"Apex Legends' increasing popularity might make Respawn change their mind regarding India in 2022 Championship Series," says Sourav "Sonik" Banik

With the release of Season 10 Emergence, Apex Legends is quickly becoming the go-to choice for fast-paced Battle Royale action.

Sourav "Sonik" Banik has been creating content for quite a while. The soft-spoken streamer is most well-known for his skilled gameplay, whether it is in a multiplayer or a single-player game. Currently, with over 350k followers, the former Rainbow Six Siege pro-player has garnered the interest of many fans.

In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda's Suryadeepto Sengupta, Sonik opened up about his esports journey so far, his future goals, and of course, Apex Legends.

---

Sonik wants Respawn to change their mind regarding India in Apex Legends Championship Series 2022

SS: Sonik, can you tell us a bit about your early days and what inspired you to seek a career in video games and esports?

Sonik: So, basically content creation caught my mind when I had proper access to the internet after high school. I would watch a lot of MKBHD and Geekyranjit back then and I used to like their content a lot.

I had a knack for tech-related stuff as well, be it videos or articles, I used to go through them almost every day. Then I started to make my own tech-related stuff (very basic videos) on YouTube and that’s how I got into content creation.

Gradually, I came to know about the growing Indian Gaming Community and came across a lot of streamers on YouTube. Watching some of them inspired me to seek a career in video games as well.

SS: Sonik, you currently have over 350K followers, making you quite popular over on Booyah. Was this level of success something you anticipated when you started?

Sonik: I mean, anybody who gets into content creation regarding any field, aspires to gain some kind of following and growth in their journey, which helps them to keep motivated and constantly improvise so that more following comes gradually.

I also anticipated some kind of following as well but not close to 350K followers so soon! So yeah, I’m kinda happy but at the same time, I keep reminding myself to improve over time.

SS: What’s the atmosphere like back at home? What do your parents think about your career choice as a video game content creator?

Sonik: (Laughs) The atmosphere is pretty chill at the moment back home but it hasn’t been like this before. My mom and dad constantly used to tell me to pursue higher studies, which they still do at times, but not as frequently as they used to do before I got associated with Booyah.

About game content creator as a career choice, they were skeptical at first but after explaining it to them properly, and showing some examples, they got a basic idea and allowed me to go forward with my decision.

SS: Booyah is primarily known for having a massive mobile game audience. How has your experience been on the platform, considering you are a PC player?

Sonik: During the initial days, it used to be very difficult to get viewers or convert the mobile gaming audience to sit and watch some PC games for a change. This is because the audience in Booyah is very young compared to the other platforms, but things started to change gradually and right now I’ve successfully managed to convert some of the mobile gaming audience to watch my PC game streams, and not going to lie, they are loving it.

They came across many games which they didn’t hear before and that really caught their attention. And to be honest, people who are watching you, mostly come to watch you as an entertainer and what you are playing doesn’t always matter.

SS: Apex Legends has been instrumental in the growth of your channel. According to you, what about the game sets it apart from other Battle Royale titles? Who is your favorite champion?

Sonik: I just love playing Apex Legends man, I’ve been playing that game since day 1, and it’s never boring! It’s fast-paced, filled with action which already sets itself apart from the other Battle Royale titles, and on top of that, the young audience in Booyah loves to watch this game.

They understand the BR concept very well and they are hooked to Apex Legends. My favorite champion in this game is Bangalore, hands down. You can play aggressively with that legend, get out of a fight if things get out of hand, using the two clouds of smoke and stop a team from pushing using your ultimate. It’s like an all-rounder and a very versatile legend.

SS: Many believe Apex Legends took a hit in popularity when Valorant arrived and blew away the fast action, gunplay enthusiasts. Do you think the game is making a comeback with the release of the Season 10 Emergence update?

Sonik: The release of the Emergence update has brought a lot of old players along with some new players to the game. They recently introduced a 3v3 arena mode (which the community loved) and with this update, they are bringing Ranked into this mode, making it more competitive and interesting.

They have also introduced a new legend, namely ‘Seer’, and it’s been the meta since then. It’s like Bloodhound, but better, as its ultimate gives away your position along with your health.

Its tactical ability also does the same thing but for a shorter amount of time and only shows the position and health of the player if they are on its radar. So this season has been pretty interesting for Apex Legends, and with the rise in cheaters in COD Warzone, a lot of the top streamers across various platforms have started to play Apex.

SS: According to you, what are the main issues plaguing the Apex player base right now, and how can Respawn fix that? What are your thoughts on the future of Apex Legends?

Sonik: One of the main issues of Apex Legends is that Respawn is not increasing the tick rate of the servers. That alone will solve a lot of problems like hit registration and stability. Sometimes you get kicked out of a match because the server started to malfunction, thereby ruining your experience for that particular match.

Secondly, it’s a bit of a demanding game, so many players with lower-end PCs don’t get to enjoy the game properly. If Respawn manages to get these things right, the future of Apex looks really bright!

SS: What are your thoughts regarding the entire Apex Legends esports community? While the Apex Legends Championship Series 2021 did not include India as a participating country, are you hopeful for the 2022 season?

Sonik: The Apex Legends esports community is way more established in the NA and EU region than in the SEA and South Asian regions for obvious reasons. The Apex Legends Championship Series 2021 did not include India since the player base was too small and Respawn did not consider India a potential market.

However, with the increase in popularity of Apex, things might change for the 2022 season. Let’s hope for the best!

SS: Previously, you have played Rainbow Six Siege professionally. What do you think is the primary reason behind the decreasing popularity of the game worldwide?

Sonik: Oh man, don’t remind me of that game anymore! The game is one of the best tactical shooters, don’t get me wrong, but the primary reason for the decreasing popularity of the game is the developers. They are screwing up with the game too much than they are supposed to.

Apart from that, the game has a pretty steep learning curve for a newbie and it takes a lot of time to learn the maps and get proper knowledge since there is no minimap present.

This game has a ton of characters to choose from, each having a special ability of their own, presence of multiple layers/floors in a single map, a new player may find that very intimidating. Players tend to try hard a lot, even in casual matches, which at times takes away the fun factor from the game.

SS: What’s in the future like for Sonik? What can fans expect from the channel in the coming months?

Sonik: Right now, my main focus is on live streaming, improving my presentation and the content I make. For YouTube, I have some plans prepared, which I’m not going to reveal right now of course. But I’m unable to execute them due to various circumstances. However, I can assure you you’ll love it when things turn out exactly how I want them to! Till then, stay tuned.