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BGMI has seen massive growth since it was released in India around nine months ago. Both male and female streamers create content around the battle royale game and upload it to platforms like YouTube and Facebook to establish their profession as gamers.
Kaashvi Hiranandani is a popular woman streamer who plays Battlegrounds Mobile India for fun. She rose to prominence in 2021 with her YouTube channel, Kaash Plays.
In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Debolina Banerjee, Kaashvi talked about her journey as a female gamer, BGMI hackers, the ongoing AMD Streamer Quest with Windows 11 and Xbox Game Pass organized by The Esports Club, the importance of women in gaming, and more.
Kaashvi's take on BGMI and her journey as a female streamer
Q. What inspired you to become a content creator and streamer? Tell us about your journey in the world of gaming.
Kaashvi: I have been playing video games all my life. I had come to India on a short break from Singapore during the first lockdown when I found myself hooked to Call of Duty. A prominent streamer accused me of hacking, which made me want to put my POV online.
My YouTube channel started growing, and I slowly began to enjoy and earn enough to quit my job and make streaming a full-time career within a year.
Q. Since the Free Fire ban, many people online are requesting the government to ban BGMI. Do you feel that there is a chance that BGMI might be banned in India?
Kaashvi: BGMI getting banned is unlikely as user data is stored locally as per the government's guidelines, unlike PUBG Mobile or Free Fire.
Q. BGMI has always been criticized for the number of hackers in matches. Have you encountered cheaters in any of your games? What do you think Krafton can do to improve the situation?
Kaashvi: The number of BGMI hackers has dropped drastically in the last few months, thanks to Krafton's anti-cheat system. There were innumerable cheaters when BGMI just launched, creating a poor gaming experience for the players.
Krafton's device ban and real-time ban system during the matches have been working perfectly, in my opinion. I have not encountered any BGMI hackers in the last four months.
Q. You are one of the thirty streamers who will participate in the AMD Streamer Quest with Windows 11 and Xbox Game Pass organized by The Esports Club. What has the experience been like so far? Which streamers are you watching out for?
Kaashvi: I am thrilled to be a part of AMD Streamer Quest. My team under Binks is highly supportive, and we have been practicing Halo together.
I am a massive fan of Shreeman Legend, so I am definitely watching out for him! I am also watching out for female gamers like Stabby, Sway, and Casper, with who I have not been acquainted before.
Q. There will be a total of eight games that streamers can choose from in the AMD Streamer Quest with Windows 11 and Xbox Game Pass organized by The Esports Club. Which titles are you most confident about?
Kaashvi: I will be playing Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and Overcooked 2. The easiest part of the lot is Overcooked 2, so I am most confident about that, but I will be practicing the other games until their matches, so who knows!
Q. Since you are one of the female streamers participating in the AMD Streamer Quest, do you feel that tournaments like these give women gamers the necessary platform they deserve?
Kaashvi: A tournament of this scale gives female streamers a significant boost in this predominantly male-dominated industry. It also gives aspiring women viewers the courage to take up gaming professionally.
Q. Being a female streamer, have you ever come across sexist people who have undermined your ability as a gamer? How do you deal with this negativity?
Kaashvi: I face such criticism and negative comments daily. Of late, I have learned to turn a blind eye to such things. Filtering out the hate is the best and only way to move forward.
I am grateful for how far I have come in this field, and a handful of nasty remarks like that do not bother me anymore.
Q. In what ways can women in gaming be celebrated?
Kaashvi: I think female-centric events where female gamers just starting out are invited, open table conversations about what females face in the industry, or simply raising awareness against bias are great ways to celebrate women in gaming.
Q. Your YouTube channel, Kaash Plays, is one of the fastest-growing channels and will reach 500K subscribers soon. Do you have anything special planned upon attaining the benchmark of half a million subscribers?
Kaashvi: I am super excited. I will be launching my second channel where people will see more of me as Kaashvi through vlogs, challenges, and other real-life content on this benchmark of half a million.
Q. What are your words of encouragement to aspiring female gamers who want to establish themselves on a platform like YouTube?
Kaashvi: Just keep swimming! No prominent YouTuber, male or female, has ever existed without hate. Just enjoy what you do, work hard, stay consistent and most importantly, take care of your mental health.
