If 2025 was the year Indian esports earned legitimacy, 2026 is shaping up to be the year that legitimacy translates into lasting structure.
With the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) moving from policy intent to on-ground implementation, the ecosystem is entering a phase defined less by validation and more by execution. Competitive integrity, athlete development, and commercial confidence are beginning to align, creating conditions for sustainable growth both domestically and internationally.
The conversation around esports in India has shifted noticeably. The focus is no longer on proving that competitive gaming belongs within the sporting ecosystem. Instead, attention has turned to building pathways, institutions, and revenue models that allow the industry to scale responsibly over the long term.
Asian Games 2026: A Global Stage with Deeper Meaning
One of the most visible milestones on the calendar is the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, where esports will once again feature as a medal sport. For Indian athletes, this is more than just international exposure. Competing within a recognised multi-sport event places esports firmly alongside traditional disciplines, reinforcing its legitimacy in the eyes of policymakers, sponsors, and the wider sporting public.
Beyond the Asian Games, platforms such as the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup are also expected to see stronger Indian participation. This growing presence reflects improvements in competitive depth, preparation, and organizational backing. Indian teams are no longer merely qualifying; they are arriving better equipped to compete.
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This global momentum is closely tied to developments at home. Esports’ inclusion as a demonstration event at the Khelo India Youth Games marked a critical inflection point, signalling clear government intent to integrate competitive gaming into national sporting frameworks. With PROGA now in effect, 2026 is expected to see deeper adoption at the state level, more structured grassroots competitions, and clearer athlete pathways through schools, colleges, and youth leagues.
The emphasis is gradually shifting from one-off tournaments to continuity. State-level leagues, regional qualifiers, and age-group competitions are likely to play a bigger role in identifying talent early and offering players a visible progression ladder.
Building an Ecosystem, Not Just Events
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, believes the next phase of growth will be defined by systems rather than spectacles. According to him, Indian esports must move beyond being predominantly event-led.
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“For Indian esports to truly level up in 2026, the focus has to shift from being largely event-led to ecosystem-led,” Rathee says. He stresses the importance of regional and state-level competitions that consistently feed into national leagues, widening the talent pipeline and ensuring representation from across the country.
Rathee also highlights the need to expand beyond a narrow set of titles. While BGMI and Free Fire remain central to the Indian ecosystem, long-term growth will depend on deliberately building competitive structures around multiple titles. He further points to the importance of India-relevant and Indian-published games that are esports-ready from day one.
From a commercial standpoint, Rathee notes that revenue-sharing models spanning publishers, organisers, teams, and creators will become increasingly important. Media rights, in-game integrations, ticketing, and merchandise are all expected to play a larger role. For NODWIN Gaming, this translates into an ambition of 15 to 40 percent growth through a mix of organic expansion and targeted inorganic opportunities.
Talent Development as the Core Challenge
At the heart of this evolution lies talent development. While India already boasts scale in player base and viewership, 2026 will test how effectively the ecosystem can identify, nurture, and retain elite competitive talent over time.
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports, sees this as both the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity. “India already has the passion and numbers,” he says. “What will differentiate us globally is how early we spot talent and how well we support players once they enter the system.”
He views esports’ return to the Asian Games as a medal sport as a landmark moment, one that shifts the conversation towards training infrastructure, competitive depth, and long-term mentorship rather than short-term results.
As regulatory clarity improves, brands are also recalibrating their approach. Esports is increasingly being viewed as a core youth engagement platform rather than an experimental marketing channel. Sectors such as FMCG, automotive, BFSI, and ed-tech are expected to deepen their involvement through creator partnerships, IP-led tournaments, and campus-focused gaming initiatives. The emphasis is moving from fleeting visibility to sustained trust within gaming communities.
This evolution mirrors changes among Indian gamers themselves. Hardware adoption is accelerating rapidly, particularly beyond metro cities. Affordable gaming PCs, cloud gaming services, and AI-driven peripherals are lowering entry barriers, while Gen Z consumers are spending more deliberately on performance-focused setups.
Vishal Parekh, COO of CyberPowerPC India, notes that purchasing behaviour has matured significantly. “A PC is no longer seen as a one-time purchase, but as a performance ecosystem that evolves over time,” he explains. Competitive multiplayer titles continue to grow, alongside creator-led and social gaming formats that turn play into a shared experience.
Monetisation and the Rise of Long-Term Value
Monetisation patterns are evolving in parallel. Sagar Nair, Head of Incubation at LVL Zero, observes a shift toward systems that reward long-term engagement. “Spending is moving toward battle passes, cosmetic progression, and subscription-based models,” he says.
Nair also points to the emergence of an older, more stable paying gamer segment players who grew up gaming and now possess greater spending power. In this environment, creators and communities are increasingly central to discovery, retention, and monetisation. For LVL Zero, 2026 represents a year of execution as it prepares to launch its first cohort supporting high-potential teams through development and launch.
Taken together, these shifts suggest that 2026 will not be defined by one breakout tournament or headline moment. Instead, it will be shaped by alignment. Regulation, global recognition, grassroots pathways, brand confidence, and consumer maturity are finally moving in the same direction.
Indian esports is no longer chasing validation. It is laying the foundations for long-term sustainability from the Asian Games stage to state leagues at home and 2026 may well be remembered as the year those foundations truly took hold.
