iQOO, the high-performance smartphone brand, has just rolled out what it’s calling its biggest esports push yet: the iQOO Battlegrounds Series. It’s a major tournament for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), being executed by NODWIN Gaming, and it’s backed by a hefty INR 1 Crore prize pool. Set to kick off on July 21, this tournament isn’t just for the pros—it opens the gates to community members too.
iQOO has been dabbling in esports since 2020, but this feels like a bolder step forward. Season one of this tournament marks a deeper dive into the Indian esports ecosystem—one that’s growing rapidly and drawing serious attention.
Key Takeaways:
- iQOO Battlegrounds Series, a BGMI tournament, begins July 21, 2025.
- Total prize pool is INR 1 Crore.
- Format includes online qualifiers and a live LAN finale.
- LAN finale dates: August 8 to August 10.
- Tournament executed by NODWIN Gaming, with Trinity Gaming as a partner.
- Open to both pro players and aspiring talent, including the iQOO Community Cup winner.
The format here is hybrid—blending digital and in-person competition. Qualifiers begin on July 21, drawing in the top 31 teams from across India, plus the winner of the iQOO Community Cup. For those less familiar, that’s a tournament geared toward community-level talent. It’s a structure that feels thoughtfully designed to include not just the veterans of the game but those still carving out their path.
Everything builds up to the grand finale, a live LAN event from August 8 to August 10. And if previous events are any indication, this one’s likely to be packed with intense BGMI gameplay and plenty of fanfare.
Nipun Marya, CEO of iQOO, shared his take on the launch, emphasizing that the company wants to create meaningful opportunities for the esports community. He called the iQOO Battlegrounds Series their flagship gaming IP—essentially a showcase for India’s best talent. For Marya, it’s not just a marketing move. It aligns with iQOO’s identity as a performance-first, innovation-led brand. Esports, in many ways, are a perfect match for that vision. He also noted that this platform is about recognition—recognizing both passion and skill—and ultimately, it’s about lifting the esports scene across India.
And that connection between gaming and smartphones? It’s more than surface-level. Gaming remains one of the clearest benchmarks for smartphone performance. iQOO’s product range—which spans the Flagship, Neo, and Z Series—is geared toward performance enthusiasts at various price points. Over time, the brand has found solid footing within the gaming community, thanks in part to close collaboration with esports professionals in shaping product R&D.
Take the iQOO Neo 10R as an example. It runs on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, includes a high refresh rate AMOLED display, advanced cooling tech, and an Ultra-Gaming Mode complete with FPS meters and 4D vibration. It’s a toolkit that feels almost tailor-made for competitive gamers.
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director at NODWIN Gaming, weighed in as well. He described the partnership as a merging of performance-focused design, grassroots player development, and high-level tournament execution. For Rathee, the iQOO Battlegrounds Series isn’t just another event—it’s a signal that Indian esports is maturing, aiming for something sustainable, inclusive, and meaningful.
Abhishek Aggarwal, Co-founder of Trinity Gaming, added another layer to that sentiment. He referred to the tournament as a “statement of intent,” highlighting how it brings together competitive play, content creators, and brand partnerships under one cohesive banner. And yes, he’s clearly optimistic about where this collaboration could lead.
Zooming out a bit, India’s mobile esports space is on the rise—fast. Tournament participation topped 2 million players in 2024 and could reach 2.8 million by the end of 2025, if trends hold. The iQOO Battlegrounds Series might be just one event, but it reflects a broader shift: toward better-organized competitions, deeper talent pipelines, and a community that feels genuinely supported.
FAQs:
Q1: What is the iQOO Battlegrounds Series?
A1: The iQOO Battlegrounds Series is a major esports tournament for the game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), organized by iQOO in partnership with NODWIN Gaming.
Q2: When does the iQOO Battlegrounds Series start and end?
A2: The qualifiers begin on July 21, and the grand LAN finale will take place from August 8 to August 10.
Q3: What is the prize pool for the iQOO Battlegrounds Series?
A3: The tournament features a prize pool of INR 1 Crore.
Q4: How can teams qualify for the tournament?
A4: The tournament will have qualifiers for the top 31 teams across India, along with the winner of the iQOO Community Cup.
Q5: What role do iQOO smartphones play in esports?
A5: iQOO designs its smartphones, across its Flagship, Neo, and Z Series, with features like powerful processors, advanced cooling, and high refresh rate displays, suitable for competitive mobile gaming and used by esports professionals.
