HYDERABAD: Beverage brand Mountain Dew on Tuesday brought the third edition of its annual e-sports property Dew Arena to Hyderabad. The brand associated with adventure sports like stunt biking, mountaineering, base jumping amongst others expanded to Esports in 2016 with the launch of Dew Arena. In 2017, Dew Arena recorded 5 lakh participation which is expected to be surpassed in 2018, the company said.
The 2018 Winter Olympics saw the introduction of e-sports as a demo sport, while competitive video gaming will be a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games. Dew Arena builds on the powerful human insight that gamers too seek acknowledgement and recognition and gives Indian gamers a chance showcase their talent. Winners gain recognition by being showcased on Mountain Dew bottles, while also competing for a prize pool of `20 lakh.
As part of the third edition of Dew Arena, a disruptive gaming truck is travelling to 270 locations across 83 cities in 10 states. Upcoming Tollywood actor Akhil Akkineni joined Dew Arena as the truck travelled to Hyderabad, in its quest to take the experience of gaming to the masses. Through the Gaming Truck, gaming enthusiasts will be able to experience cutting edge technology to compete in both online and offline championship games. Popular games such as Counter Strike and Dota 2will take center stage during the online championship, while Rocket League and Street Fighter will be the focus during on-ground gaming. There will also be a mobile gaming leg.
Talking to City Express, Akhil said, “In 2020, there are going to be medals in the Asian Games for gaming as well. Dew likes to recognise people that we don’t know about. For example, I have done a sailing campaign with them and Dew has promoted Arun Vajpai who had climbed the Mt. Everest. They are giving them a platform by profiling them on the bottles.”
Does the slogan “Dar ke aage jeet hain” apply to gaming also? He says, “Absolutely. I’m scared to jump into a film and pretty nervous about it. I know that this slogan usually refers to outdoor sports, but it deals with all the risks and adventures we do in our life.” Does he thing teens might get addicted to gaming? “It is a booming industry right now. There is growth and interest all over the world. Dew is encouraging professionals to work hard. We need to have a balance in whatever we do.”
Through the course of the championship, gamers will battle it out every day to secure a place in the Dew Arena Grand Finale scheduled to take place in October 2018. Winners will get a chance to have their profile featured on a set of limited edition bottles.