BGMI Gully Wars: JioBLAST’s Charlie Cowdrey on Opening Esports to India’s Grassroots Players

India has one of the largest gaming audiences in the world, yet the path from playing for fun to competing professionally is still far from equal. In an interview with TechnoSports, Charlie Cowdrey of JioBLAST explains why BGMI Gully Wars was built around one idea: “APNA NAAM BANA”, or making your own name.

Key Points at a Glance

Why Grassroots Esports Needs an Open Door

For many players, competitive esports can feel out of reach. Established teams and communities set a high bar, and players outside them often do not know where to start. Cowdrey says BGMI Gully Wars was designed to lower that barrier.

“Competitive esports can often feel intimidating to players who are outside established teams or communities,” he says. “With BGMI Gully Wars, we wanted to lower that barrier and give aspiring grassroot players an opportunity to compete, demonstrate their ability and earn recognition on merit.”

A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths

The collaboration between JioBLAST and KRAFTON India is designed to combine what each side does best. KRAFTON understands its own gaming community and the competitive ecosystem around BGMI. JioBLAST brings global esports experience through BLAST, along with the sports management, commercial and operational capabilities of RISE Worldwide.

Cowdrey argues that a sustainable talent pipeline needs more than one event. It requires accessible entry points, credible competition, audience engagement and real chances for players to be noticed, with continuity between grassroots play and the wider esports scene.

Beyond the ₹10 Lakh Prize Pool

The ₹10 lakh prize pool is a clear incentive, but Cowdrey places more weight on what a tournament can open up for players. The aim is to bring strong performers and their stories to the attention of the wider gaming community, and to build an environment where good results can lead to greater recognition.

He is careful about specifics. Post-tournament opportunities, he says, depend on partnerships and programmes that involve publishers, esports organisations, teams and creators. The broader goal is to make grassroots performance more visible and meaningful.

Making Qualifiers Accessible and Fair

In-game qualifiers are central to reaching players at scale. They allow participation within the game players already know, so attending a physical event is not a requirement.

Behind that accessibility sits operational discipline. Cowdrey points to clearly communicated rules, a structured qualification process, player eligibility and verification, consistent communication, and processes that validate results and resolve participation issues. “Every participant should understand how to enter, what is expected of them and how progression is determined,” he says.

Telling the Players’ Stories

Gameplay alone does not always connect audiences with a player. Cowdrey sees tournament coverage, short-form content and storytelling as ways to introduce emerging players, highlight key moments and help viewers follow individual journeys.

Creators also play a role. They add context and relatability and give audiences a way to engage beyond following results. “When audiences begin recognising players, remembering their stories and following their progress,” he says, “grassroots competition becomes more than a tournament.”

Two Lenses on Competitive Entertainment

JioBLAST’s approach combines two perspectives. BLAST contributes international expertise in competition formats, production and audience experience. RISE Worldwide adds experience in sports management, partnerships and commercial development.

The goal extends beyond single tournaments. JioBLAST wants to build gaming experiences that bring together competition, content, creators, brands and communities, formats that appeal to young audiences and remain valuable to partners.

What Success Looks Like

JioBLAST will measure BGMI Gully Wars across three areas:

• Participation: how well the event reaches players who have never had access to organised competition.
• Talent discovery: the quality of competition and whether strong performers gain meaningful visibility.
• Ecosystem impact: audience engagement, community response and the value created for players, partners and fans.

Cowdrey also says scale alone is not enough. The tournament has to be accessible, credible and worth coming back to. On future open-for-all formats in other titles, he says the model has potential, but each game has its own community and competitive structure, so each format must be designed for its audience rather than copied.

For more gaming coverage, visit TechnoSports and our gaming section.

Sources:

• KRAFTON, the publisher of Battlegrounds Mobile India
• Battlegrounds Mobile India on Wikipedia, for background on the game and its competitive scene
• BLAST, the international esports organisation referenced in the interview

FAQs