2019 has been a breakout year for PUBG Mobile Esports and one of the countries leading the charge is India. With one of the largest player bases and and equally large viewership, India is at the forefront of PUBG Mobile and has a vibrant domestic scene full of content creators, personalities and of course players. Despite the game’s popularity in the country, teams from the subcontinent have had less than optimum results at the global level and as time goes by, this is turning out to be a concerning factor. Perhaps one of the key reasons, is the fact that the region is isolated from the rest of Asia, which generally means that teams have to play more with each other and are unable to face off against some of the top tier opponents on a more regular basis. This means that the level of competition in the local scene has to increase for India to have a good shot at the international level, and slowly but surely, this has been happening. With this in mind, we rank the top 10 Indian teams based on their performance in 2019 while keeping in mind factors like consistency, impact, results and of course performance.
10. ETG.Brawlers
ETG.Brawlers make it into the top 10 by being one of the most entertaining teams to watch | Image via @novaking0
With some of the highest fragging potential in India, it’s a surprise that ETG.Brawlers have been unable to find some better results in 2019. Their 3 consecutive chicken dinners in the semifinals stage of PMCO Fall South Asia, proved just how lethal the team could be on a good day, but unfortunately, consistency has been a key issue for the Brawlers. Losing Sangwan to the VSG.Crawlers has also been a rough blow as he was one of the key players in the lineup. The Brawlers have a lot of tools in their arsenal that make them a good team, but what they need is to hit the right spot in terms of consistency and form. Nonetheless, the team was legitimately one of the most entertaining teams to watch in India, because of their aggressive style and no holds barred gameplay.
Results: PMCO Fall South Asia 7th
9. Zero Degree Esports
Touted as one of the best up and coming teams in India, Zero Degree has impressed with consistent results and solid overall gameplay. The maturity and poise that the team has shown in 2019 and the growth they have been able to achieve makes them one of the best teams to look out for in 2020. Unfortunately, they have lost an important player in the form of ZGod to Entity Gaming and will have to look to rebuild. They missed out on qualifying for the PMCO Fall Prelims by a small margin but there is a general sense of positivity in the way the team has been playing over the past few months.
Results: PMCO Fall South Asia - 6th, PMAS - 8th
8. Team Insane/RIP Official
Team Insane are a team with immense potential, who many underestimate | Image via Tempest_pubg
One of the oldest lineups to exist in the Indian PUBGM scene is that consisting of Tempest, Legend and Sky. The trio have been playing with each other for quite a while now and it’s easy to spot the ease and comfort they have with each other. It’s hard to imagine an Indian LAN without them and the team has played in both editions of the PMCO India/South Asia Qualifiers as well as placing third in the recently concluded PMAS tournament. Their ability to stick around for so long, while still being able to compete at the highest level of the competition is what allows them the 8th position on our list.
Results: PMAS - 3rd, PMCO Fall South Asia - 8th
7. 8bit Revenge
8bit Rvng's win at PMIT was one of the best storylines of the year | Image via 8bittrilok
The PUBG Mobile India Tour 2019 Champions, aren’t known as the most flashy or skilled team in the country. However, what they do have is great game sense, solid decision making and great strategy. IGL, Trilok ‘Trilok’ Singh has been one of the key reasons behind the teams success, that saw them lifting the coveted PMIT trophy, leading the team excellently and getting the best out of his players. Star player, Clutchgod came to light for his performances in PMIT, and has been one of the breakout performers of the year. While PMIT was the only major result for 8bit Revenge, the sheer scale of the LAN, and the prestige associated with it, means that the side make the list in the 7th spot.
Results: PMIT - 1st, PMAS - 1st
6. Team Insidious
Twin orgs, Team INS and Team IND are consistent performers in the Indian circuit | Image via @bhishmasha_097
Team INS has always been in the upper echelons of the Indian PUBGM scene and while the results haven’t been the kindest to the team, they have always found consistency and experience were it was needed. The team placed 3rd at PMIT and then managed to qualify for the Prelims stage of PMCO Fall by placing 4th in the South Asia Qualifiers. The lineup consists of some of the first known players in the Indian scene such as Bhishma, Cartoonz and Smokie. Currently the team is in a transitory phase, but are expected to announce a complete lineup for 2020 soon.
