The second edition of College Rivals powered by Ampverse DMI concluded with an electrifying finale in Mumbai on February 23, 2025, where two new champions emerged in a fusion of competitive gaming and live entertainment.
Gaming Champions
BGMI Competition:
- Champion: Mohd Ayazuddin (Spark_XT) from Lucknow’s Christian Degree College – ₹5,00,000
- First Runner-up: Diptiranjan Rout (SRxRanjan) – ₹3,50,000
- Second Runner-up: Sandeep Gupta (Matguns) – ₹1,25,000
Ayazuddin staged an impressive comeback after dropping to the lower bracket, ultimately securing a 2-0 victory against Sandeep Gupta to claim the title.
Valorant Competition:
- Champion: Aditya Singh Rathore (Neko) from Amity University, Rajasthan – ₹3,50,000
- Runner-up: Rakshit Rao (Bhalu) – ₹1,50,000
Rathore dominated with a clean 2-0 victory in the best-of-three final.
Event Highlights
The finale transformed NESCO in Mumbai into a gaming festival that went beyond competitive gameplay:
- Creator Showdown: Popular content creators including Payal Gaming, Ankkita, JokerKiHaveli, and Regaltos participated in a friendly competition, with Regaltos emerging victorious
- Live Performances: Musical acts including Seedhe Maut, Pho, and Dizlaw performed on the 91 RAP Spotify stage
- Interactive Zones: PlayStation gaming areas, KREO’s Keyboard Typing Games, and sponsor activations from Nissin Cup Noodles
- Cosplay Contest: Winners included Aditya Kalebere (Captain America), Sanskar (Jin Sakai), and Dara (Sakanji)
Tournament Scale
College Rivals Season 2 significantly outperformed its first season:
- Gaming Truck covered over 5,000 kilometers
- Over 200,000 registrations from 55 colleges across 22 cities
- Engaged more than 1.1 million students nationwide
According to Charlie Baillie, CEO and Co-Founder of Ampverse Group, the event has evolved from a gaming competition into “a cultural phenomenon” that’s “redefining the gaming event landscape in India” through its fusion of esports, music, and interactive entertainment.
As a bonus highlight, esports athlete Charanjot Singh won a TVS Apache bike during the event.
