If there is one organization within Southeast Asia that has gone under the radar, it’s Tesseract Esports. Founded in 2017, the organization has hosted some of the largest events in countries like India and Indonesia, including the BGMI India Series 2024 and the Pro Series (BMPS). During my recent visit for the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) Series 2024, I met with certain members from the core team of Tesseract Esports.
In this exclusive interview, I sat down with Gowtham Chelikam, the founder and CEO; Praveen Anne, co-founder and director of Design; and Mahendra Raja Gopal, the director of finance and operations for Tesseract Esports. We discuss a wide field of topics covering various domains within the Esports Industry.
Image Credits: Tesseract Esports
How did Tesseract Esports come to be back in 2017?
Gowtham Chelikam: Our roots are deeply embedded in gaming. The three of us met in 2015 while playing Vainglory, a mobile MOBA. At that time, the esports scene in South and Southeast Asia was quite underdeveloped compared to the western markets. We saw some incredible tournaments happening abroad and realized the potential of the vast, untapped gaming community in our region. So, we started organizing community tournaments ourselves with just a laptop in my room. Over time, our tournaments quickly gained traction, gaining good viewership and participation, which eventually caught the attention of the game developer. With their support, we developed our own league IP- Tesseract League that integrated into international tournaments. Our first five employees, all passionate gamers, were based in Hyderabad.
What are your long-term goals for Tesseract Esports in the esports industry?
Image Credits: Tesseract Esports
Gowtham Chelikam: We aim to become the global leader in esports production, with India and Tesseract Esports serving as hub for global production. We are also actively engaged in remote production, handling tournaments in the Americas, Middle-East, and various parts of Asia. Our goal is to localize these efforts by building technology and capabilities with remote studios in these regions, all managed from our hub in Hyderabad.
Mahendra Raja Gopal: We have also recently expanded into sports, managing production for the Indonesian Basketball League 2024. Our long-term goal is to service the entire live entertainment sector. You will see us taking on more sports projects in the future. We started with basketball and are continually adding capabilities, preparing ourselves for expansion into other sports like volleyball, tennis, football, and any area where we can bring our expertise. On the esports front, we are gearing up to handle significant production work for the Esports World Cup and contribute to more global-level tournaments.
How do you plan to maintain Tesseract Esports’ position as a leader in the South Asian esports market?
Gowtham Chelikam: For us, it’s about creating meaningful content and memorable experiences. Esports is all about the experiences, right? Just like when you walked into our production control room and mentioned how impressed you were by the setup—it was unlike anything you’d seen before. It’s about creating those lasting memories. We aim to generate maximum value for our audience, who spend their time and money with us. Our focus is on telling engaging stories that fans can relate to and even inspire some to reach the top. I believe our audience-centric approach to delivering the best experiences has been the most important factor in our success.
Beyond South Asia, are there any specific regions you’re targeting for future expansion?
Gowtham Chelikam: We expanded into Southeast Asia last year, establishing our base in Indonesia. Southeast Asia is an excellent market and a key focus area for us. We currently collaborate with Garena on various events in this region. We have recently completed the Free Fire Battle of Stars and the Mobile Legends Campus Championship (MCC). Looking ahead, we are planning to expand to North America in the next two quarters. By this time next year, you can expect us to be involved in something big there.
What are the biggest challenges Tesseract Esports faces in expanding to Southeast Asia?
Gowtham Chelikam: Understanding gaming and cultural sensibilities is a key consideration. When expanding to culturally rich regions, you have to cater to diverse audiences and adapt to many different gaming titles. Southeast Asia is home to a wide variety of esports titles, from MOBA to FPS to Battle Royale and beyond. We need to tailor our approach to fit the preferences of the local audience. For example, Battle Royale is the dominant esports genre in India, while MOBAs lead in Indonesia. Despite sharing similar demographics with a focus on mobile-centric titles, gamers of both regions have distinct gaming preferences. Fostering partnerships with developers, publishers, and brands also takes time.
Praveen Anne: Our expansion into Southeast Asia was also made possible because of the relationships we’ve built through gaming. For instance, we met Daniel, who now leads our Southeast Asia division, along with our other team members while playing Vainglory. These in-game connections have been crucial for our growth in the region.
How does the esports landscape in Southeast Asia differ from South Asia, and how will you adapt your approach?
Image Credits: Bryan Francis
Gowtham Chelikam: From a production standpoint, there are various levels of complexity in esports. For example, Battle Royale games can be the most complex because no other game has 64 players playing simultaneously, whereas other games might have only eight or ten players. This adds a layer of complexity to production. However, from an adaptation standpoint, it’s not significantly different. Mobile players are already familiar with Battle Royale, and it doesn’t take long for gamers to grasp it. From a storytelling perspective, the objective is clear: 64 players compete, and the last team standing wins. Our goal is to tell the story of how a champion is made in the best way possible.
