Esports in India appears to be on track thanks to the return of PUBG Mobile as Battlegrounds Mobile India and a spate of acquisitions and developments bent on fuelling demand. To further add to this, there are rising pay scales for pro players and content creators too. However, there’s been little in way of protecting players and their interests.
In the past, this has resulted in some ugly scenarios that had players taken advantage of and their salaries withheld. To prevent future exploitation of esports industry talent, the Esports Players Welfare Association or EPWA for short has been launched.
“Professional governance and structures are vital to the success of any sport; the absence of either in the esports industry in India is one of the key drivers that led to the formation of Esports Players Welfare Association,” said Ritesh Nath, the CEO and Founder of EPWA in a prepared statement. “With the exponential increase in the number of esports players (amateur and professional) and avenues for them to earn a living, EPWA will strive to ensure their rights are protected by defining industry norms, setting regulations, and assisting relevant stakeholders to form policies.”
“Esports has been in the limelight lately with attention being drawn to it thanks to its inclusion as a medal event at the upcoming Asian Games in 2022 and potentially an Olympic nod as well,” said Shivani Jha, Director of EPWA. “As wide as the gaming industry may be, absence of any regulations or stringent rules in esports allows for exploitation of players. The top priority at EPWA will be to address player grievances regarding their legal obligations and contracts. EPWA will also work to bridge the awareness gap that exists in the country by educating the industry about the latest esports rules and regulations from India and around the globe.”
Jha is no stranger to IGN India, recently penning a piece pushing for the need of regulation in the Indian esports space. She’s a lawyer and tech policy researcher by trade. Nath on the other hand, has a background in esports, previously helming the leadership role for sales at Ronnie Screwvala’s U Sports and later on as a Director at Nielsen’s Sports and Entertainment division.
EPWA membership is free though ponying up Rs. 299 a year grants access to its services like legal advice, dispute regulation as well as sponsorship and tournament contract advice.
It’s a welcome development in an industry that’s yet to mature or have any semblance of due diligence done even from its biggest stakeholders and hopefully a sign that esports — and gaming India is growing up.
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