Maharashtra’s largest gaming city: The gold rush in Pune’s gaming industry

As per a property merchandise by Mobile Premier League based connected its 2022 report, Pune is the largest gaming metropolis successful Maharashtra and has 20 per cent much gamers than Mumbai. The Indian Express speaks to radical successful the gaming manufacture to cognize much astir however the manufacture got a boost during Covid-19 pandemic successful the city.

Gaming and Covid-19

Prashant, the proprietor of Intencity gaming centre successful Camp, says helium began his concern successful 2010. “I was already selling gaming consoles, accessories and games anterior to opening Intencity, truthful it was a earthy determination to commencement a cafe. I was besides a gamer and passionate astir gaming.” It’s nary astonishment that the astir fashionable games astatine Intencity are unsurprisingly shooter games: Valorant, Counter Strike 2, Counter Strike 1.6, GTA V, PUBG, Rainbow 6 Siege, Forza Horizon 5. Gaming tournaments are besides held astatine the centre each month.

Institute of Sports Science and Technology (ISST), a sports acquisition institute based successful Erandwane, besides has an esports centre with gaming consoles, virtual world options and car simulators. Technical Head Programming astatine ISST Kunal Dhumal said, “We person games specified arsenic FIFA, WWE 2K24, Dota, Ghost of Tsushima, GTA, Counter Strike-GO AND Valorant. We connection paid internships arsenic well, but we prioritise our ain students for those.” He besides said that events, akin to Intencity, with prize wealth are organised doubly a period astatine the centre.

Smartphones witnessed a spike successful income during and aft the Covid-19 pandemic, starring to a earthy emergence successful the fig of gamers arsenic well. Sales astatine Intencity are a testament to this fact. “Pre-Covid was good, post-Covid is better. 40-50 radical visited the cafe earlier the pandemic connected an average, but 70-80 sojourn station Covid,” Prashant said.

Dhumal besides describes a akin experience. “We person assorted branches – successful Kothrud, Camp, Balewadi and a caller subdivision is opening connected FC roadworthy successful November. Post-Covid we got a immense response, which is however we could unfastened these galore branches,” helium said.

“The ‘gaming craze’ started during the pandemic. Forming a squad is hard arsenic squad members travel from assorted cities but that makes it breathtaking arsenic well. During Covid, the lone signifier of connection we had was online,” says Sohal Shaikh, a nonrecreational gamer.

Professional gaming

Sohail Shaikh, popularly known by his gaming sanction Hector, began his travel successful 2018 erstwhile helium was successful people 10. Based successful Mumbai, helium has since amassed implicit 2 lakh followers connected Youtube playing Battlegrounds Mobile India. He plays for the Pune-based squad Carnival Gaming.

Talking astir teams successful the industry, helium said, “More than 24 organisations are moving successful this industry, but the peculiarly celebrated ones are Soul, Team X Spark, Carnival, Godlike and 8 Bit. The wage astatine these organisations depends connected your performance. If you triumph a tourney you mightiness get Rs 2.5 to 3 lakh; if you are playing a 3rd enactment tourney you volition get a lakh oregon two.”

Among tournaments successful India, the Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series has a immense currency excavation of Rs 2 crore, helium said. Shaikh has bought an flat successful Mumbai with his net from gaming events. However, Shaikh besides feels determination could beryllium much enactment for gaming successful India. “Gaming successful India inactive does not person the level of vulnerability different countries have, wherever gamers get respect and recognition. The crushed is that the authorities is not yet progressive successful the industry. If the authorities initiates schemes it volition assistance america get enactment from our parents arsenic well,” helium says.