Franchised CS:GO league ‘Skyesports Masters’ announced with INR 2 Crore Prize Pool
The event will conclude with a LAN event in Mumbai.
Varun Gavankar 
Jet Skyesports has announced one of the biggest PC gaming tournaments to date in India - the franchised Skyesports Masters. Taking place across three months including a LAN event in Mumbai with a live audience, it will feature 8 franchise teams competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) for a share of the 2 Crore INR prize pool.
Commenting on the creation of the Skyesports Masters and its vision, Shiva Nandy, the Founder and CEO, Skyesports, said, "The Skyesports Masters is set to redefine and set an example for esports in India. With our franchised system, we have found eight fantastic partners to be a part of the inaugural season of the league. Our goal for the league is not to just create one of the grandest tournaments for audiences to enjoy but also to build a viable ecosystem for esports organizations while unlocking many revenue streams for them. This is the need of the hour for the Indian esports industry as a lot of organizations are reeling under huge losses."
Commenting on the unique format, Anuj Tandon, CEO - Gaming Division, JetSynthesys, added, "Over the years Skyesports has hosted various tournaments in association with some of the popular games. Counter-Strike has been at the heart of India’s gaming café culture for decades and Skyesports’ association with CSGO will usher in a revival of the game ahead of the release of Counter Strike 2. It’s a significant milestone for us as we gear up to bring forth Skyesports’ first ever franchised esports league that will see a lot of talent emerge and contribute to the growth of Indian esports industry at the grassroots level.”
Jet Skyesports will be leveraging its position in the market to unlock revenue streams for all eight franchised teams in the Skyesports Masters with sponsorships, merchandise sales, and media rights deals. This will enable the creation of a sustainable ecosystem for Counter-Strike in the years to come.
The Skyesports Masters will kick off with the on-ground café qualifiers taking place in 20 cities across India. Jet Skyesports has tied up with local gaming cafés in all major cities of the country to scout for the best Counter-Strike talent and usher in a revival of the title. The cities for the café qualifiers include Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and more. Stay tuned to Skyesports' Instagram, Twitter, Facebook handles to know when a qualifier is happening at a gaming café near you. The schedule will be announced soon.
The franchised teams have the option of picking up this talent in addition to their rosters consisting of popular Indian and international Counter-Strike pros.
Once the rosters have been finalized, the eight teams will battle it out in Mumbai to become the ultimate masters. The LAN event will be split into the league stage and the playoffs and will be open to a live audience. The exact venue and ticketing information will be announced at a later date.
For fans who aren't able to attend the event live, they can tune into the action live on the official Skyesports YouTube channel in multiple languages.
