Written by Here are the Top 5 Esports News Stories from April 21 to 27, 2025. One of the largest events on the Counter-Strike 2 calendar: Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Melbourne 2025. It was IEM’s return to Australia at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne after what promised to be a big prize pool of $1,000,000 and 16 of the top CS2 teams from across the globe.
The tournament began with a group stage between April 21 and 24, in which the 16 teams were divided into two groups of eight and played in a double-elimination format.
All games during this stage were best-of-three, and the top three from each group moved on to the playoffs. The playoffs, conducted between April 25 and 27, included six teams in a single-elimination bracket.
Quarterfinals and semifinals were best-of-three matches, with the grand final being a best-of-five match to determine the champion.
IEM Melbourne 2025 was the biggest esports event in Australian history. The tournament had a different format from other IEM events, with no Play-In matches and a smaller number of teams.
In addition to IEM Melbourne, the period between April 21 and 27 also witnessed a number of other big esports tournaments in various games and regions.
For instance, the Call of Duty League 2025 Stage 3 Major was held from April 24 to April 27, whereas the Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) 2025 Major 2 Grand Finals were held on April 26 and 27. The BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 tournament was set to begin on April 30.
Valorant’s competitive scene was active, too, as playoffs across regions to find qualifiers for the Masters Toronto event were running. BOOM, RRQ, EDward Gaming, and Bilibili Gaming were the standout teams in their respective regional playoffs.
🎮 Wordle Lite: Guess the Famous Esports Game
Top 5 Esports News Stories from April 21 to 27, 2025
1. BGIS 2025 Semi Finals
The BGIS 2025 Semi Finals Week 1 was the moment of truth for one of India’s highly regarded esports competitions. BGIS is the premier esports tournament for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), a battle royale game that has enchanted tens of millions of Indian players.
The Semi Finals stage is set up to weed out the top teams from a massive pool of competitors who have fought their way through qualifiers and group stages.
In Week 1, teams played a series of games over several days, amassing points depending on their finishes and kills. The format usually consists of several rounds of battle royale matches, where survival, coordination, and skill are essential to come out on top.
Semi finals witnessed cutthroat competition with teams deploying their best strategy and coordination to the battlefield. Games were fought out, with several heart-stopping finishes that kept the spectators glued to their screens.
Some of the biggest names in BGMI teams in India, such as Team Soul, Fnatic India, and Orange Rock, proved themselves to be among the most skilled. Their performances over the course of this week cemented their positions as top contenders for the finals.
Week 1 saw underdog squads also deliver amazing performances, overcoming established teams to prove the increase in depth in talent within India’s esports world.
Also Read: Top 5 Esports News Stories from April 14 to 20, 2025
2. S8UL Announces Participation in Esports World Cup 2025 with Chess as a New Title
Between April 21 and 27, 2025, Indian esports organization S8UL announced announced its involvement in the Esports World Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
S8UL is one of India’s top esports organizations known for its presence in various game titles like PUBG Mobile, Valorant, and Free Fire.
The organization has established itself as a promoter of young talent and steadily competing at the highest level both nationally and globally.
The Esports World Cup is a global multi-title esports competition that gathers the world’s top teams and players to compete in a range of games.
Chess as a New Esports Title
Perhaps the most surprising part of S8UL’s announcement was that they would be competing in Chess as an official esports title. This is a first, inasmuch as Chess is largely regarded as a board game and not a typical esports title.
Chess became more and more popular as an esport with the proliferation of digital chess sites and the increasing popularity of chess streaming and online tournaments.
The addition of Chess to the Esports World Cup is a blending of old cerebral rivalry and new esports subculture. It reaches a demographic with its combination of complexity and digital convenience.
India has had a Chess heritage, yielding world-class grandmasters such as Viswanathan Anand. S8UL’s foray into Chess esports takes advantage of this legacy, placing Indian players on the global esports platform and closing the gap between mainstream sports and esports.
S8UL had also announced their participation in four other esports games in the World Cup. These games are probably the successful competitive games like Valorant, PUBG Mobile, and others where S8UL has built rosters.
