Boosting Indian Esports: The Power of Banter and Rivalries

The real intention of writing this article is to discuss whether banter and rivalries in esports are beneficial for Indian Esports. We've seen many rivalries in the Indian Esports scene, the most famous being between Godlike Esports and Soul Esports. This rivalry became well-known a few years ago when the BGMI audience split into two fan bases: Godlike fans and Soul fans. This division boosted the BGMI Esports audience. During the BGMS 2022, we saw two big names, Jonathan from Godlike and Goblin from Soul, engaging in banter at a LAN event that was even broadcast on television. This event attracted a huge audience, making it very successful.

People and fan pages created reels and motivational videos from clips of that event. Over time, however, the banter decreased and nearly stopped due to increasing negativity in the Indian Gaming Community (IGC). We all know that the Indian population is sensitive, and people don't take kindly to banter directed at them. However, banter and rivalries are crucial components through which Indian Esports can reach new heights.

Take cricket, for example. It started gaining popularity in India when people saw the rivalry between India and Pakistan. The banter and competition during cricket matches attracted people, making cricket more popular in India. People in India love to watch fights and banters during any event or even in the streets. Healthy banter is the best source to engage the audience. 

Today, we can see fans of some organizations using the worst language to tease a specific team or a player. Everyone is not capable of handling such kind of hatred.  
Similarly, we witnessed a rivalry between Global Esports and Velocity Gaming in Valorant Esports. This is the most popular rivalry in Indian Valorant Esports history. Fans must understand that supporting one team doesn’t mean hating another team or a specific player. Players started ignoring the banters because they did not want such an amount of hate from any fan base. We need to understand that banters and rivalries are crucial for the uplifting of Indian Esports but it should be healthy and doesn’t include any hate. 

Just like cricket, if esports teams start bantering and creating rivalries, Indian Esports can gain more popularity and success. It is important to ensure that rivals do not become enemies; players need to socialize more. We've seen many esports players with good numbers on social media, but some players still refuse to use social media regularly.
Let's see if we will be able to witness any banters in the coming BGIS LAN Finals.

In conclusion, banter and rivalries play a vital role in the success of Indian Esports.