New Delhi: The inaugural iQOO Battlegrounds Series concluded in spectacular fashion as Team Orangutan emerged champions, securing their first-ever BGMI title with a commanding 61-point lead. The LAN finale, held from August 8 to 10 at the Noida Indoor Stadium, saw three days of high-octane action and a massive INR 1 crore prize pool, drawing thousands of fans on-ground.
Organised by NODWIN Gaming and powered by high-performance smartphone brand iQOO, the tournament began on July 21 with 32 teams—30 invited squads and two qualifiers from the iQOO Community Cup. Following an intense group stage and semi-finals, 16 teams battled it out in the Grand Finals.
Orangutan topped the leaderboard with 217 points across 18 matches, taking home INR 55 lakh. Meta Ninza claimed second place with 156 points, while K9 Esports finished third with 121 points. Orangutan’s Ankit Shukla (AKop) earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for his 62 finishes in the finals.
Arman aka Aaru, IGL of Orangutan, reflected on the win, “Four years ago, it was just a dream. Today, it’s in our hands. Every setback, every close call, every tough day only made us stronger. We never gave up, and that made all the difference.”
Fans were also treated to meet-and-greet sessions with popular gaming creators from S8UL and Revenant XSpark, including Naman Mathur (Mortal), Raj Varma (Snax), Gulrez Khan (JokerKiHaveli), Payal Dhare (PayalGaming), Kaashvi Hiranandani (KaashPlays), and Tanmay Singh (ScoutOP).
Nipun Marya, CEO, iQOO, said, “At iQOO, we believe the future of gaming lies in creating meaningful opportunities for the esports community. The iQOO Battlegrounds Series is our flagship gaming IP, bringing India’s best teams to the grand stage. My heartfelt congratulations to iQOO Orangutan for their exceptional win, and to Meta Ninza and K9 Esports for their spirited performance. We’re proud to provide a platform that celebrates skill, passion, and ambition, driving India’s esports ecosystem to new heights.”
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming, added, “The iQOO Battlegrounds Series is a perfect example of performance-driven innovation meeting grassroots talent and world-class tournament execution. Congratulations to Orangutan on a well-deserved victory, and kudos to all teams for showcasing the competitive spirit that defines India’s esports scene. With partners like iQOO, our mission is to keep raising the bar, and taking Indian esports to stages that resonate globally.”
With its resounding success, the inaugural iQOO Battlegrounds Series is set to become a permanent fixture in India’s esports calendar, offering a professional platform for competitive gamers to shine and paving the way for greater global recognition.
