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The thriving esports scenario of BGMI is clearly reflected in the major tournaments being held in the country. The team that is currently at the helm of the BGMI esports scenario is Team SouL - an extension of S8UL Esports.
Animesh “Thug” Agarwal, the co-founder of 8bit Creatives and S8UL Esports, is playing an active part in devolving the content creation sector and esports industry in the country. In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports’s Debolina Banerjee, Thug talks about the creation of the 8bit, Team SouL’s resounding win in BMPS Season 1, and more.
Thug's vision behind the creation of 8bit Creatives and the massive growth of esports and gaming in India
Q. Being the owner of one of the biggest esports organizations, 8bit, what has your journey in the gaming industry been like? How has the Indian esports scenario changed over the course of the past two years?
Thug: I started with a small vision of streaming games, after being inspired by some of my western idols. I would say that I have grown with the industry itself.
From the humble beginning of esports in India just a few years back, where not a single person around me could understand what I was doing, to today, when almost everywhere gaming is literally the talk of the town, esports and gaming have come a long way.
Triggered by the ecosystem created by companies like Krafton, the efforts of esports players like MortaL and the vision of esports organizations like S8UL, esports in India have taken off to much greater heights in the past two years.
Of course, what also helped is the government’s interest in gaming in India, with various companies like Nodwin coming into the picture and gaming platforms like LOCO focussing on esports tournaments in the country. Today we see investment pouring into the esports industry, and that is all because the industry is forecast to grow rapidly, and the numbers are already pouring in.
There are over 200 million gamers in India, and it is not a small number. Easier accessibility of cheaper internet, multiplayer games, mobile phones, etc., has also accelerated the industry's trajectory. Lockdown driving people indoors has also created a big market for gaming content in particular and increased the number of casual and professional gamers.
There have been multiple roadblocks aside from creating awareness and acceptance, including people confusing esports and gaming with gambling and fantasy sports, including a recent bill by the Rajasthan state government. However, the best thing is that people are slowly understanding the hard work players put in, the way teams work and how esports is one of the best sports as of today.
If Nodwin’s latest announcement of an esports tournament being telecast on Star Sports is not proof of our growth, then what is?
Q. What, according to you, contributed to the massive popularity of BGMI in India? Do you feel that Krafton should come up with a lighter version of the battle royale game to make it more inclusive?
Thug: I think the success of BGMI is a combination of two factors - timing and strategy. BGMI’s previous version, PUBG Mobile, came at exactly the right time when the accessibility of internet and mobile devices in India was at an all-time high.
The strategy to launch a multiplayer game with a battle royale format that could be played on a mobile device one possesses was genius. Krafton also took a step forward in building the gaming ecosystem in India by partnering with Indian players, conducting multiple tournaments, opening international doors, and creating opportunities for our players.
It just made the game accessible and exciting. Additionally, they capitalised on a newly emerging Indian gaming community, where MortaL, me and other veterans had our vision to grow esports in India around the same time.
About BGMI Lite, well, giving users access to customise the size of the game is akin to having a lighter version. And given the amount of data consumed worldwide, a lighter version of anything is always welcome if it can be achieved without impacting the gameplay essentials.
Q. What was the idea behind the creation of 8bit Creatives and Team SouL? What inspired you to venture into the world of professional gaming?
Thug: Gaming & esports was already big in western countries. As someone who used to play games a lot as a child, I was exposed to this world by chance and I followed streamers who became my idol.
Unfortunately, in India, all of this was still unknown and bizarre. Bringing professional gaming to India became a personal aim for me. I decided to try my hand at being a pro-gamer, and I had a short but very successful stint at it, where I represented India in the PUBG Mobile Star Challenge (PMSC) Global.
But upon returning from there, I realized that my passion is not in becoming a professional esports player but to help build the ecosystem and provide a platform for budding gamers and gaming content creators. This clearly translates into 8Bit Creatives, where gaming content is celebrated, and S8UL, which is again a platform for both content creators and professional gamers to come together.
Q. 8bit Creatives have quite a few popular streamers under its umbrella. You being a streamer, whenever you sign up a creator for 8bit, what are some of the most important aspects that you look into?
