OnePlus has officially announced the launch of Campus Dominate 2026, marking the third edition of its nationwide collegiate esports initiative. The tournament is designed to bring competitive gaming to university campuses across India, expanding significantly from previous years to engage the country’s growing collegiate gaming community.
The roadshow began its multi-city tour in Pune on June 29, 2026, at the G H Raisoni College of Engineering and Management. The opening leg drew over 3,500 on-ground student participants, including 893 competitive players, and concluded with the selection of the first campus champion to secure a spot in the upcoming finals.
Expanded Scale and Roadshow Route
The 2026 edition represents a substantial scale-up for the property. Over the next two months, a specialized OnePlus Gaming Truck will travel to 16 universities across eight major Indian cities:
- Pune
- Hyderabad
- Bengaluru
- Ahmedabad
- Jaipur
- Chandigarh
- New Delhi
- Noida
The initiative aims to reach more than 100,000 students and feature involvement from over 50 digital content creators. This expansion follows the 2025 edition, which saw participation from 12,000 students and served as a launchpad for Nebula Esports, the team that won the title before transitioning into the professional esports ecosystem.
Tournament Structure and Hardware Integration
At the core of Campus Dominate 2026 is a Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) 4v4 tournament. Teams will compete in on-ground qualifiers at each participating university.
The winning squad from each of the 16 campuses will advance to the Grand LAN Finale in August 2026. Finalists will compete for the overall championship and a share of a ₹10 lakh prize pool, which has been doubled compared to last year’s prize allocation.
In a bid to demonstrate hardware performance in real-world competitive scenarios, OnePlus has confirmed that every match throughout the tournament—from the initial campus qualifiers to the Grand Finale—will be played exclusively on the newly launched OnePlus Nord 6 handset.
On-Ground Engagement and Creator Activation
Alongside the competitive tournament, the mobile gaming truck will establish interactive festival zones at each stop. These areas will feature:
- Dedicated OnePlus Nord device experience zones
- Creator meet-and-greets and audience quiz competitions
- Merchandise giveaways and user-generated content (UGC) contests
- The “Creator Lobby” competition, a dedicated platform allowing hyperlocal campus creators to compete for regional recognition and the opportunity to win a OnePlus Nord 6.
Grassroots Esports Development
The initiative highlights the shifting dynamics of India’s gaming landscape, where collegiate tournaments increasingly serve as talent pipelines for the broader professional industry. Through the structured format of Campus Dominate, OnePlus aims to provide grassroots players with competitive exposure, prize incentives, and a potential pathway into the mainstream professional esports ecosystem.
Registrations are currently open for eligible university students at participating institutions. Detailed schedules, institutional eligibility criteria, and the official tournament teaser trailer are available on the official initiative portal at onepluscampusdominate.in.
Commenting on the initiative, Ishita Grover, Director – Marketing, OnePlus India, said:
Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time understanding what truly resonates with Gen Z, and gaming emerged as one of the strongest passion points. With this insight in mind, we decided to make this year’s Campus Dominate’26 larger than life.
India’s campuses are home to some of the country’s most passionate budding esports athletes. With OnePlus Campus Dominate 2026, we want to create a platform that brings esports directly to students, celebrates campus pride, and gives emerging talent an opportunity to showcase their skills. We believe the future of esports will be shaped by grassroots communities, and initiatives like this help create clearer pathways for aspiring players to grow within the ecosystem.