From more than 8,000 competitors, only one team was left standing. Hexvora has emerged as the inaugural champion of Battlegrounds Mobile India’s BGMI: Naye Khiladi, a grassroots tournament by Nodwin Gaming and Krafton India Esports aimed at discovering India’s next generation of esports talent.
Built around the #AbTeriBaari campaign, the tournament gave aspiring players and emerging teams from across the country a platform to compete on the national stage and begin their journey towards professional esports.
After weeks of competition, Hexvora finished atop the overall leaderboard with 183 points after the 18-match grand finals, held from 24 to 26 July. Battling across Rondo, Erangel and Miramar, the team showcased consistency, strategy and composure to outplay the country’s top emerging BGMI squads.
Zero Ark official finished second with 142 points, team Free Agents secured third place with 141 points and X4RCE claimed fourth with 137 points. The top four teams have qualified for the TVS Wicked Battles Grand Finals, the official road to BGMS 2026.
The tournament attracted more than 8,000 registered competitors through BGMI’s in-game qualification system before narrowing the field to 1,024 teams in round one, 256 teams in round two, 32 semi-finalists and finally the top 16 teams competing across 18 matches.
Hexvora took home the winner’s purse of Rs 3.5 lakh, while Zero Ark official received Rs 1.8 lakh as runners-up. Team free agents earned Rs one lakh for finishing third and X4RCE collected Rs 60,000 for fourth place. Teams finishing fifth and sixth received Rs 40,000 each, seventh and eighth earned Rs 35,000 each, ninth to 12th received Rs 25,000 each, while teams placed 13th to 16th took home Rs 10,000 each. Hardik Khanna, also known as HxHeXe1907 from Hexvora, was named the tournament’s most valuable player and received an additional Rs 10,000.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and CEO Gautam Virk said, “BGMI: Naye Khiladi was created with a clear vision to build a meaningful pathway for aspiring players to enter India’s competitive esports ecosystem. Over the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed incredible passion, discipline and talent from thousands of participants across the country. Congratulations to Hexvora on becoming our inaugural champions and to every team that competed throughout the tournament. Their performances reaffirm the incredible depth of grassroots talent in India. We’re equally excited to see the top four teams progress to the TVS wicked battles grand finals, the Road to BGMS 2026, taking another important step in their competitive journey.”
Krafton India esports associate director Karan Pathak added,”BGMI: Naye Khiladi has been a fantastic platform to identify and celebrate emerging talent from across the country. We congratulate Hexvora on becoming the inaugural champions and commend Nodwin Gaming for creating meaningful competitive opportunities for aspiring players. At Krafton India, we remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the esports ecosystem and provide the next generation of players with pathways to grow and compete at the highest level.”
Hexvora captain Ujjwal Kushwah mentioned, “Winning the inaugural BGMI:Naye Khiladi title is a proud moment for our entire team. We started this journey with thousands of other aspiring players, and every stage of the tournament challenged us to perform consistently against some incredibly talented teams. Finishing on top with 183 points makes this achievement even more special. We’re grateful to Nodwin Gaming and Krafton India Esports for creating a platform that gives emerging teams an opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage. Qualifying for the TVS wicked battles grand finals and taking the next step on the road to BGMS 2026 makes this victory even more meaningful, and we’re excited for what lies ahead.”
From thousands of aspiring players to one title-winning squad, BGMI: Naye Khiladi has showcased the depth of India’s grassroots esports ecosystem. For Hexvora and the other top four teams, the game is far from over. The road to BGMS 2026 has only just begun.
