ESL One Mumbai brought some of the biggest teams in the Dota 2 esports scene to Mumbai to battle it out for a share of the $300K prize pool. The event was held at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai with the grand finals being played on April 21. It was a huge success even as some controversies surrounding the event emerged.

The event was a huge success and Indian gamers view it as the starting point for something big in Indian esports- and it indeed is. The viewership of the event was in par with other top Dota events, in spite of some teams leaving the tournament at the last moment. The event showcased India as a land of esports opportunities. The exuberance at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai across all three days displayed the need for more such events in India.

The NSCI Dome was packed as esports enthusiasts from across the country attended.

The only issue the tournament faced was the pulling out of some top tier teams. Teams like Ninjas In Pyjamas, Chaos, Gambit, Alliance & J.Storm dropped out to participate in the Dota PIT Minor, which was scheduled to start just a day after the ending of ESL One Mumbai. As these teams would not have gotten time to train for the minor, they thought it best to pull out. The OGA Dota PIT Minor gives qualification points to The International and hence teams prioritized it over the ESL One event in Mumbai.

In spite of this, the tournament was an immense success with very good viewership numbers. As per Esports Charts, ESL One Mumbai 2019 had an average concurrent viewership of 56,115 viewers. This is around 9000 viewers more than the ongoing OGA Dota PIT Minor which has an average concurrent viewership of 47,229 viewers (number will change as the finals are yet to be conducted).

Details about the viewership of the tournament. (Credits- Esports Charts)

Keen Gaming emerged as the overall champions defeating Mineski 3-0 in an intense final. They took home $135K with this victory. The only Indian team at the event- Team Signify was not able to leave a mark and had to settle for a last place finish. However, the Indian squad must have received valuable experience by participating in one of the top Dota events. Febby was adjourned as the MVP for the event who received a brand new Mercedes Benz.

The production of the event was top notch and no issues were faced. However, the event was not free of controversies. Some reports have emerged that a local Indian company paid people to attend the event and fill up the seats. These charges have been denied by companies involved with the conduction of the tournament even as some people admitted to actually being paid.

There was also some controversy regarding the selection of the MVP as many people believed that the criterion was flawed. ESL later had to release an official statement to clear up the air.

Statement released by ESL after controversy regarding the MVP of the event.

In spite of this, the event was a huge success and we hope to see more such events being conducted in India. We also hope that ESL decides to make the ESL One Mumbai event a yearly affair.