Praveen Anne: To add to that, we have a large team that is passionate about games. Whenever they have free time, our team members play their favorite genres and share their knowledge. So, when we take up a new game, we already have a group of people who have mastered it. We then apply that knowledge to our production, which greatly elevates the experiences which we provide to our audience.
Mahendra Raja Gopal: Last year, we worked on more than 15 titles for Gamers8. Our team has extensive expertise in producing all major esports titles.
How does Tesseract Esports stay ahead of the curve regarding esports production technology and innovation?
Image Credits: Bryan Francis
Gowtham Chelikam: We are all geeks at heart. When any new tech comes into the market, we are always eager to try it out. Sometimes, it’s more of a want than a need, but we have a methodology for experimentation, experience, and ideas on how to make things happen. We are constantly on the lookout to test new technologies within Tesseract and see how they can be implemented in production.
One thing that stands out in our journey is our commitment to innovation. For every event, whether big or small, we’ve always introduced something new. For example, in BGIS 2024, the majority of the in-game graphics and statistics are entirely driven through API integration. All the stats, including chicken dinners and player POV cameras, are triggered and retrieved directly from the game. This involves processing thousands of data points in real-time. We even displayed data like the blue zone areas and if a player is in an aircraft, all automatically fetched from the game in real-time.
What role do you see mobile esports playing in the future of Tesseract Esports and the industry?
Gowtham Chelikam: While mobile esports play a significant role for us, especially given the mobile-centric markets of South and Southeast Asia, we’re not limited to just mobile titles. We are fully open to producing non-mobile esports titles as well. Southeast Asia, in particular, has a growing presence of PC and console-based esports, and we are keen to expand into these areas. Our focus is on embracing a variety of platforms to cater to the diverse gaming preferences in the regions we operate.
How does Tesseract Esports plan to contribute to the growth of the esports ecosystem in Southeast Asia beyond just event production?
Image Credits: Bryan Francis
Gowtham Chelikam: To speak candidly, we are not in the business of creating IPs; most of our focus is on providing white-label services. We have one of the biggest teams and facilities in the region, with over 150 people spread across India and Indonesia. One of our key hiring criteria is that our team members are ideally gamers themselves. This means that most of the people at Tesseract Esports are passionate gamers.
We also invest in budding talent, providing opportunities for those whose skills are still developing. Many of us in the gaming and esports space have faced the challenge of convincing our parents that this is a legitimate career option. We ensure that anyone who joins us experiences strong career growth, helping to dispel the notion that jobs in our industry are not ‘real’ jobs and demonstrating that they are as good as, if not better than, those in any other industry. Our goal is to help build a world-class workforce that can cater to global markets. This is our way of contributing to the community.
Mahendra Raja Gopal: Our low attrition rate over the last few years speaks to the value we offer at Tesseract Esports. This stability has enabled us to build a strong core team that continually adds value and brings innovation to the overall experience, whether it’s for audience members at a LAN event or fans watching on their phones.
Can you elaborate on Tesseract Esports’ initial vision for the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) and BMPS in collaboration with Krafton India?
Image Credits: Krafton
Gowtham Chelikam: For Krafton, BGIS has always been about nurturing champions from across India. BGIS is designed to provide grassroots opportunities for gamers to rise to the top. This is Krafton’s vision, and there’s no one else in our region doing it quite like them. They engage a vast number of gamers, creating unique opportunities for grassroots players. When working with Krafton, we ensure their vision becomes a reality by doing what we do best: creating compelling stories around players.
One example is the “Beyond the Battlegrounds” series, which encourages the youth to strive for greatness. This series provides them with more exposure to help advance their esports careers.
Praveen Anne: The vision is to create a platform that shines a spotlight on young gamers, recognizing their hard work and dedication as they strive to become professional players. It should serve as a stage where anyone passionate about the game can showcase their talent and take center stage. This year’s event was designed to be inclusive and approachable, using simple language and democratic visuals that resonate with everyone.
We aimed to inspire and motivate by featuring player images on thumbnails and posts, making participants think, “Why can’t it be me?” Our goal is to connect with the community and make the event both aspirational and relatable.
What key factors contribute to BGIS and BMPS’s success as collaborative projects with Krafton India?
Image Credits: Bryan Francis
Gowtham Chelikam: A key factor is the trust that Krafton has in our ability to deliver, which has been built up over the years. This trust is essential because it’s their vision and idea, and they need complete confidence in any partner to transform their dream and vision into a reality. While many can claim they can do the job, it’s the trust and belief in our deliverability that truly sets us apart. Our work and collaborations over the years have solidified this trust and enabled us to consistently meet and exceed their expectations.
Mahendra Raja Gopal: To add to that, I believe both Kraft
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