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Battlegrounds Mobile India has been a highly-anticipated mobile game in the nation in 2021.
There was an incredible amount of hype surrounding the launch, and long-standing fans of PUBG Mobile felt that Krafton’s latest India-exclusive title was able to deliver on all its promises.
With its first official “first-party tournament” right around the corner, professional rosters are gearing up to take home the title of the best “BGMI team” in the region.
In an interview with Abhishek Mallick of Sportskeeda Esports, Ajay “Zigsaw_2k” Karangale, the Battlegrounds Mobile India athlete from Heroes Official, opens up about his thoughts on the state of the nation’s esports scene and the role that Krafton’s latest title will play in its growth.
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Here is an excerpt of the conversation.
Q. Ajay, tell us a bit about yourself. How did your career in professional mobile esports start? What were you pursuing before that?
Ajay: Hello! This is Ajay Karangale from Nashik, Maharashtra, and I am also known by the in-game alias of Zigsaw. I am 21 years old, and my career in esports started pretty quickly. I began as a casual player and often played games with my friends.
Unfortunately, we got into an argument, and I ended up joining various Discord servers trying to find others to play the game with. While doing that, I came across a clan server who boasted a competitive roster called Day Light Secret Service (DLSS). So I ended up trying for them and eventually got selected. This was how my career in the field took off.
Before I went full pro, I was pursuing a degree in BCA.
Q. You invested a great deal of your time in Sixth Sense, playing competitively for the roster right before the PUBG Mobile ban hit. How was your time on the roster? What would you say were some of your favorite memories from then?
Ajay: I did invest a considerable amount of my time in SynerGE, and I wouldn’t be lying if I said that my time on the roster was like a roller coaster ride.
I had many difficulties initially, as my teammates were playing together for a very long time, and me being the new addition threw the team synergy off from time to time. I had a hard time coping with the new strategies, but luckily, we could eventually pull ourselves together.
My favorite memory would be the PMIS Semifinals, where we topped the leaderboard, and the event was an incredible learning experience for us.
Q. How did the PUBG Mobile ban affect you? Talk to us about some of the compromises you had to make to remain relevant in the esports scene?
Ajay: The ban was very unexpected, and I felt like I had lost an essential part of my life when it hit. It wasn’t easy to handle as we used to play every day for about 8 to 10 hours, and then suddenly we were not even able to play for even an hour.
It hit me quite hard as I had made a lot of sacrifices in my life to become a PUBG Mobile athlete, but I respected the government’s decision and tried to move on to things like studies, as well as trying my hand out in other titles.
But nothing came close to PUBG Mobile, and the other games were never able to fill the gap that the ban had left in my heart.
Q. What’s the atmosphere like back at home? How do your parents take to you being an esports professional?
Ajay: My family is quite supportive of what I want to do in life. But, obviously, like most parents, they were not convinced at first, and I needed to prove to them that I can do something in this field.
Hence, after I qualified for PMIT 2019, I was able to show them how esports works, and they have been supporting me ever since.
Q. With Battlegrounds Mobile India finally live for Android and iOS devices, what have some of your experiences from the game been so far? How much of your expectations was it able to live up to?
Ajay: Battlegrounds Mobile India is finally here, and professional players, streamers, and content creators who were very involved in the PUBG Mobile scene can now breathe a sigh of relief.
I have had very high expectations from BGMI since its very first trailer went live. Though I am elated that the game is here, a part of me is disappointed that some features from the global version are not present in the Indian one.
But I can’t complain. However, there are some bugs, which I feel Krafton will eventually handle, making the gameplay experience even better.
Q. Heroes Official recently signed you up for their Battlegrounds Mobile India roster? How has your time been on the roster so far? What are some of the responsibilities that you have to shoulder?
Ajay: Yes, the players do have an excellent set of skills. There is no doubt about it. They are one of the best in the business, and we function quite well as a team.
We understand each other very well, and we each share the common goal of becoming the best Battlegrounds Mobile India roster in the nation.
My time on the roster so far has been great. As we are starting from rock bottom, the only option now is to climb up.
When I first joined the roster, I was second in command. Now we are experimenting with changes to improve our performance. I am trying to pick up the role of the IGL at present, so let’s see how that works out for us.
Q. With Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2021 around the corner, how are preparations coming along? Where would you say the team synergy is at this point?
Ajay: We are very excited for Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2021, and I feel that with our team synergy, we will be able to win the first official tournament of the game.
We work on our gameplay and strategy day in and day out, and we are not going to disappoint anyone who believes in us.
Q. What are your thoughts on the video games and esports scene in India? Where do you think PC and Mobile gaming stand today and will be standing five years from now?
Ajay: Video games are great, and I believe everyone will agree with that fact. Regardless of your age, everyone has that one game that helps them escape reality and relax from their daily life. Games can be incredibly helpful if you want to have mental peace.
When it comes to esports, I feel that I am just a cog in the gigantic machinery, a minimal individual in a vast industry. There are so many things that one can do in the field, and I feel that the market is still growing, and as a collective, we have a long way to go.
In the next five years, I think everyone in India will acknowledge esports as a mainstream career choice, and I feel that the sky is the limit when it comes to it.
Q. Apart from being an esports athlete, you had also dabbed a bit in content creation. Though your channel is not as active as it used to be, are there any plans in reviving it any time soon?
Ajay: Yes, I have some plans for content creation, but I want to give people a reason to watch my content. So till then, I want to focus on the professional side of Battlegrounds Mobile India before seriously investing in my YouTube channel.
Q. What are your thoughts on the future of Battlegrounds Mobile India? What kind of impact do you feel it will have on India’s mobile esports scene moving ahead?
Ajay: The future of Battlegrounds Mobile India is very bright. I have heard that Krafton has planned many exciting events in the coming months, so there will be no shortage of opportunities for anyone to showcase their talent in those events.
PUBG Mobile has given the Indian esports scene a significant boost, and I believe that BGMI will be able to ride the wave and take it to the next level.
