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Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is finally here. All of India is ready to plunge into some action as an almost year-long ban on PUBG Mobile has created a massive void in the mobile esports scene in India.
As the first-ever third-party tournament of BGMI, the Skyesports Streamer’s Showdown went down as a massive hit in the Indian esports community. Fans are finally ready to meet their champs in future tournaments.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Esports’ Subradeep Mukherjee, actor turned entrepreneur Sudhir Kulria, owner of Marcos Gaming, shared his thoughts on and journey of the current esports atmosphere of India.
Here’s an excerpt of the interview.
Q: As an actor turned entrepreneur, investing so much into gaming is quite shocking, as the two worlds are completely different from each other. What made you suddenly switch your career path from acting to gaming?
Sudhir: In my opinion, acting and gaming are neither different nor go hand in hand. If you are to begin a career in a particular field, there should be a set goal for you to stay focused.
In order to implement or to achieve any goal, certain things need to be there, and “Investment” is one of them. It’s the most important step to flourish in any field.
Investment is not only about money; it’s about how you invest your time in a field or to achieve your goal. It’s basically about your interest, and as we all know that esports in India is still growing, so I wanted to do something different from the very beginning.
When I saw many opportunities in this field, I did not hesitate as I chose to be here. And in the upcoming days, you will get to know that acting and esports aren’t entirely different and have some similarities.
Q: Marcos Gaming has been active since late 2019, when you founded the team for PUBG Mobile on December 26th. Since then, the roster has gone through numerous changes to become stronger. How was your experience during all this time?
Sudhir: Yes, Marcos Gaming has been active since late 2019, as we found our first PUBG Mobile roster on December 26th, 2019. And yes, since then, we have changed many things on the roster to make it stronger, but the only thing that was consistent on the roster from the very beginning was aggression.
According to me, aggression is the main base in this field. The roster has changed many times, but no one was ever less. It’s just that everything needs to change according to time.
Surya, a key player of Marcos Gaming, has always prioritized his work over everything else. He’s the one person whom I can rely upon and can trust blindly. He’s got amazing talent.
I have also seen things like when we hired a new roster, and in the next 10 to 15 days, we won a massive tournament.
According to me, experience at every point is most important. We have faced many ups and downs in Marcos Gaming. For example, the incident of PUBG Mobile being banned in India. But we have always had our spirits high, and we have, and we still are, been learning by the day. Marcos Gaming isn’t just an organization; it’s a family by heart.
Q: Due to the ban of PUBG Mobile in India, a huge void was created for a whole year in the Indian mobile esports scene. Now, with the release of BGMI, how much of that void will be filled, do you think?
Sudhir: Yes, due to the ban in PUBG Mobile, a huge void was created for a year. Everyone, every organization, including us, had something or the other planned in the field of PUBG Mobile. Due to that unexpected phase, no one was able to implement the planned things, and everyone had a question in their mind:
"WHAT TO DO NOW? WHAT NEXT?"
A lot of things have changed. The players have faced a lot too. They have gone through a phase that no esports player would ever want. But this ban also bought many aspects and games to light, like Clash of Clans, Call of Duty, and Valorant.
We at Marcos Gaming have got the best team in Clash Of Clans.
Now, let’s talk about BGMI. For the first time in esports, there is a title coming solely from India, which will provide a proper base, a new platform for underdogs.
This ban period has also given everyone a great time to think and plan things accordingly. I’m excited about the release of BGMI in a full-fledged manner. I can’t say much about it right now, but I’m just eagerly waiting for the launch as we know that patience is the key to success, so let’s just wait and watch.
Q: Although BGMI and PUBG Mobile are quite similar in in-game mechanics, there are still some niche changes in BGMI that bring a new flavor to the game. According to you, which feature changes put BGMI on higher ground?
Sudhir: Yes, both BGMI and PUBG Mobile are pretty similar regarding in-game mechanics, but there are still some niche changes in BGMI that bring a new flavor to the game. The expectation level is quite high this time, as when I mentioned earlier, something is happening or taking place solely contributed by India in esports for the first time.
After the ban of PUBG Mobile, there was around a year where we have made many new plans. Even though BGMI is almost similar to PUBG Mobile, it’s still going to provide lots of new opportunities. We know that PUBG Mobile was an international platform where players from outside India used to play together.