First Indian Team in Chess Esports
S8UL’s debut as the first Indian team to represent India in Chess at the Esports World Cup is a milestone that shows India’s increasing presence in the international esports scene.
This step inspires other Indian esports organizations to venture into varied game titles. It also draws in new viewers, sponsors, and investors who are interested in the blend of traditional games and esports.
By adopting Chess as an esport, S8UL helps to alter perceptions regarding esports, marketing it as a venue for intellectual competition and strategic expertise, rather than quick reflexes and action games.
3. Esports Insider Reports
Esports Insider’s coverage emphasized primarily on big matches in several mainstream esports titles such as League of Legends, Valorant, and Counter-Strike 2 (CS2).
League of Legends (LoL)
The week was by fierce confrontations between heavy-hitter teams like EDward Gaming (EDG), Anyone’s Legend (AL), and Bilibili Gaming (BLG). The teams battled in their individual regional leagues and playoffs to get into the international events scheduled later.
Esports Insider chronicled the developments, exceptional player performances, and meta changes that characterized these encounters.
Valorant
Teams such as BOOM Esports, RRQ (Rex Regum Qeon), EDward Gaming, and Bilibili Gaming were in the spotlight as they fought for qualification to the Masters Toronto 2025 tournament.
Esports Insider also picked out moments, including clutch plays, team coordination, and innovations that determined match results.
Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)
Though the focus was on the current IEM Melbourne 2025 tournament, Esports Insider also reported on significant CS2 matches and player changes.
4. Indian Video Gaming & Esports Industry Set to Surpass $1 Billion in 2025
The Indian esports and video gaming industry is on a growth trajectory, with estimates suggesting it would cross the $1 billion mark in 2025. It is the culmination of various factors that has driven this resurgence: higher government support, more incorporation of traditional sports brands, and a spate of partnerships with the entertainment sector.
A driver of this expansion is the positive action being led by the Indian government. The last few years have witnessed policy changes accepting esports as a valid sporting activity, different from games of chance. This acceptance has opened the way for better-organized tournaments, regulatory certainty, and the involvement of big sponsors and investors.
Government-supported programs and collaborations with schools and colleges are also driving grassroots involvement and talent nurturing.
Another major trend is the conventional sports franchises-particularly cricket teams-into the world of esports. The franchises are using their existing fan bases and organizational skills to bring and operate esports teams, specifically in top games such as Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and FIFA.
The entertainment industry, from Bollywood and the music business to esports tournaments and organizations, is increasingly cooperating with each other. These interactions vary from co-branded activations and celebrity sponsorships to merging esports into more traditional entertainment models like reality television shows and music festivals.
The year 2025 is filled with India’s high-profile esports competitions, including the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) and the Pro Series, with prize pools ranging in tens of millions of rupees.
5. Preview of Major 2025 Esports Tournaments and Game Releases
The WAVES Esports Championships, supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will host finals for mainstream games such as BGMI and eFootball in February 2025.
One of the trends in 2025 is the increasing alignment of cricket with esports. IPL franchises are hosting esports tournaments more and more and incorporating gaming into their fan outreach programs, which shows a larger overlap between conventional sports and esports that will draw new fans and sponsors.
Battle Royale is the promising mobile genre, with 90% of industry players supporting it, followed by hyper-casual games gaining popularity. Launching new intellectual properties (IPs) and localizing content to incorporate Indian themes and languages are viewed as key to reaching both domestic and global audiences.
There is a thrust for “Made-in-India” games with government vision and funding support. Companies such as 88 Games are working on big titles that will enhance the domestic ecosystem and promote Indian innovation globally.
India’s esports player base is expected to expand at a blistering rate to 1.5 million players and 250,000 teams by 2025 from 150,000 players and 60,000 teams today.
Indian esports prize money is projected to hit ₹1 billion by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate of 66%. This increase provides a major motivating factor for teams and players coming in, and it is also causing India’s contribution to the global prize money to increase from 0.6% to almost 2% by 2025.
Indian gaming organizations are focusing more on creating new IPs (40% of organizations) and more efficient monetization of current ones (30%).
Also Read: Top 5 Esports News Stories from April 1 to 6, 2025