Thug: This one is not a simple one to answer. 8Bit Creatives has two main objectives - we want to help gamers become part of their brand. We want to help brands leverage the growing Indian gaming demographic. So, creators that work with us need to be in that sweet spot, where their hard work is visible in their content, and the audience receives the content well.
The creator can elevate himself from a mere content creator to building meaningful relationships with their followers. Currently, 8Bit Creatives also wants to promote gaming for women, and many of our amazing creators are female gamers.
We have also been signing up some wonderful female creators with that objective. Regarding the follower count, we have creators in multiple number ranges, which is an important but not a primary criteria.
Q. Six months ago, Team SouL was not in a very good position when it came to competitively gaming, what was the transition to becoming the best BGMI team in India been like? What were some of the technical aspects that you had to look into during this period?
Thug: The team was doing wonderfully well initially, and we dominated every tournament for a couple of years. Then as the gaming scene in India started changing, and the competitive landscape saw new heights, and to keep in tandem with it, we changed our strategies and ways. We even had a new line-up!
All of this led us to a rocky place competitively; we were not able to perform, despite a lot of hard work from the team. Somewhere, morale was very low. But be it MortaL, I or Goldy, all three of us stood by our team and we reworked everything, with support from the fans.
After each fall, the vision gets clearer and resolve becomes stronger. There were many bad days when we were not sure what would happen, but ultimately, we are back, stronger than ever!
Q. Now that Team SouL has bagged first position in the BMPS Season 1 Grand Finals as a BGMI player, what would you say contributed to their win?
Thug: One of the most important aspects is strategy. The team, working together with their coach, manager, and mentor MortaL, and with support from all of us, keyed down their strategy to the T.
The bootcamp where we all stayed together was the training ground, and every gameplay strategy was strong in the players' minds. They wrote it down, practised, and practised so much that different situations in gameplay could be expected with some new angle.
They have developed the capability to deal with new challenges in BGMI, along with working on their reflexes and perfecting their moves. Ultimately, the fact that each team member could play their best game on the game day led to the win.
Q. Since you too have played competitively in the past, what are some of the aspects that players must look into before taking part in a tournament?
Thug: The starting point is their team. Do the team have similar goals, do they have complementary gameplay, and can they support each other in-game and outside? These are the first things to look into for your team when they are aiming for a win.
The second thing is to look at the competition. If you know how other teams play, you can spend time building specific gameplay strategies for your opponents.
The third thing is to practice and build better reflexes. It is about grinding together and working hard.
Q. You recently crossed 1 million subscribers on YouTube. How did you celebrate your milestone achievement? Aside from streams and highlights, is there anything special planned for your viewers in the recent future?
Thug: Crossing the one million mark on YouTube was a huge achievement for any creator, and more so for me, given the time we had all waited for this to happen. I was at home with my friends Swaraj and Mercy. As soon as I hit the mark, my family rushed in with a celebratory cake. It was a very touching moment.
In the evening, there was a small celebration with my school friends and family, where they collated video messages from many industry veterans and my dear friends. That was when the feeling swept over me, and I was touched and overwhelmed by the wishes.
My channel is special because I always try to speak to my followers through my content. So I definitely have a lot of vlogs, real authentic content, and some interesting collaborations. My latest hobby – acting is also lined up for my channel!
Q. Since Esports is one of the medal events in the upcoming Asian Games, are you excited for Team SouL to take part in the PUBG Mobile category? Do you feel that the Asian Games delay might have an effect on the competitive scenario of BGMI?
Thug: Team SouL is completely geared towards it, and I am also extremely excited. Not only is it going to be a landmark occasion for us, but the whole esports community at large. Team Soul is excited to be a part of all the major tournaments that are about to take place globally, and the Asian Games are definitely among the top most exciting prospects for us.
BGMI's competitive scenario will grow even if there’s a delay in the upcoming Asian Games - many individuals, companies, developers, platforms, and sports bodies are looking to host tournaments, so it's an onward and upward journey for sure.
Q. What is your message to aspiring professional gamers and content creators?
Thug: I would like to say that I am excited that so many new gamers and gaming content creators are now coming up, and I am always looking forward to seeing what new gamers are going to come up with. I believe if they keep at it, stay focussed, do not expect overnight results, and work hard, everything can be achieved. To the new entrants, I say - welcome to our world of esports; let us shape it together!
