Mumbai: The Pokémon Company has announced the launch of the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League (PUACL) 2025 India League, featuring eight top Indian esports organizations. This groundbreaking initiative aims to elevate the competitive gaming scene in India and will see these teams battle it out for a chance to represent the country at the PUACL 2025 Offline Final in Japan.
The eight partnered teams participating in this inaugural league are:
- GodLike Esports
- Gods Reign
- Global Esports
- Marcos Gaming
- Reckoning Esports
- Revenant Esports
- S8UL Esports
- True Rippers
The PUACL 2025 India League will span eight matchdays from November 16, 2024, to January 26, 2025, with competitions taking place on weekends. The tournament structure includes a Group Stage, followed by Playoffs to determine the champion team. Teams will compete in a single-elimination bracket during the Group Stage, with their overall standings determining seedings for the Playoffs.
With a prize pool of $40,000, the distribution is as follows:
- 1st place: $16,000
- 2nd place: $8,000
- 3rd place: $6,000
- 4th place: $4,000
- 5th place: $2,000
- 6th place: $2,000
- 7th place: $1,200
- 8th place: $800
A representative from The Pokémon Company expressed enthusiasm for this new venture, stating, “We are thrilled to bring the first-ever partnered PUACL League to India, marking a historic step in the evolution of the Indian Pokémon UNITE community. This tournament provides a pathway for Indian teams to showcase their skills on a global stage in Japan, underscoring our commitment to building a vibrant, competitive future for Pokémon UNITE in India.”
Skyesports has been chosen as the esports partner for this initiative, continuing its collaboration with The Pokémon Company since 2022 to develop the Pokémon UNITE esports scene in India.
In addition to the league, an open-for-all tournament named the Winter Open will soon be announced, providing additional opportunities for Indian players to compete and potentially secure a spot at the PUACL Final in Japan.
Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, remarked, “We have been diligently working with The Pokémon Company to grow Pokémon UNITE in India. This roadmap ensures sustainability and offers a path for representation on an international stage, while the Winter Open creates inclusive opportunities for all players within the gaming community.”