Results: PMCO Fall South Asia - 4th, PMIT - 3rd
5. SynerGE
SynerGE's recent success shows how important organizational support is | Image via @syner.ge
SynerGE have been on an upward trend, since their inception and have been doing consistently well in the country. The team was super impressive in the PMCO Fall Qualifiers and narrowly missed out on a main event slot by 4 points. The team’s ability to consistently pick up kills and convert them to chicken dinners has made them very lethal and they surprised many at the qualifiers. Seervi and Austin, individually have also been performing at a very high level, but their teammates, Shryder and Venom are not too far behind.
Results: PMCO Fall South Asia - 3rd, PMAS - 7th
4. Fnatic/Team X
Fnatic's win at PMAS came at a crucial time for the squad | Image via @owais_op
Arguably, the biggest names in the Indian scene, Fnatic or Team X have had an interesting year. From their departure from SouL, to getting picked up by Fnatic, the journey has been adventurous to say the least. Their first outing didn't really make the cut, but the team seems to have hit the nail on the head with a couple of key roster changes and pickups. Their win at PMAS came as a big relief for the under performing squad but also proved that the team has what it takes to play on the big stage. However, the team will will always have incredibly high amounts of pressure on them, no matter the stage and that can often take a toll. 2020 is expected to be when the lineup shines, and a lot of eyeballs are on Scout and company heading into the new year.
Results: PMAS - 1st - PMCO, PMCO Fall South Asia - 9th
3. Team IND
Slayer's addition has added new life to Team IND | Image via @ind_slayer
A team who has immense amounts of experience at both the international and national levels and have been able to consistently deliver on the big stage has been Team IND. They were one of the first Indian teams to play PUBGM on an international scale and have been able to advance with other teams to still be considered one of the best in the country. The addition of Slayer has been one of the best roster changes in the Indian PUBGM scene and more recently, the team added Snax to complete the lineup. The tactical prowess of Kratos and his ability to stay calm on the big stage means that TeamIND are always a threat. The team has consistently done well in the national stage with multiple players and lineups, which goes to show that it's not just the players, but an entire system, which allows everyone to thrive. While the team is never known for being flashy or extravagant, only a fool will underestimate them once the server goes live.
Results: PMCO Spring (India) - 2nd, PMCO Fall South Asia - 5th
2. Entity Gaming
It was a tough choice between Entity Gaming and SouL for the top spot | Image via @PUBG Mobile India
Entity Gaming were India's best performing international team in 2019, finishing in the top 5 in both PMCO Fall and the 5G Vodafone ESL Mobile Open and have managed to put together the perfect combination of brawns and brains. The team looks poised for success in 2020, and players like Jonathan and Neyooo have incredible individual skill to back themselves up in any situation. Combined with the tactical prowess of IGL, Ghatak, Entity Gaming have been of of the teams who can put up a huge number of kills on any given day. Their performance at the PMCO South Asia Finals, was impressive to say the least, and one can only hope that they are able to carry it forward in the coming year.
Results: PMCO Fall Main Event - 5th, 5G Vodafone ESL Mobile Open - 4th
1. SouL
SouL take the top spot for being not just a team of 4 players | Image via @PUBG Mobile India
Team SouL takes the number 1 spot in our rankings, thanks to the fact that they were consistent pretty much throughout the year and represented India in both editions of the PMCO. While the team has its ups and downs, they are one of the most loved teams in the world in PUBG Mobile, thanks to MortaL. In 2019, SouL not only represented India in both PMCOs, they also won PMIS and established themselves as fan favorites. Perhaps it's not just their performance that allows them a spot at the top, it's the fact that, SouL as a brand, stands for something that seems to be easily relatable. And it is this SouL spirit, that has managed to keep the team alive and performing at the highest levels of PUBG Mobile globally. In 2020, SouL head into the unknown, and while they have established themselves as the top dogs in India, they are yet to do so internationally.
Results: PMCO Spring India - 1st, PMCO Fall South Asia - 2nd
Don't agree with our list? Let us know who your top 10 are, in the comments below.
