By Sagar V. Mankar 
Exciting news for Pokémon UNITE fans across India! The Pokémon Company and Skyesports have unveiled Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament India 2025, an exciting opportunity for players across the nation to showcase their skills. Open to all Indian gamers, this tournament aims to nurture emerging talent while offering a platform to compete on the global stage.
Tournament Details
The winner of this event will team up with the champion of the Pokémon UNITE ACL India League to represent India at the prestigious Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League 2025 Finals, scheduled to take place in Shinjuku, Japan, on March 29 and 30.
Tournament Structure
The competition will unfold through multiple strategic stages:
- Qualifier Stage: A single-elimination bracket.
- Group Stage: The top 16 teams will be divided into four groups, competing in a round-robin format.
- Playoffs: The top two teams from each group (total 8) will advance to a double-elimination bracket.
Key Tournament Timeline
- Registrations: Until January 29, 2025
- Qualifier Stage: February 1-2, 2025
- Group Stage: February 8, 2025
- Playoffs: February 9, 2025
Ongoing Pokémon UNITE ACL India League,
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the Pokémon UNITE ACL India League, where The Pokémon Company and Skyesports have directly invited the top eight esports organizations in India to compete in intense 10-minute matches. This includes prominent teams such as S8UL, GodLike, Revenant XSpark, and Global Esports.
The ongoing tournament is scheduled to conclude on January 26, 2025. Following this, Skyesports will launch the Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament.
Industry Perspectives
Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, emphasized the tournament’s significance:
“With the ongoing Pokémon UNITE ACL India League bringing esports action to thousands of players, we are now thrilled to introduce the open-for-all Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament. This competition gives every aspiring pro player a chance to shine and represent the country in Japan. As long-term partners of The Pokémon Company, the tournament underscores Skyesports’ vision of giving Indian players and teams a chance to compete on the global stage. I wish the best of luck to all participants”
A Pokémon Company executive highlighted the initiative’s broader vision of nurturing esports talent, stating,
“While the ACL India League supports the top-tier organisations of the country, the Winter Tournament highlights our commitment to grassroots development. By supporting players at every level—from grassroots to the pro scene—we aim to ensure the sustainable growth of Pokémon Unite esports in India.”
Since its launch in 2016, Niantic’s Pokémon GO has revolutionized mobile gaming, accumulating close to $8 billion in lifetime revenue and more than 660 million downloads on the App Store and Google Play, according to Appmagic data.
Sources: Official press release by The Pokémon Company and Skyesports.