ULTIMATE BATTLE: INTERVIEW WITH MR. TARUN GUPTA

India’s first online esports platform, Ultimate Battle, makes sure to give each gamer a unique experience. At Ultimate Battle, gamers have a platform where they can compete in different games with different categories of players and partake in multi-league formats and knock-out competitions.

With a goal to bring esports into the limelight and bring fans and gamers together, Ultimate Battle is constantly growing, constantly developing and seeking new avenues to develop the industry in the country.

We had a discussion with Mr. Tarun Gupta, founder of Ultimate Battle, and spoke to him about his vision behind the creation of the platform, his journey so far and the road ahead.

Q1. Mr. Gupta, could you please share your journey into the world of esports with us, along with what led to the creation of Ultimate Battle?

I have been an avid gamer myself and to date, I continue to compete with my kids every now and then. Around 4-5 years back, I came across an article online saying a young teenager won a million dollars playing DOTA 2.

I saw a business opportunity lying out there as I had not heard of any such thing in India as yet. I researched more about the global gaming industry and thought of creating a platform that would enable gamers to come together and engage.

 Q2. What was your vision behind creating a platform like Ultimate Battle?

 The vision behind Ultimate Battle is to provide the gaming community with an ecosystem that becomes a one-stop experience for gamers. Besides gameplay, Ultimate Battle is working on developing multiple engagement models for gamers in the form of Social Networking, AIEL (Esports League), News Portal, and The Game Shop.

Q3. In present times, what is the scope of development for esports, and what do you think the future will look like for the industry?

Esports is still at its nascent stage in India. We’ve seen substantial growth in recent years with the popularity of mobile games like PUBG Mobile (now BGMI) and Free Fire. With more Leagues and esports organizations cropping up, we’re seeing a rise in esports viewership and overall fan engagement. The growth in Esports is paving a way for several lucrative career opportunities to individuals in the form of professional players, team coaches, casters, analysts, content creators, and more.

Esports is a well-established industry in countries like the USA, China, Japan, and more. So, it’s only a matter of time that esports in India will become a top-notch ecosystem.

Q4. Where do you think the industry is lagging in the country and what ails it from booming, given India’s market scope?

The number of active gamers in India is estimated to cross 420+ million by the end of 2022.  It shows the huge potential of the Indian esports industry. The reasons that stall the growth of the industry are the lack of recognition of esports as an independent gaming category and the absence of a proper legal framework and guidelines governing it. Legislations by the government accepting esports as a sport will help the ecosystem grow exponentially. It will eventually help in the growth of the gaming industry as a whole.

 Q5. What do you think are some of the opportunities for the industry to grow in India?

• Mobile gaming: India is a mobile-centric market and the number of gamers playing on mobile devices will keep on growing in the coming years.
• Esports Platform/Leagues: Competitive gaming has become widely popular and its credit goes to top league organizers and esports platforms catering to the requirement of gamers.
• Content creation: Content has always been the king. We have seen content creators and streamers have made money by playing and streaming the games online. We expect to see a whole new breed of content creators coming up to take gaming content to the next level in India.

Q6. Speaking of opportunities, with the introduction of 5G, how do you think it will change the gaming scenario in India?

Internet penetration and accessibility are the backbones of online gaming. With the advent of 5G technology, users will get better connectivity speed which will, in turn, allow them to access and play data-intensive games. Easy access to the 5G technology is going to help the game developers in speeding up the process of game development.

For instance, Telecom giant Airtel hosted India’s first-ever Cloud Gaming demo on a LIVE Airtel 5G test network to test the gaming on a simple smartphone at record speed and latency. Response delay, often known as latency, frustrates gamers the most. Airtel 5G has demonstrated that it can reduce reaction time from 20 milliseconds to 5 milliseconds. While the latency may or may not impact the casual gaming experience, it affects the efficiency and experience in online multiplayer games such as racing and shooting.

Q7. What kind of steps are being taken to promote the esports industry with the younger audiences and give them a platform to follow their passion?

We had conceptualised Ultimate Battle as a platform to let gamers connect and compete with other players. A clear distinction between esports and casual gaming will help the audience understand esports better. It will also encourage the acceptance of esports socially.

There is an utmost need to target the grassroots players who compete at the college and school levels and provide them with the required framework and support to showcase their talent.