gaming Show and Asus ROG Masters. Recently, Nazara has acquired 54.99% stake in NODWIN Gaming.

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