


DreamHack India

One measure of how much the Indian e-sports scene has grown in the past couple of years, is by looking at which big names in the industry are hosting local events.

That roster was broadened by another entry this weekend, that of DreamHack.

DreamHack India

Images courtesy: Gwyn D'Mello


DreamHack, for the uninitiated, isn't like any other gaming expo or esports event you've been to. The focus is still on the games, for sure, but other than two near the entrance, there are no traditional "booths". That's because as Akshat Rathee, CEO of NODWIN Gaming, puts it, it's more like one big LAN party.

"As more stuff goes digital, you message on this, play on this, watch on this, it's harder to get real interactions. So what you have less of is now treasured more, that sense of camaraderie and fellowship. You and me have been gaming together for the last four years but we've never met. Chal milte hain, let's play together."

DreamHack India

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So, with a name as widely known as DreamHack now in Mumbai, I took a trip down to the venue to check it out. And let me just say, I was not disappointed. Simply walking in, I noticed a giant empty space in the middle of the hall. Normally, that would've been occupied by exhibitors selling games, hardware, accessories, or merchandise. But today, it was just for the crowds coming in to watch the main event tournaments on the big screen.

And the trend continues when you look at the sidelines of the event. Apart from an area set aside for streamers to do their thing are massive rows of tables with varying computer setups. This is DreamHack's BYOC area, short for "bring your own computer". Indeed, this is the soul of DreamHack, and the reason it began in the first place. The core European event has held the Guinness world record for the largest LAN party for years, and upped itself each year. All 600 seats at this particular event have been sold out for the three days.

DreamHack India

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Hardcore gamers looking for some good old fashioned LAN beatdowns show up, set up their rigs, and then pretty much just party for 72 hours straight. The event has a string of DJs performing, competitions, cosplay, you name it. In fact, partying is the reason the place looked deceivingly empty on Saturday morning. Professional teams and amateur gamers had all played through the night and then gone out drinking till first light, near as anyone could tell.

"You know how Magnetic Fields is India's Burning Man?", Rathee asks. "Well, this is Burning Man for gamers."

DreamHack India

And you don't have to be a particular type of gamer to enjoy DreamHack either, there's something for everyone. While the pros duke it out in CS:GO and Dota 2 on the big screen, amateur competitions run parallel. Another section meanwhile is hosting a slew of VR experiences. In one area, surrounding by controllers and fight sticks, some duke it out in Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, or Super Smash Bros. Still more are glued to the firefights on their screens in Fortnite.

And, unique to India, a massive number of gamers compete in mobile titles like Sachin Saga and PUBG Mobile. Heck, there's even a retro hub that hosts everything from PacMan and Contra to carrom and Monopoly

DreamHack India

Just walking the venue, the atmosphere is electric. There's no overpriced merchandise store or waiting in line to play five minutes of the latest game demo. It's just gamers, doing what they love, alongside others with the same passion.

In fact, there's only aspect in which Mumbai's DreamHack isn't able to emulate its International counterpart, and that's with providing an area the attendees can unfurl sleeping bags to take a nap.

DreamHack India

"We were considering it, but we weren't able to get the authority permissions needed to do that. There are just too many moving parts. Maybe next year," Rathee shrugs.

And they do have another chance, with the partnership currently tied up until DreamHack 2020. By that time, it's likely the number of attendees will have doubled or more. Gamers, it's finally happened. India might have just caught up. Now it just comes down to how you can convince your parents that sleeping over at a massive LAN party and playing games for 72 hours isn't weird.
