Mumbai: Marcos Gaming, India’s homegrown esports brand, has been confirmed as a franchise in India’s biggest gaming tournament, the Skyesports Masters. The organisation will soon be unveiling its CSGO roster, which will fight for a share of the Rs 2,00,00,000 prize pool.

The Skyesports Masters is set to kick off with the League Stage on 8 July. Eight franchised teams will lock horns across several weeks with the top four teams advancing to the Playoffs. Set to happen on 26 & 27 Aug as an on-ground LAN event, the Skyesports Masters Playoffs are set to be an affair like never before in Indian esports, setting a benchmark for the industry.

Marcos Gaming is set to sign a five-man roster for CSGO to compete in the Skyesports Masters. Additionally, the organisation will be adding two players from the cafe qualifiers. The Skyesports Masters cafe qualifiers are happening across two weekends on 17 & 18 June; and 24 & 25 June, are a grassroots effort which aims to recognise and uplift the best talent from 20 different cities across the country.

Commenting on entering the Skyesports Masters, Marcos Gaming founder Sudhir Kumar said, “I am thrilled to be entering India’s first franchised esports league. We believe in the vision of Shiva and Skyesports which was one of our primary motivations to enter the league. The franchise model is important in esports as it brings structure to the industry with a fixed set of deliverables, allowing us to close brand deals easier. There is still work to be done for reviving Counter-Strike in India, and we are here for the long run with the Skyesports Masters and are looking forward to growing this promising title.”

Marcos Gaming is an organisation focused on bringing a family culture to its esports roster and will be signing and nurturing a roster with the same goal. The organisation has strived to commit to Counter-Strike in the long run and hopes to go on to represent the country internationally.

Commenting on the joining of Marcos Gaming into the esports tournament, Skyesports CEO & founder Shiva Nandy said, “We are delighted to welcome Marcos Gaming as one of the franchised teams in the Skyesports Masters. The tournament will serve as a gateway for the revival of Counter-Strike in India and we need organisations who are committed to being the catalyst for this. Akhil’s and Marcos’ long-term commitment is aligned with our goals for the league and the game.”