India recognises eSports, Twitter reactions and what it means

India on Tuesday officially recognised eSports and included them in the multisport events

Hyderabad: After growing demand to acknowledge sports played on electronic gadgets, India on Tuesday officially recognised eSports and included them in the multisport events.

President Droupadi Murmu amended the rules governing eSports and passed guidelines to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Sports Ministry.

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What exactly are eSports?

eSports are basically video games that are played online. While what one may think of as just a game youngsters today play to pass time, is, in fact, one of the most lucrative options for sponsors to promote their brands.

They can be played individually, but most high-level games are multiplayer. Some of the popular games are ‘League of Legends’, ‘Counterstrike’, ‘Fortnite’, and ‘DOTA 2’. These games have a rapidly increasing fanfare and give athletes corporate sponsorships.

Several reports have suggested that the eSports industry will experience massive growth in the coming years with many countries officially recognising this virtual version of sporting events.

Reactions

As the news broke online, gamers from across the country expressed mirth over the decision. “Great initiative its a billion dollar market, those who don’t know about e.sports they need to checks the level of events happening across the globe (sic),” wrote one user.

However, many others also expressed concern over what that means for future generations.

“I wonder how this impacts future generation? Like, drop out from school, no social life, addiction to mobile/gaming console, mental health problems etc (sic),” wrote another user.