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COD Mobile is back with its competitive tournaments, and Indian esports athletes are again back on the grind. The latest tournament, COD Mobile India Challenge Multiplayer Season 2, concluded a week ago, with Team Vitality lifting the trophy.
The current COD Mobile roster of Team Vitality consists of Akshan “Argon” Madhani, Samruddha “SamS” Ghadge, Samartha “Jokos” Ghadge, Priyank “Erazr” Birajdar, and Jeet “Chiezze” Shah. In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports’ Debolina Banerjee, the organization’s COD Mobile roster talked about their latest win, the effects of the recent bans on popular battle royale mobile games, and more.
Team Vitality’s take on COD Mobile and their journey in the world of competitive mobile gaming
Q. Congratulations on winning the COD Mobile India Challenge Multiplayer Season 2. Have you all noticed any significant improvements in the tournament compared to Season 1?
Argon: Yeah, definitely. After our loss against Revenant Esports in the COD Mobile India Challenge Season 1 semi-finals, we practiced non-stop for 10-12 hours daily to identify and work on our mistakes.
We knew that if we didn’t put in the work this time, it would be nearly impossible to qualify for Stage 5. Thankfully, our practice paid off as we qualified for COD Mobile World Championship Stage 5 and even came so close to becoming Stage IV champions.
But we finally got ourselves a victory at the COD Mobile India Challenge Season 2 Grand Finale against GodLike Esports.
SamS: Another highlight was that we got to play against Enigma Gaming, a new underdog team who qualified for the finals, which was terrific.
Q. How was the overall experience participating in the COD Mobile India Challenge Multiplayer Season 2? Which match was the most memorable one?
Argon: The overall experience was great, as right after qualifying for Stage 5 in the COD Mobile World Championship 2022, we knew we had to bring that momentum into this one and go for the win.
For us, the most memorable match would be the winner bracket final against Enigma Gaming and the Grand Finals against GodLike Esports. I am sure everyone knows it, but it’s the El Classico of COD Mobile India esports.
SamS: The COD Mobile India Challenge Season 2 was a great experience. The competition was even better than Stage 4 as every match was very close. My most memorable match was the finals against GodLike Esports because we made a massive comeback in Search and Destroy to close the game.
Erazr: I would say the Grand Final against GodLike Esports was the most memorable as it was a nail-biting moment for all the spectators.
Q. Which team did you consider the most formidable competitor in the COD Mobile India Challenge Multiplayer Season 2?
Argon: I think going into the tournament, our competition was the top teams: GodLike Esports, Enigma Gaming, and Revenant Esports.
Jokos: To be very honest, the toughest competitor in the COD Mobile India Challenge Multiplayer Season 2 was Enigma Gaming.
Q. Tell us more about the current COD Mobile roster of Team Vitality. What roles do each of you play in the team? Do you like aggressive gameplay or lean more towards a passive playstyle?
Argon: Well, I would say that we are more of an aggressive team, but sometimes, according to the situation, we can become a passive team. As for the roles:
I am Argon, the IGL and the objective player for the team. Jokos is the main sniper and the anchor for the team. Chiezze plays a support role for the team, helping out wherever needed, be it in the objective or slaying department.
I would say SamS is the routeman for the team, basically making plays for the team to gain control of those early picks.
Lastly, I cannot define Erazr’s role, but he is the one who can adapt to any role according to the situation, sometimes using sub-machine guns, sometimes assault rifles, and sometimes even long-range machine guns! He also plays the role of a supporting member and even becomes a second anchor for the team, giving that cover fire from the back.
Chiezze: We prefer an aggressive game style but can also do passive when required.
Erazr: Our roster consists of all individually formidable players. We have very different roles compared to all the other teams. I prefer to be aggressive, but as we already have many aggressive players, I changed my playstyle to passive to make our team more balanced.
Q. What are some team-building exercises you all go through to ensure proper communication and bonding amongst the players?
Argon: I would say staying in boot camp with the team feels like a family. While at boot camp, after a long day of practice, we go for walks together, sometimes discuss in-game problems, or do not talk about the gaming at all.
When we are not at the boot camp, we talk on Discord when we are home. We also go out for movies, lunch, or dinner together when we get the chance.
Erazr: Playing against each other and warming up before matches, having team discussions, and hearing everyone’s opinions help us better understand each other’s gameplay. Sometimes we practice with no communication during scrims so that each of us understands the importance of communication.
Q. Do you feel COD Mobile is not as famous as other battle royale mobile games like BGMI and Free Fire? Why do you feel that that’s the case?
SamS: Yes, it is not as popular as BGMI or other games. It is because of its fast pace and complex modes like Search and Destroy that make it very hard for beginners.
Erazr: I do feel that the Activision game is not as famous as BGMI or Free Fire due to the requirement of a high-end device to play it, which isn’t the case for BGMI and Free Fire. If the game had run on low-end devices, everyone would probably have been crazy for COD Mobile.
Argon: But I feel after this World Championship, we might see the growth the game has deserved. Also, despite being a BR game, after the release of Warzone Mobile, COD Mobile might get popular because they both come from the same COD franchise.
Q. Being COD Mobile players, do you feel the BGMI and Free Fire bans were justified? Do you feel that such a decision by the Indian government jeopardizes the country’s esports scenario?
Argon: Due to BGMI and Free Fire, the esports scenario in India grew exponentially. Both titles have a huge part to play in the Indian esports ecosystem with unrivaled viewership. With this delisting of both games, many stakeholders in the esports industry around the world are surprised.
Jokos: These delistings are bad news for the gaming community. BGMI has been carrying the mobile esports scenario in India for a while now. But at the same time, people are learning about other games like COD Mobile.
Q. Which COD Mobile teams (Indian or international) do you all look up to?
Chiezze: We look up to the Garena region because they have more LAN experience.
Jokos: I look up to a Garena team called Smart Omega. Can’t wait to compete against them at the World Championship.
SamS: I like Blacklist International from Garena because our playing styles and roles are almost the same, so we learn a lot from them.
Argon: Tribe Gaming from the North American region, Dunia Games from Indonesia (Garena), and Team Vrilliant from Japan are some of the teams I look up to.
Erazr: All the other teams are our competitors, and I think looking up to them means accepting that they are a better team than us. I feel it would be better to be looked up to by other teams than to look up to them.
Q. Is Team Vitality preparing for any upcoming major tournaments?
SamS: We are always ready to play if there are any majors in the future. Our grind never stops, even if no majors are going on in the game.
Argon: We are waiting for any upcoming regional tournaments to get announced, but we are preparing for Stage 5 of the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship 2022 event in December.
Q. What are your words of advice to amateur teams working hard to make their name in the esports world?
Argon: I would like to say practice hard, don’t give up until the very end, stick together as a team, and find and work on your mistakes as a team. Discuss problems together, as communication is vital for better team synergy rather than changing line-ups.
SamS: To all amateur teams putting hours into this game, just keep grinding and don’t give up. You will get an opportunity to showcase your skills for sure.
Jokos: Don’t give up on your dreams; trust the process!
Erazr: Keep struggling, and your hard work will pay off. Never quit and trust the process. Trusting your teammates is the most important thing.
Chiezze: Establish clear roles and responsibilities, learn from mistakes and set team goals.
