Indian Esports has witnessed significant growth over the past years despite many challenges. Be it mobile, or PC, it is brewing nicely with fierce competition from the finest talents across the nation. However, a shadow looms over this burgeoning industry. Skyesports, a prominent tournament organizer, is facing intense backlash from the Indian community due to its ongoing partnership with a banned betting app in Skyesports Championship 2024.
Skyesports, a leading South Asian esports tournament organizer backed by JetSynthesys, faced significant backlash after its recent CS: GO tournament, Skyesports Championship 2024, was marred by organizational issues. Started on July 23rd in Mumbai, the event, sponsored by the controversial betting platform 1XBet, was plagued by technical difficulties that forced a postponement and led to the withdrawal of the Russian esports team BetBoom. Reports from players indicate inconsistent PC setups and suboptimal practice conditions contributed to the discomfort, but these were later fixed.
Status :
We are the first team to play officiel here.
After 3 rounds, we had electric issue for some minutes, then we started again playing 2 round then internet issue right now.
There is no internet in the hotel for only 4 rooms from what i unserstand, ( officiel room ) and…
— MAJ3R (@Maj3r_) July 23, 2024
Can you please make efforts to not embarass ourselves anymore? What are these basic issues? Why are they there in the first place? What are these technical 4v5 matchmetics? What are you guys doing? Were there no dry run rehearsals?
— Pratyay Ganguly (@ekstraLove) July 23, 2024
This is where the group stage of "SkyEsports Championship" being played 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Ec4GdP8FhG
— CIS CS2 NEWS (@CS2CIS) July 23, 2024
🇷🇺KRAD: "The conditions really got better. It became playable, the fps, the table, and the monitors" #SkyEsportsChampionship
— CIS CS2 NEWS (@CS2CIS) July 24, 2024
The Indian gaming community is deeply concerned about the association, citing the fading borders between esports, real money gaming, and gambling. This collaboration weakens the industry’s attempts to establish a clear distinction between these sectors, which is a critical step toward government recognition and support.
Despite the industry’s persistent attempts to distinguish itself from betting and gambling, including a recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Skyesports’ continuous association with a betting company is considered a significant setback. The company’s failure to comment has fuelled the controversy.
Speaking of the tournament, the French team, 3DMAX, emerged victorious, defeating The Mongolz 2-0 to claim the lion’s share of the $300,000 prize pool. The underdog victory captivated audiences worldwide, with over 5 million views and a peak concurrent viewership of more than 47,600.
3DMAX’s star player, Bryan “Maka” Canda, was named MVP and expressed gratitude for the team’s resilience in overcoming challenges. Despite facing early setbacks, 3DMAX showcased exceptional skill and determination to clinch the championship title.
Skyesports Championship 2024 Standings and Prize Pool
| Rank | Team | Prize Money |
| 1 | 3DMAX | $120,000 |
| 2 | Mongolz | $70,000 |
| 3 | Aurora Gaming | $35,000 |
| 4 | Eternal Gaming | $35,000 |
| 5 | ENCE | $15,000 |
| 6 | Amkal Esports | $15,000 |
| 7 | Bleed Esports | – |
| 8 | DMS | – |
| 9 | Parivision | – |
| 10 | Revenant Esports | – |
| 11 | True Rippers Esports | – |
Bryan “Maka” Canda from 3DMAX was crowned MVP and took home $10,000 from the prize pool for his achievements.
Also Read: PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC 2024) Main Event: Alpha7 Esports Crowned Champions
