New Delhi, July 30, 2026: Rivals, Ampverse DMI’s gaming and entertainment platform for India’s youth, is the brand behind College Rivals and is now expanding its presence into professional esports and broader gaming experiences. As part of this expansion, Rivals announced Pro Rivals, a new national competitive esports property that extends the platform beyond collegiate gaming. The announcement comes as College Rivals Season 4 begins its biggest edition yet, travelling across 100+ colleges in 40+ cities, further strengthening RIVALS’ position as one of India’s largest youth gaming movements.
The launch of Pro Rivals marks the next phase in RIVALS’ evolution from a collegiate esports property into a broader gaming, entertainment and youth engagement platform. Together, College Rivals and Pro Rivals create a connected ecosystem spanning grassroots participation and professional competition, enabling players to progress through different stages of competitive gaming while providing brands with meaningful opportunities to engage India’s next generation of consumers.
The inaugural edition of Pro Rivals, being held from July 17 to July 29, 2026, has attracted nearly 1,000 teams from across India for a six-round online competition. A total prize pool of ₹7 lakh is on offer, with the champions receiving ₹3 lakh, the runners-up ₹2 lakh and the third-place team ₹1 lakh. Individual honours will also be awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Fan Favourite, with each winner receiving ₹50,000. Conducted entirely online, the tournament will culminate in India’s leading teams competing for the inaugural Pro Rivals championship title.
Charlie Baillie, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Ampverse, said, “Pro Rivals represents the next step in the evolution of the Rivals platform. As gaming communities continue to mature, players are looking for more opportunities to compete at a higher level and challenge themselves against stronger opposition. With Pro Rivals, we’re expanding the Rivals experience beyond campuses and have created a new stage for competitive play that complements College Rivals and strengthens the overall Rivals ecosystem.”
Complementing the professional pathway, College Rivals Season 4 began in Pune on July 20, marking the start of the platform’s largest collegiate gaming movement to date. The season will travel across 100+ colleges in 40+ cities, featuring competitions across BGMI Solo, BGMI Female, BGMI Squad and EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile, alongside community gaming experiences through the RIVALS Arcade.
This season also introduces Chess as a competitive title across select colleges, further broadening the platform’s gaming portfolio and creating more opportunities for student participation. Beyond competition, College Rivals continues to bring together gaming, creators, music, pop culture and immersive campus experiences, reinforcing its positioning as a youth culture platform built for Gen Z.
Sumedha Mahajan, India Business Head, Ampverse DMI, said: “With Season 4, we’re significantly expanding the scale and experience of College Rivals, reaching more campuses, introducing new formats like Chess, and creating more ways for students to engage with gaming and youth culture. Alongside this, Pro Rivals extends the RIVALS platform by bringing together professional organisations and emerging teams in a national competition, giving players and fans new ways to experience RIVALS throughout the year.”
India’s gaming audience continues to expand rapidly, creating new opportunities for brands to engage digitally native consumers through community-first experiences. As competitive gaming matures, platforms that combine grassroots participation with professional competition are expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping the next phase of India’s gaming ecosystem.
About RIVALS
Rivals is a youth culture and entertainment platform, leveraging gaming, music, creators and community-led experiences to help brands engage with India’s next generation of consumers. Through flagship IPs including College Rivals and Pro Rivals, alongside its specialist youth marketing agency, Rivals creates immersive campaigns and platforms that connect young audiences, communities and brands.
Rivals owned and operated by Ampverse DMI Private Limited, a joint venture between Ampverse Group, a gaming and entertainment company, and DMI Finance, an RBI-registered NBFC in India.
