One of the most popular esports teams in France, Team Vitality, has now launched in India. The announcement comes from Team Vitality India’s official Instagram handle.
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Team Vitality finally decided to expand in India almost after a year hinting at the possibility of such a move. The organisation raised $15.7M in November 2019 from Indian investor Tej Kohli’s gaming fund, Rewired.GG. This was the second fundraise via Rewired after an initial $22.7M in November 2018, which allowed Vitality the capital to enter the LEC. One of the key takeaways from the second round was Vitality’s plans to expand into China and India.
Team Vitality will share more details about its plans in India soon. The organization currently features over 50 esports athletes including Cédric “RpK” Guipouy, Richard “Shox” Butterfly, Bastien “Biboo” Lake, and more.
While speaking to The Esports Journal, CEO Nicholas Maurer had explained why the organization is looking to expand in India. Maurer said, “We are totally convinced that there’s a lot of potential in India because there is a very big interest, not only in esports but in gaming. A lot of people are very passionate there, but it’s hard to predict the time it takes for a European brand to be seen as legitimate to an Indian audience.”
India in the past year has attracted international esports organizations like Fnatic, Team SoloMid, Noble Esports, and Galaxy Racer to name a few. Many of these organizations have stuck around despite their PUBG Mobile rosters being forced to take a seat on the bench.
Vitality already has the experience of operating multiple successful international esports teams in League of Legends, CS:GO, Rainbow 6 Siege, and Rocket League. It will be interesting to see if Vitality is able to replicate the same level of success in India as well.