College Rivals, India's largest Esports talent hunt, culminated in a remarkable fashion by not only crowning champions in six different titles but also providing a dream come true opportunity to one of the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) player by offering a professional Esports contract with Rivals Pro Esports.
The grand finale of Ampverse’s inaugural intellectual property and Asia's largest ecosystem of gaming communities and IPs, in collaboration with DMI Finance, featured a total prize pool of INR 50 lakh and was attended by over 5,000 people who witnessed 28 finalists competing individually across six titles – BGMI, FIFA 23, Road to Valor, Valorant, Tekken 7 and Counter Strike-2 in the best-of-three format.
In this nationwide college Esports rivalry eight finalists showcased their skills for a share of the INR 10 lakh prize pool in the BGMI title. Ultimately, it was Divyansh Vashisht of Delhi School of Professional Studies, Palampur, who emerged victorious with a 2-1 victory against Sahil Nagpal of APJ in the final match, securing the top prize of INR 4 lakh.
While Sahil secured INR 2 lakh in prize money, Swayam Jain of IIPS and Deepak Mishra of DSNV were rewarded with INR 1 lakh each after finishing in third and fourth place respectively. The remaining four finalists were awarded INR 50,000 each.
By offering one of the finalists the monumental opportunity to join their Esports team, College Rivals has revolutionized Indian Esports by enabling aspiring gamers to pursue their passion at a professional level.
Reflecting on the grand finale of College Rivals and this landmark moment for Indian Esports, Ashwin Haryani, Country Head of Ampverse, India, remarked, “We are immensely proud of the vision College Rivals set out with and how it has revolutionized Indian Esports. From the outset, our goal was to create a sustainable ecosystem that would truly empower and uplift the gaming community at the grassroots level. Through 25 campus visits, 75 days of on-ground activation spanning 4700 kilometers across the country, and countless virtual campus connects, we were able to engage with close to one lakh participants. The overwhelming response we received, has provided the impetus for us to continue to amplify this initiative and contribute to the future of Indian Esports.”
In addition to BGMI, the College Rivals grand finale showcased intense competition across the other titles, each boasting a prize pool of INR 5 lakhs. Winners in each category received a substantial INR 2.5 lakh prize, while the runner-up secured INR 1.5 lakh. Additionally, the third and fourth-place finishers were awarded INR 50 thousand each.
Arnav Manoj of SRM University, Mumbai, displayed exceptional skill and determination in the Road to Valor title by securing victory in the final with an impressive 2-0 scoreline. In Valorant, Vinit Mane of DY Patil Arts and Commerce College, Pune, dominated the competition with a 2-0 victory, while another talented student from Pune, Samyak Magare of Ajeenkya DY Patil University, prevailed in Counter-Strike 2 with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph.
Karman Singh Tikka of Delhi Institute of Management, Gurugram, who also represented India at the Asian Games 2022, demonstrated his expertise in FIFA 23 by defeating Danish Khan of DGMC with a 2-0 scoreline. Similarly, in Tekken 7, Vayam Bhatt of MVSIT, New Delhi, clinched victory with an identical 2-0 scoreline against Gurashish Singh of Jagannath University.
Beyond the Esports competitions, the College Rivals finale provided attendees with a plethora of activities, including live performances from stand-up comedian Samay Raina and renowned music artists Seedhe Maut, Muhfaad, and Char Diwaari.
Gaming enthusiasts also had the unique opportunity to interact with renowned Esports personalities such as Naman Mathur (Mortal), Payal Dhare (PayalGaming), Tanmay Singh (ScoutOP), and Yash Thakker (lolzzzgaming), who engaged in a BGMI match.
The one-of-a-kind experiential LAN event also featured cosplay competitions, arcade gaming zones, racing simulators, VR cricket, AI live generation art, and a variety of food and beverages, creating an immersive and memorable experience for all attendees.
The journey of College Rivals began in August with city qualifiers, where teams competed in bracket-based matches organized by city. Each city qualifier was conducted at the end of the City Tour by the College Rivals Truck which visited 25 colleges across five cities, including New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, and attracted a total of 92,000 participants across the nation.
