Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, and IT & Bt, Government of Karnataka felicitated the winners
Bangalore – March 4, 2025: Gods Reign, India’s top-ranked Counter-Strike 2 esports team, has been crowned the champion of the Skyesports Souvenir 2025 National Esports Championship. Held at Bengaluru GAFX 2025, an annual event supported by the Government of Karnataka and organized in partnership with ABAI, the tournament took place from Feb. 27 to March 1 at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru.
The tournament began with online open qualifiers, where teams from across the country participated for a chance to make it to the Main Event in Bengaluru, India. Ultimately, it was Gods Reign, Big W, Victores Sumus, and Flashback Gaming who qualified for the on-ground finale.
Across three days, the four teams battled it out in a double-elimination bracket to decide the winners. Gods Reign, the home team, were absolutely dominant — showcasing why they are India’s number-one-ranked team — and won all three of their matches with a scoreline of 2-0. In the upper bracket finals, they defeated Victores Sumus before taking down Flashback to secure a spot in the Grand Finals.
In the Grand Finals, they once again faced Victores Sumus, who were looking for redemption. The first game on the map of Train saw Gods Reign win by a comfortable margin. However, the second map on Dust II saw Victores Sumus stage an early comeback, building a lead. In the late game, however, Gods Reign managed to push the match to overtime before clinching the series and the championship with a score of 16-12.
In a post-match interview, Rossi Kiran from Gods Reign was ecstatic about the victory: “It feels incredible. I am happy to play on this stage. I hope there will be another tournament like this in Bengaluru, and I hope to win that trophy as well.”
The Skyesports Souvenir 2025 National Esports Championship, powered by AMD and supported by the Indian Digital Gaming Society (IDGS) is recognized as a Valve-licensed ranked event, allowing Indian teams to climb the global rankings. Following their victory, Gods Reign jumped from 157th to 76th in the global Valve Rankings, while in Asia, they climbed from 13th to 8th.
Commenting on the tournament, Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, said, “Gods Reign’s huge jump in rankings is a testament to the global impact of Skyesports’ events, where we not only nurture local talent but also provide a pathway for teams to achieve international glory. This is something we will continue doing with our IPs as we further collaborate with state governments for esports initiatives like this one.”
At the end, Skyesports also announced its next Counter-Strike 2 esports tournament, the Skyesports Pro League 2025, set to take place in March 2025. More details about it will be announced soon.
About Skyesports: Skyesports, headquartered in Chennai, India, is a leading global IP builder in the esports and gaming industry. Driven by a team of dedicated gamers and ex-professional players, the company excels in community building, IP creation, and providing tech solutions for gamers, esports players, and brands. By hosting world-class tournaments and nurturing a vibrant gaming community, Skyesports is revolutionizing the global esports scene. Skyesports is a part of the digital entertainment and technology company, JetSynthesys. For more information, visit https://skyesports.in/