The Indian gaming ecosystem has undergone a massive transformation in recent years with the expansion of networks. High-speed internet and gaming mobile phones are being accessible to a majority of the youth population. Esports wasn’t taken seriously in its period of introduction but now it has firmly established itself as a mainstream phenomenon in the country. With a huge portion of the population indulging in Esports, many of the players are not just playing, but building a profession out of passion.
Nowadays in India, there are many tournaments that are happening involving Esports and there are plenty of players participating. The involvement of Esports has been escalating in such a way that sponsorships are being attracted with ease. In this article, we will be taking a look at the top 10 Esports games in India that are dominating the platform:
5)Call of Duty-Mobile
BGMI and Free Fire are considered to dominate the market in terms of viewership whereas Call of Duty Mobile is India’s most technically professional mobile shooter. In the Indian Esports hierarchy, CODM sits at number 5. There are many mobile games that involve the same aspects but CODM provides a much more hardcore player base that prioritizes game mechanics and international competition.
In terms of international competitiveness, CODM offers the most direct path to the World Stage. The World Championship Point System allows the Indian based teams to compete with much more opponents rather than just South Asian countries. India is the second-largest market globally for CODM downloads, with a stable ecosystem supported by investors and not just ad revenue.
4) Counter-Strike 2
The Indian Esports ecosystem is dominated by mobile gaming but the undisputed king of the PC sports ecosystem would be Counter-Strike 2. It was considered as the game that played a key role in the developing phases of Esports in India. The most significant move in the resurgence of the game from CS:GO to CS2. The transformation of the game attracted investment from tournament organisers like Skyesports.
In 2025 and 2026, CS2 had featured one of the largest prize pools for a single title in India. The Skyesports Masters 2025 had a prize pool of $350,000, making it one of the most rewarded tournaments in the region. The total prize money of CS2 tournaments in India is reported to have prize money exceeding INR 14 Crore. It had also achieved a milestone in terms of viewership as it had over 47,000 viewers for the Skyesports Championship 2024.
3)Free Fire MAX
Free Fire MAX is considered as the football of Indian esports due to its accessibility and in terms of having the most passionate fan bases in the country. At one point of time the game had lost its lustre for a brief point of time but then roared back with a new version. Free Fire MAX was introduced as a much superior version in terms of technicality and it has become the home of its competitive circuit in India. The game’s biggest strength is its accessibility to run smoothly from low range to mid range phones as well.
The TEZ Free Fire MAX India Cup 2026 Spring concluded in Gandhinagar with a massive prize pool of INR 1 Crore. India has secured its presence in the World Stage again with the top teams qualifying for the Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh and the FFWS in Bangkok. It consistently is ranked among the Top 5 most-watched mobile esports globally. The 2026 roadmap features a distinctive format from the Battle Royale format and it features a standalone Clash Squad tournament.
2)Valorant
It is regarded as the premier PC title in India, successfully bridging the gap between casual streamers and hardcore professional play. Despite the comparative disadvantage in terms of users, it does have the “cool” factor. Since the launch of the game, it has transformed PC gaming from a hobby into a mainstream competitive powerhouse with a passionate fanbase in South Asia.
Riot Games provided a structured, multi-tier ecosystem. Indian teams compete in VALORANT Challengers South Asia, which serves as a direct gateway to the VCT ascension Pacific. Valorant is also the most streamed game in the country fueled by local influencers and “Watch Parties”. India has hosted significant international standard-events, such as VALORANT India invitational and the Convergence series, bringing global Tier-1 teams to Indian soil. The VSCA 2025/2026 circuit features a cumulative prize pool of over INR 1 crore.
1)BGMI
BGMI is regarded as “The Undisputed Titan” of Indian Esports and it is more of a game that is played by almost every youth in the country. It reigns at the top in the leaderboard due to its massive viewership, player bases and record-breaking prize pools. As the localized version of PUBG Mobile, it is the primary driver of India’s transition into a mobile-first gaming superpower.
The BGMI has had consistently record-breaking viewership and the BGIS 2026 Grand Finals in Chennai achieved a peak of 577,685 concurrent viewers. The Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro series 2025 featured a landmark of INR 4 Crore. India has successfully hosted massive physical LAN events in major cities like Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi, drawing thousands of live fans. The induction of fresh talent was given a proper pathway with the introduction of college tours like the College Campus Tour Championship 2026.
