Gaming
One last split to rule them all as Valorant Split 3 kicks off today
MUMBAI: The battle lines are drawn, and the bullets are digital but the stakes? Very real. South Asia’s most prestigious Valorant showdown OMEN VCSA 2025 Split 3 blasts off today, 27 June, in what promises to be the most high-pressure sprint of the season. With Rs 53 lakh up for grabs and only four golden tickets available to the VCT Ascension Pacific Qualifiers, the eight teams in the fray aren’t just aiming to win, they’re fighting to represent the region on the global stage.
Running online until 3 July, the final split in this year’s three-part saga will determine which top four teams move to the Ascension Qualifiers (online: 7–8 July, LAN in Gurugram: 12–13 July), where just one squad will earn the honour of donning South Asia’s colours at the VCT Ascension Pacific 2025.
Who’s in the arena?
Revenant X Spark (155 points), Velocity Gaming (130), and Reckoning Esports (120) currently top the Challenger Points leaderboard. They return alongside S8ul, Dot Exe Esports, and GE Academy from earlier splits. New challengers XO Ind and Asterisk enter through the Promotion and Relegation bracket, and every match now could shift the leaderboard entirely.
Velocity Gaming stole Split 1 in a stunning undefeated run. Revenant X Spark bounced back with a LAN-finale victory in Split 2, defeating Reckoning Esports, whose player Kirill ‘moner’ Matsanov bagged the MVP title with a jaw-dropping 258 kills and a flurry of clutch plays.
This final split isn’t just about glory, it’s about survival. With a cumulative prize pool of Rs 1.13 crore, VCSA 2025 introduced a points-based system to reward consistency across all three splits. Now, with Challenger Points accumulated so far, Split 3 becomes the final checkpoint before Ascension.
The winner of the upcoming Ascension Qualifiers won’t just hoist a trophy, they’ll enter the VCT Ascension Pacific tournament, facing off against elite teams from across the Asia-Pacific region. The dream? Securing a slot in next year’s prestigious VCT International League.
“Split 3 is where pressure peaks,” said Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee. “This is South Asia’s final shot at international glory and fans can expect the fiercest Valorant action yet.”
Riot Games’ South Asia Esports Lead Sukamal Pegu echoed the sentiment: “Every match is make-or-break. It’s a chance to witness the best of our regional talent rise.”
Tournament Timeline:
. Split 3 (Online): 27 June – 3 July
. Ascension Qualifiers (Online): 7 – 8 July
. Ascension Qualifiers (LAN – Gurugram): 12 – 13 July
. Watch Live: Nodwin Gaming YouTube (Hindi & English), Facebook (Hindi)
With the battlefield heating up and a shot at global domination on the line, Split 3 isn’t just the final leg, it’s the ultimate proving ground. Ready. Aim. Ascend.
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
