Chennai Esports C’ship qualifiers becomes most-watched PC event in India

CHENNAI: The Chennai Esports Global Championship (CEGC) has recorded a peak concurrent viewership of 90,000 across YouTube, Twitch, and official watch parties during its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) qualifiers, making it India’s most-watched PC esports event to date.

The qualifiers featured top international teams competing for two spots in the CEGC Main Event, set to be held in Chennai this November. Matches were broadcast across multiple time zones, attracting audiences from around the world, highlighting the growing global interest in India’s competitive gaming scene.

Prominent teams such as BC Game, which included Ukrainian star Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, along with BIG and FUT Esports, helped draw international attention. The close matches, high production standards, and multilingual commentary contributed to the tournament’s impressive reach.

BIG, Mousquetaires, True Thunder, and Team Nemesis Asia emerged successful in the qualifiers, securing their places in the main event. An Indian qualifier is currently under way to determine the remaining teams that will represent the country on home soil.

The CEGC – Counter-Strike 2 Main Event will take place from November 7 to 9 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, featuring top teams from India, Southeast Asia, and Europe competing for a USD 50,000 prize pool. The following week, from November 14 to 16, the CEGC – Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) tournament will see India’s leading mobile esports teams battle for Rs 50 lakh.

The championship is an official initiative of the Tamil Nadu Government, organised through the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and executed by Skyesports.