Now it’s going to be about and in India. The underdogs will now get a chance to gather more opportunities.
Q: As the owner of Marcos Gaming, are there any set expectations you have for the roster?
Sudhir: Being the owner, the roster’s first expectation is to be at the top of the table. The main target is the top position. But from the very beginning, Akhil and I have never pressured the players. All that matters is consistency and to compete reasonably.
If the players devote their time and play with complete dedication, the outcome is always good. Throughout Marcos Gaming’s entire journey, we have never demotivated anyone. Obviously, the expectations are high, and if someone is happy and is being consistent in their field, then the result will always be good.
Q: After more than a year of silence, the first third-party tournament of BGMI was hosted by Skyesports, the Skyesports Streamers Showdown. How did it feel to finally have your team compete in a professional event after such a long time?
Sudhir: It was great to be a part of it, and obviously, the Skyesports Streamers Showdown was a great start to this new journey, I would say.
Although my team didn’t perform well in the first match, the outcome was good in the other games. The only reason for us not being so good was the unavailability of our players due to some genuine reasons.
Moreover, the tournament was on Android devices, with which only two of our roster members were well-acquainted. Except for the first one, we showed outstanding dominance and scored around 200+ points. So overall, that was a great experience, but then again, the whole team didn’t get a chance to perform.
Q: With your team clinching the title in the Skyesports Streamers Showdown, the name of Marcos Gaming has been solidified in the Indian mobile esports team as the victors of the first-ever third-party BGMI competition. Apart from the title, it took a tremendous amount of practice and teamwork to achieve this goal. How satisfied are you with the current roster’s performance?
Sudhir: To get the title, it took tremendous practice and teamwork. Akhil and I are delighted with their performance, it took a great time for them to make this synergy work, and one of the reasons behind this win is the consistency and continuity.
It was an excellent initiative taken by Skyesports in BGMI. I have always wanted my team to create constant fear in opposition teams’ minds that Marcos Gaming is an unbeatable team, and this win was only possible because of the hard work and dedication. And in the ban period, they have worked really hard and have had a mental boost after so much practice. So, yes, we are really proud of them.
Q: Among the five members of the Marcos Gaming roster for BGMI, who, according to you, worked as the X factor behind your victory in Skyesports Streamers Showdown?
Sudhir: I would never rate or ever title anyone as an X factor alone because it’s about which role, the time, the situation, and how you tackle or go through it. As I mentioned earlier that my whole roster wasn’t able to perform in the tournament due to some genuine reasons and the device issue, so I would rather say that all the five players are the X factor in their respective roles. No one is above or below anyone.
So yes, the whole team has played the role of X factor outstandingly.
Q: As the BGMI professional scene is finally kicking off, how do you feel it will impact the gaming community in India in total?
Sudhir: In my view, PUBG Mobile gave recognition to esports in India. Now, BGMI is almost launched or is about to launch in a full-fledged manner, everyone has their aims set, planned many things, and things have changed as many new games have gained recognition.
BGMI will provide a professional increase in the scale as many people will indulge themselves in this. Even brands are looking into esports to promote themselves and are interested. Obviously, it will need investment, and yet again, investment isn’t only about money. It’s also about time and dedication. One more year and better and bigger opportunities will be there. The future is so bright!
Q: As we finish our conversation, are there any specific words of inspiration you wish to bestow on those aspiring to grow in this community you have dedicated yourself to?
Sudhir: Well, this is a fascinating question. So, if I talk about my journey, it wasn’t easy at all. I have gone through many ups and downs, but I have what I have always wanted in the end.
If you want to start with your career in esports, the start should be high, but fame shouldn’t be. Hard work, professionalism, and business go hand in hand, so you should work hard and with full dedication if you want to stay in esports.
If we're talking about an esports player, if you're playing for fame, then it's very wrong. If you're playing with complete dedication and want to focus on achieving something big, every organization will pay you according to your worth and according to how badly they want you to play under or with them.
I have also seen people who had zero attitude, but it changed after gaining fame, which is again very wrong. According to me, there are 3T's in esports:
"TEAM, TIME, TOGETHERNESS."
One should stay constant and loyal to his organization. If you follow all these steps, no one can ever stop you from claiming the trophy. But always remember that everything takes time and patience is the key to success
