iQOO announces Vedang Chavan as new Chief Gaming Officer

iQOO has officially named Vedang Chavan as Chief Gaming Officer (CGO) 2.0. The announcement was made on July 31, 2025. It was a 3-month-long hunt involving over 80,000 participants from over 400 + cities and towns.

The CGO 2.0 initiative is a significant effort by iQOO to celebrate and empower the Indian esports ecosystem by connecting with gamers and collaborating with top creators. This year’s search evaluated participants on gameplay skills, gaming knowledge, personality, and communication.

The newly appointed iQOO CGO Vedang Chavan has carved an inspiring path in esports. The Navi Mumbai resident is a former chess prodigy who discovered gaming at age 10 and went on to represent India at major PUBG PC tournaments. The 25-year-old later became a gaming coach who handpicked grassroots talents, building teams from scratch and guiding them to success.

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Chavan shared how every round in this iQOO CGO 2.0 campaign was very competitive. He expressed his gratitude for receiving this wonderful opportunity and thanked the jury, who supported him throughout the three-month-long hunt. As the Chief Gaming Officer, Vedang will be working closely with iQOO’s leadership to enhance the smartphone gaming experience and also engage with the esports community. Moreover, he would be receiving a remuneration of INR 10 lakhs.

iQOO CEO reveals the expectations from CGO

iQOO CEO Nipun Marya praised Vedang’s journey from grassroots gaming to leadership. Since the smartphone brand’s target audience is youngsters, he claimed the new CGO embodies their brand’s values for passion and perseverance:

“iQOO’s biggest fans are also youngsters of today. So, when we were looking for a Chief Gaming Officer (CGO), we always wanted somebody who would represent our community. So, the goal is to keep continuing and improving. And, the CGO plays a very important role in building our understanding, shaping with us, and in our small way, we continue building the esports ecosystem in India.”

Aside from the iQOO CEO, the Chief Gaming Officer 2.0’s jury featured notable figures in the Indian entertainment and gaming community, like Rannvijay Singha, Payal Gaming (Payal Dhare), and 8bit Thug (Animesh Agarwal), along with iQOO CEO Nipun Marya.

To further cement their foothold in the Indian gaming ecosystem, iQOO got Harshvardhan on board as their official caster. He is a dynamic storyteller and presenter who embarked on the casting journey only two years ago. On his way, he managed to win the Nodwin Gaming Talent Hunt thrice, including during BGIS. As an expert in production, match analysis, editing, and design, he will be a versatile asset for iQOO. Moreover, Harshvardhan himself believes that casting would be his identity.

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About the author

Ripan Majumdar is an Esports and Gaming writer at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering content related to mobile gaming, gaming tech, MMOs, and sports titles. Though he graduated with a BSc, journalism was his true calling; he has worked as a senior gaming and F1 writer for various sports news websites.

Ripan's love of gaming was sparked by Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005), a title he often revisits. He's also very fond of the Assassin's Creed Ezio Trilogy and Pokemon Platinum.

Among popular streamers, he particularly admires Rachell "Valkyrae" and is deeply inspired by her.

Ripan's hobbies include making digital paintings, listening to audiobooks, and singing.

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Edited by Ripan Majumdar