Global Esports, one of the popular names in the BGMI Esports scene, has suspended its BGMI team in India, citing an immature and unstable ecosystem. The team finished as runners-up in the BGIS 2024, featuring players like Mavi, Slug, Beast, Arcelyn, and Ninjaboi. This move has sparked concerns across the industry, with other major players voicing their worries about the future of esports in India.
Global Esports suspends its BGMI team
On October 8, 2024, Global Esports announced, “Global Esports is suspending BGMI Esports Team Operations in India due to an immature and unstable ecosystem. We are by no means exiting the scene, we will be actively working at the grassroots level to build the ecosystem up to where it needs to be but it will not be as a team and by having a roster. We will be recalibrating our attention & resources towards strengthening the base of esports in India before we decide to field a roster again.”
CEO and Co-Founder of Global Esports, Rushindra Sinha, expressed concerns about the sustainability of BGMI esports in India. He stated, “When the undeniable best team in the country after winning 2 official LAN events back to back with over $200k in prize pool can’t sustain financially and has to partner with another team to do so… how can any other org even think about profitability?”
Concerns raised by industry leaders
Global Esports’ decision has highlighted the ongoing financial struggles in Indian esports, with other industry leaders speaking out about the challenges organizations face. The move by Global Esports marks the 18th Tier 1 organization to shut down its operations in the last 12 months. Lokesh "8bit Goldy" Jain, Co-founder of S8UL Esports and 8Bit creatives, pointed out in his tweet, "With GE suspending its BGMI operations, it's gonna be the 18th Tier 1 org to shut down its operations in a span of the last 12 months! Wake up call for who?"
This situation has also brought attention to the high demands of players and unsustainable salaries. Animesh "Thug" Agarwal, Founder of S8UL and 8Bit, voiced his concerns, writing, "Players :) EGO H PAHAAD PE, KHUD CHANE KE JHAR PE. Pese dene wale nahi honge toh ye 23 4L ki salary kaun bharega? Just wondering (Players have egos bigger than mountains, but when there’s no one left to pay, who will cover these 20–40L salaries?) "
The issue of hackers and lack of differentiation between Tier 1 organizations and underdog teams was also raised by Ammar "Destro" Khan, who said, "Roadmap? No differentiation between a T1 org and an underdog team. Hackers are qualifying for LAN events. I think there's still time to fix things and make the ecosystem right, but for that, action is necessary."
A bleak future for BGMI?
The suspension of Global Esports' BGMI team and the shutdown of several Tier 1 organizations within a year have led to a sense of uncertainty in the industry. Siddhant Joshi, aka S8UL Sid, shared his thoughts on this matter, "I hope wake up ho jaye soon because the future looks honestly bleak. Being in the industry for so long, you just know when things are going to change for the worse."
