Jonathan Gaming: From Goa to India’s BGMI Leader

Jonathan Jude Amaral was born on September 21, 2002, in Verna, Goa. He lives in Bandra, Mumbai, and is known professionally as Jonathan Gaming in the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) community.

Jonathan played school-level football and hockey at St Stanislaus High School in Mumbai before focusing on gaming. His father, Jude, managed the household internet and encouraged competitive play; his mother, Leticia, kept a written log of his games and results.

He entered the professional mobile esports scene in 2019 after signing with Entity Gaming. He has since played for TSM Entity and GodLike Esports. At the PUBG Mobile India Series 2020 semifinal he recorded 16 individual kills in a single match. He represented India at the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021, finishing in the top 15. Team-level wins include the PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 Fall Split: South Asia, the PMIS 2020 and the Skyesports Championship 3.0 in 2021. He finished as runner-up at the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2025 and the BGMI Masters Series 2022.

Jonathan has built an audience through livestreaming and recorded content. He has more than 7.7 million YouTube subscribers, about 4.3 million Instagram followers and roughly 36,300 followers on X. Streaming metrics placed him among the ten most popular Indian YouTube gaming channels in April 2026. His most-watched livestream occurred on July 20, 2021. During his rise he faced accusations of cheating and adopted the catchphrase “Hacker or wot?” while streaming to demonstrate his gameplay.

In April 2026 Jonathan left GodLike Esports and announced Team Apex Gaming, an organization he founded and where he serves as a core player and public face. Earlier in his career he became the first Indian mobile gamer to sign with Red Bull.

On game mechanics, Jonathan moved from a two-thumb control setup to a three-finger claw to combine movement and reaction speed. He makes extensive use of the device gyroscope for aim control. Typical settings attributed to his play include camera and ADS sensitivities around 100% for TPP/FPP and free view, no-scope and basic aim values near 110%, red dot and 2x scopes at about 88%, 3x and 4x scopes around 24%, 6x near 12% and 8x near 10%. Gyroscope sensitivity is often cited at about 300% for no-scope and close-range sights, with lower values for higher-zoom scopes and reduced ADS gyroscope values for stability. He uses gameplay options such as left-side fire enabled, scope mode set to hold, peek on hold, quick scope switch, separate jump and climb buttons, and headshot sound enabled.

Off the battlefield, Jonathan has bought an apartment in Bandra West for his parents and purchased a car for his father. He follows a daily routine that includes multiple practice matches and six to seven hours of livestreaming, often late at night. His BGMI ID is 5112616229 and his in-game name is GxdLJONATHAN03.

BGMI competition has returned to India and new mobile titles have entered the competitive scene. Jonathan continues to compete and create content while developing Team Apex Gaming.