Why is Indian PUBG Mobile Esports turning into Bigg Boss?

When first released in 2017, PUBG Mobile was just another mobile game. But it soon became a revolution that gave the fledgeling esports scene in India a considerable boost.

As the eSports industry grew in India, so did the associated controversies. In the beginning, they were not a big problem as these controversies seemed to be a part of the game, and didn't last for too long. But with time, the frequency of these controversies started increasing, creating a negative environment in the esports community.

Resemblance between PUBG Mobile Esports and Bigg Boss

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Several controversies have arisen in the Indian PUBG esports community.

Bigg Boss is a Reality TV show popular for its controversial content rather than actual entertainment. The show involves a bunch of contestants who stay in a house for about three months. To survive and become famous, the contestants often engage in verbal spats with each other.

Many of them get personal and end up targeting each others' families. While some fight openly, some of them opt for backbiting and manipulation as a tool to succeed. Some of the shades of this controversial show are now clearly visible in the PUBG Mobile eSports community too.

Recently, Manu KratKarki, one of the leading PUBG Mobile casters in India, was found guilty of abusing and threatening his opponents during a 'Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO)' match. It led to KratKarki losing his job.

A controversy between SouL and 8bit Thug arose after PMSC 2019. Ronak accused 8bit Thug of manipulating Mortal and breaking the former's friendship with SouL. The situation remained unresolved for several months before the players from other teams like Entity Ghatak had to step in.

There was also a similar situation in the Fnatic's roster. Its players, Ronak and Owais, revealed that they could not play with a person who verbally abuses any player's family members.

In another controversy, the players of team SouL were spotted abusing LegStump, saying that they would make sure the latter won't get a slot in the next games. It was behaviour quite unbecoming of one of the most popular PUBG Mobile teams in the country. Entity Ghatak stood with LegStump, supporting the latter by posting Instagram stories.

Similar to contestants of the infamous Bigg Boss show indulging in quarrels and controversies in every episode, there are spats among the Indian PUBG teams on an almost daily basis. This toxicity in the Indian eSports scene has affected the parents of players too, who are asking the players to leave the competitive scene and pursue their studies.

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Reasons for these controversies:

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There are many reasons for these controversies.

There are two primary reasons for this malaise. One of them is the immaturity of the audience. When a team or player doesn't perform well in a tournament or a game, the audience starts spreading hate, and abusing the player or team. Many PUBG Mobile players have appealed to the audience for supporting players when they are out of form.

The audience is not the only culprit here, though; the lack of professionalism in the players is also to blame. Most of the players in the PUBG Mobile Esports community are young, who do not know how to manage the pressure of the industry. They also do not know how to handle their new-found fame and adulation, and fight with other players to stay in the limelight.

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Conclusion

Conclusion

Sports is meant to bring everyone together. Everyone who is currently in the PUBG Mobile eSports scene is an idol to someone in the audience. Controversies in the sports community should be avoided and resolved amicably to keep the environment healthy. Instead of going on live streams, differences between players should be handled in private. The role of team managers becomes critical in this respect.

Recently, Entity Ghatak came forward to clear the misunderstandings between the players of the old team SouL, and also supported LegStump squad, which was a grand gesture. One of the most reputed CS: GO players of India, Ankit Venom Panth, also appealed to keep the community clean and positive.

The audience also needs to become more mature and start behaving responsibly. It needs to support the players and encourage them when the going gets tough. The PUBG players represent various teams in front of global audiences. They already have enough pressure to handle. Support from the audience can help the players stay calm and perform better.

The players, on their part, should focus more on the people who support them. Take, for instance, the example of the Indian Cricket team. Everyone has fans and haters, including captain Virat Kohli, but Kohli is professional enough not to focus on everything that is said or written about him.

Every famous person receives both admiration and hate. Instead of getting influenced by the hatred and negativity of a few people, it is more prudent for esports players to thank the majority of fans who support them through thick and thin. Proper counselling should be provided to all players so that they develop mental toughness, and can better handle such situations.

Esports, as a fast growing industry, has a great future in India. Therefore it is prudent for the industry to maintain a positive environment conducive for new players to join its bandwagon.