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The year 2022 has seen its ups and downs with the BGMI esports scene in the country. The Indian mobile gaming community faced a major setback when the Indian government ordered the removal of the game from Google Play and Apple stores.
However, in the tournaments that took place while the game was still available, a lot of players made a name for themselves by showcasing their skills.
That said, here's a look at the top BGMI players who performed exceptionally well in 2022:
Top five BGMI esports athletes in 2022
5) Ankit 'AKop' Shukla
Known for his fabulous fragging skills, Orangutan's star player, AKop, has performed brilliantly this year. Helping his team secure consistent top placements in multiple tournaments, he showcased his masterclass and keen game sense.
Thanks to his heroics, Orangutan Gaming secured second place in the BGMI Showdown. AK's performance reached its peak in the BGMI Masters Series, a month-long LAN event, where he helped his squad take third place. He was named Damager and MVP in the second week of the tournament, finishing third in the list of MVPs and top fraggers with 98 frags to his name.
4) Ritesh 'Fierce' Nawandar
Fierce, a crucial player for Team XO, had a wonderful year as well. He took his game to another level, holding the fort for his squad on multiple occasions. He helped his squad to a third-place finish at BGIS 2021, where he was one of the top performers in a talented pool of players. Carrying forward this momentum, he led his team to victory in the Skyesports Grand Slam 2022.
His performance hit a peak point at the BGMI Masters Series 2022, where he displayed his true prowess and earned two titles — Week 1 MVP and Week 2 eliminator. Overall, he secured a total of 106 kills in the tournament, finishing second on the top fraggers list. He also received the title of Grenadier at the BGMI: Showdown 2022.
3) Shubham 'NinjaJOD' Ranjan
Notorious for his aggressive playing style and extraordinary skills, TSM India's NinjaJOD dominated the Indian BGMI circuit this year, securing a record total of five MVP titles in official and unofficial tournaments.
Starting out in BGIS 2021, he and his teammate AquaNox led TSM to a second-place finish in the tournament. After multiple wins and podium finishes in several small-scale tournaments, NinjaJOD collected his first big title for the team this year after a fabulous win in the first BGMI Invitational LAN hosted by Nodwin Gaming.
He was at his absolute best in the tournament, collecting frags at will. For his exceptional gameplay during the event, he was declared the MVP. Aligning his game style according to his team's needs this year polished his skill set, placing him among the most consistent players in the country.
2) Harsh 'Goblin' Paudwal
The breakout star of the 2022 BGMI scene was Team SouL's Goblin. Such was the impact of Goblin's performances this year that he turned the fortunes of Team SouL and made them one of the strongest squads in the country.
After showing glimpses of his touch in Team iNSANE, Goblin was picked up by Team SouL where he immediately helped his team secure the runners-up spot in the Skyesports Grand Slam Invitational 2022.
Goblin went on a rampage at the BGMI Pro Series as well, where he looked untouchable and made his competitors look like newbies. Helping his team to a famous victory in the tournament, he collected six individual titles from the event, including the MVP award.
At the BGMI Master Series 2022, he performed ruthlessly to become the top fragger in the finals of the event with 38 kills. He also finished second on the list of MVPs and collected two titles from the event, namely the Finals eliminator and Finals Tapatap. Goblin has cemented his spot among the best players in the country this year.
1) Jonathan Amaral
Jonathan from GodLike Esports, who had another perfect run, could perhaps be considered the game's top player in 2022. Although his team faced some struggles, his performances were consistent, even improving in some areas.
At the start of the year, he helped his team secure fourth place in the BGIS. Throughout 2022, he collected six different individual awards. In the Skyesports Grand Slam 2022, Jonathan emerged as the top Fragger with 69 kills and was also named the MVP of the competition.
After GodLike Esports suffered a shocking exit from BMOC 2022, Jonathan came back strong in the BGMI Masters Series where he slaughtered the competition. Collecting four awards from the tournament, he led his team to a runner-up finish at the event, securing a whopping 111 kills and taking home the top fragger and MVP title.
Compared to previous years, Jonathan's grenade skills improved in 2022 as he was able to provide multiple openings in close-quarter fights for his team. His consistency in the gun skills department remains unparalleled as no other player has been able to come close, capping off another successful year for him.
