ISLAMABAD: In 2025, esports in Pakistan moved beyond casual gaming, gradually becoming a formal career as young players entered the competitive scene by joining professional teams and earning income through tournaments, sponsorships, and digital platforms.
Earnings extended beyond prize money, with many Pakistani players establishing full-time careers through streaming on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and TikTok.
Sponsorships, brand partnerships, and professional team contracts created a more stable and sustainable financial framework, particularly for top-tier competitors.
The gaming industry has become part of the country’s professional and creative economy, as international achievements have helped place Pakistan firmly on the global map, inspiring players to view gaming as a long-term career.
While speaking with Pakistan TV Digital, one of Pakistan’s leading esports commentators, Mamoon Sabri, said, “I was the first Pakistani to go full-time in esports, earning a full-time income from the industry.”
He added that many people were earning through the esports industry in Pakistan.
He noted that top Tekken players in Pakistan were making good money through prize winnings, team signings, and player salaries, ranging from around $500 to several thousand dollars.
“People are turning esports into a full-time profession as earnings come through streaming, broadcasting, and platforms like YouTube, etc.,” Sabri added.
Government support and policy development
Earlier in 2025, Pakistan drafted its first esports policy, establishing a national federation to support game developers and the Pakistani gaming community, Radio Pakistan reported.
Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, announced a policy to support game developers and digital innovators, noting that around 60 million Pakistanis are directly involved in the sport.
Khan said that the Pakistan government was taking “concrete steps to create opportunities for youth” in this regard.
This year's Sindh E-Sports Championship saw an impressive turnout, with over 400 teams and more than 2,500 players participating, underscoring the fast-growing popularity of competitive gaming in the region.
International recognition
Pakistani gamers once again gained global recognition for their achievements, particularly in Tekken and PUBG Mobile. Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, secured his sixth and seventh Evolution Championship Series (EVO) titles, winning EVO Las Vegas 2025 in August and EVO France 2025 in October.
Ash became the only player in history to win EVO championships across three continents: Asia, North America, and Europe. In addition, he won the Tekken 8 championship at the ‘LVL UP EXPO 2025’ and earned a place at the Esports World Cup 2025 with his dominant performance at Combo Breaker 2025.
Atif Butt, another top Tekken player, finished as runner-up to Ash in the all-Pakistani Grand Final at EVO Las Vegas 2025 and had previously won Tekken 8 tournaments at CEO 2024 and the FV Major 2024 in Kuala Lumpur.
Domestic tournament wins
In 2025, Pakistan’s esports scene thrived, with ‘4Thrives’ winning the PUBG Mobile National Championship Pakistan Spring.
Hotshot Esports emerged as the champions of the GameNow Free Fire World Series Pakistan 2025, defeating the country’s top teams and securing a coveted spot at the FFWS Global Finals in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The team ‘Legion’ emerged victorious in the Sindh E-Sports Championship 2025, held in Karachi, featuring over 400 teams and 2,500 players.
Organized leagues and mobile gaming
Once limited to gaming cafés and informal competitions, esports expanded into organized leagues, online qualifiers, and professional teams in 2025.
Popular games such as Tekken 7 and 8, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty (CoD), Counter-Strike 2, and Dota 2 dominated the competitive landscape, attracting players from across the country.
Mobile esports saw rapid growth over the year as lowering entry barriers allowed players from smaller cities to compete nationally and internationally.
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