From Asian Games to Home Soil: How 2026 Promises to Elevate Indian Esports

If 2025 was the year Indian esports secured legitimacy, 2026 is shaping up to be the year that legitimacy translates into lasting structure. With the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) moving decisively from policy intent to on-ground practice, the ecosystem is entering a phase defined by clarity, confidence and continuity.

The conversation has shifted from justifying esports' relevance to building systems that allow competitive gaming in India to scale sustainably, both domestically and globally.

Asian Games 2026: A Defining Global Stage

One of the most significant milestones on the horizon is the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, where esports will once again feature as a medal sport. For Indian athletes, this is about far more than exposure. Competing in a recognised

multi-sport environment places esports firmly alongside traditional disciplines, reinforcing its legitimacy in the eyes of institutions, sponsors and aspiring players.

Beyond the Asian Games, platforms such as the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup are expected to see stronger Indian participation, reflecting growing competitive depth and professional readiness.

Domestic Foundations Strengthen with PROGA

Global ambition is closely tied to domestic reform. Esports' inclusion as a demonstration event at the Khelo India Youth Games marked a turning point, signalling government intent to integrate competitive gaming into national sporting frameworks.

With PROGA now in effect, 2026 is expected to witness deeper adoption at the state level, the rise of structured grassroots tournaments, and clearer athlete pathways through schools, colleges and youth leagues. These changes are expected to reduce fragmentation and bring consistency to player development across regions.

Ecosystem Over Events: Industry View

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, believes the next phase of Indian esports will be driven by structure rather than spectacle.

"For Indian esports to truly level up in 2026, the focus has to shift from being largely event-led to ecosystem-led," Rathee says. He stresses the importance of regional and state-level competitions feeding consistently into national leagues to widen the talent pipeline. Rathee also points out that India must move beyond being seen as a one- or two-title market.

"While BGMI and Free Fire remain important, long-term growth will depend on deliberately building ecosystems around a variety of titles, including India-relevant and Indian-published games that are esports-ready from day one," he adds.

From a business perspective, Rathee notes that revenue-sharing models spanning publishers, organisers, teams and creators - across media rights, in-game activations, ticketing and merchandise - will become increasingly central, with NODWIN Gaming targeting 15-40 per cent growth through organic and selective inorganic expansion.

Talent Development Takes Centre Stage

At the heart of esports' next chapter is talent development. While India already boasts massive scale in player base and viewership, 2026 will test how effectively the ecosystem can identify, nurture and retain elite competitive talent.

Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports, sees this as the defining challenge. "India already has the passion and numbers. What will differentiate us globally is how early we spot talent and how well we support players once they enter the system," he says.

He adds that esports' return to the Asian Games as a medal sport will shift the focus toward infrastructure readiness, training depth and long-term athlete mentorship rather than short-term success.

Brands, Hardware and the Maturing Gamer

With regulatory clarity in place, brands are recalibrating their esports strategies. FMCG, automotive, BFSI and ed-tech companies are increasingly viewing esports as a core youth engagement platform rather than a short-term experiment. Creator collaborations, IP-led tournaments and campus gaming programmes are expected to deepen in 2026, prioritising sustained trust over momentary visibility.

This evolution mirrors changing gamer behaviour. Hardware adoption is accelerating rapidly beyond metro cities, driven by affordable gaming PCs, AI-powered peripherals and cloud gaming services.

Vishal Parekh, COO of CyberPowerPC India, notes that purchasing patterns have matured. "A PC is no longer seen as a one-time purchase, but as a performance ecosystem that evolves over time," he says, highlighting growth in competitive multiplayer and mid-core PC titles alongside creator-led community formats.

Monetisation and the Rise of the Paying Gamer

Monetisation models are evolving in parallel. Sagar Nair, Head of Incubation at LVL Zero, expects deeper engagement with long-term value mechanics such as battle passes, cosmetic progression and subscriptions.

He also points to the emergence of an older, more stable paying gamer segment - players who grew up gaming and now possess greater spending power. "Creators and communities will increasingly drive discovery, retention and monetisation," Nair says, as LVL Zero prepares to launch its first cohort supporting high-potential teams.

A Year of Alignment, Not Just Headlines

Taken together, these shifts suggest that 2026 will not be defined by a single breakout moment. Instead, it will be shaped by alignment - between regulation and competition, grassroots and global stages, brands and communities, and passion and professionalism.

Indian esports is no longer seeking validation. With PROGA in place and global opportunities expanding, it is laying the groundwork for long-term sustainability - from the Asian Games arena to home soil.