"80 percent of the T1 teams playing scrims don't get a salary from their organizations": Hrishav highlights the deplorable state of BGMI esports

Prominent BGMI streamer Hrishav "Hrishav" Kumar held a YouTube livestream on May 11, 2023, where he discussed ongoing issues in the Battlegrounds Mobile India esports community. During the broadcast, he talked about how a majority of the Tier-1 BGMI esports teams don't even receive a salary from their respective organizations.

Timestamp: 3:40

Hrishav's exact words were (translated from Hindi):

"Let me tell you an interesting thing. 80 percent of the T1 teams playing scrims don't get a salary from their organizations."

Referring to the game's absence in the Indian market as the main reason for esports organizations not spending money on player salaries, Hrishav mentioned (translated from Hindi):

"Most of the teams that are showcasing great preformances are not sponsored because the game is not there. Proper esports organizations who have nothing to do with content creation will not sponsor teams if their main purpose is not fulfilled. I hope you guys will understand the current situation."

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Hrishav cites examples of BGMI organizations that have non-sponsored lineups

Continuing on the same matter, Hrishav went on to give example of team VST that has a non-sponsored lineup. He stated (translated from Hindi):

"Let me give examples. The lineup of VST that holds the likes of champion players like Saumraj who has even played international tournaments is not providing salaries to its players. The lineup is not sponsored, the team is just playing under VST's banner during the ban period. They are no longer in Skylightz Gaming."

Hrishav also provided the example of Enigma Gaming and Wild Fangs. He added (translated from Hindi):

"Moreover, the lineup of Enigma Gaming... another champion lineup that used to finish Top 3 or Top 5 in every tournament is also playing without a salary. They too are non-sponsored. A team like Wild Fangs where XO Sensei used to play, even that team has terminated their sponsorship."

Finally, Hrishav cited how GodLike Esports and Team SouL are expections to the rule that still pay salaries to their BGMI players.

"I am not sure about OR, probably are still taking trials, but apart from them may be GodL and SouL and a few teams are exceptions. At most, five or six teams are still giving salaries to their players. Even that number might be an exaggeration. The rest 20 teams are non-sponsored, and the players are paying their own expenses. Things are not good."

It has been almost 10 months since BGMI was suspended in Indian market. It remains to be seen when it makes its return so esports players can receive steady salaries again.