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While the fighting game community (FGC) in India is still battling to get more recognition, the Indian Tekken scene has grown gradually over the years. At this juncture, Hitesh Khorwal, popularly known as Rcool in the Tekken 7 circle, has set an example to follow.
After clinching the champions title in the Regional Qualifiers, Hitesh made the 13th Esports World Championship finals, hosted by the International Esports Federation (IESF). India has qualified for Tekken 7 alongside CS: GO and PES 2021.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Esports’ Debolina Banerjee, Hitesh talks about his love for Tekken 7, his dreams of winning a medal in the finals of the 13th Esports World Championship, and more. The finals are all set to be held in Eilat, Israel, from 14 November to 19 November.
Q. Congratulations on qualifying for the 13th Esports World Championship 2021! Tell us about your journey in esports and what inspired you to take it up as a profession.
Hitesh: Thank you so much! Hi, my name is Hitesh, and I am also known as Rcool in the Tekken professional scene. My esports journey started in 2010 when I was around thirteen or fourteen years old. My first game was Tekken 3, and it attracted me the most. At that time, I never thought playing Tekken would be my profession.
After Tekken 3, I played Tekken 5, Tekken Tag 2, and Tekken 7. Till Tekken Tag 2, I was not serious about the game, but when Tekken 7 came out, I started giving it more time and grinded hard to improve myself.
When I noticed the improvement, I started participating in tournaments. After I won a few events and started practicing with the best players in the country, the results inspired me to take up this game as a profession.
Q. In today’s world, there are many good gamers who cannot make an impact in the esports world due to a lack of support from family. Was your family always supportive of your decision to choose professional gaming as your career path?
Hitesh: Having a career in esports in India is quite difficult because parents are not too supportive of gaming. My family, too, was not very supportive when it came to choosing professional gaming as a career path.
My brothers were supportive, but my mother wanted me to pay more attention to my studies. Now, when my mother sees me winning tournaments and about to represent India at the 13th Esports World Championship, she supports me.
Q. Tekken is one of the biggest franchises in the world of gaming. What other fighting/shooting franchises do you like? What titles did you play growing up?
Hitesh: I do not like any shooting games and avoid fighting games, aside from Tekken.
While growing up, I have played many games like God of War, Street Fighter, Metal Slug, The King of Fighters, GTA, Resident Evil, and Mega Man. God of War is a favorite after Tekken 7, and I play it the most.
Q. What are your thoughts about the FGC in India? What aspects do you want Tekken to include in its gameplay to make it stand out in India’s FGC in the future?
Hitesh: Well, FGC in India is still small in comparison to other esport gaming communities. This is one of the reasons why most players in Indian FGC are really dedicated to their games.
Most players aren’t playing fighting games for a big prize pool and fame. They just love the titles they play while having fun hanging out with their friends in the community.
Tekken is quite distinct from other fighting games as a lot of its gameplay is in 3D instead of 2D, like many other popular fighting games. I want Tekken to give new players a better tutorial mode so that they can have an easier time understanding and learning the game. This will definitely help Tekken to welcome new players.
Q. Do you feel that the competitive scene of Tekken 7 in India needs improvement, especially after the Covid 19 lockdown? What can the developers do to make the game more popular in India?
Hitesh: The competitive scene of Tekken 7 in India is already good, and many online tournaments are being held due to the COVID-19 restrictions. No offline event has been conducted in the past two years, but the online scene is very active.
The developers can add an Indian character to the game to make it more popular in India. They can also add an arena inspired by India so that it attracts Indian players.
Q. From Power Crush to Screw hits, Tekken 7 has attack tactics that have to be adequately utilized to achieve the best results. Talk to us a bit about your favorite character and playstyle. What sort of mix-ups do you rely on the most?
Hitesh: My favorite characters are Leroy Smith, Sergei Dragunov, and Fakhumram.
I rely primarily on safe mix-ups and don’t use risky blows too much. When it comes to punishable moves, I use them according to the situation.
Q. Guilty Gear: Strive and Melty Blood: Type Lumina have indeed made a significant impact on India’s FGC. What are your personal opinions on these titles? Do you feel that the domestic scene will eventually see a shift in popularity to 2D fighters from the 3D ones?
Hitesh: Guilty Gear: Strive and Melty Blood have made their impact on the Indian FGC. Many new players are joining their community because these games are popular in the current scenario.
I do not think 3D fighting game players will shift to 2D fighting games because of the mechanics. Tekken is quite distinct from other fighting games as a lot of its gameplay is in 3D instead of 2D.
Q. Alongside Team India in CS: GO and Hemanth Kommu in PES 2021, you have also made the 13th Esports World Championship finals. How does it feel to represent India on a global platform? Out of all the tournaments that you have played, which one was the toughest so far?
Hitesh: Representing my country on a global platform feels like a dream come true. This is my first international tournament, so I am feeling glad and excited about it.
The most challenging events for me in my entire (Tekken) career were K.O Fight Night 2020 and NESC 2021.
Q. The finals of the 13th Esports World Championship are less than a month away. How are you preparing for the tournament? What key aspects are you looking into to boost your performance?
Hitesh: I’m excited about the finals that are going to be held in Eilat. I am trying to participate in more domestic tournaments so that I become more comfortable with short sets. I am also practicing a lot offline with the best players in our country.
There are 54 characters in the game, so I’m lobbying every character to gain more knowledge about each of them.
The most critical aspects are dedication, hard work, and willingness to counter back from any situation. While playing, it is important to keep the mind calm, as patience is the best way to win the game.
Q. Since professional tournaments were majorly held online due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and now that the Finals of the 13th Esports World Championship will be held offline in Israel, do you think the players’ performance varies depending on the online or offline mode of the tournament?
Hitesh: I’m delighted to see that offline events are now coming back after the pandemic. The biggest advantage of offline gaming is that there is no connection or ping issue that is prevalent in online gaming. All gamers will be provided with the same platform to perform. In my opinion, playing offline is the best experience for gamers.
Online gaming impacts the performance of the players due to connectivity issues. Since not everyone has a good internet connection, offline events are more reliable.
Q. From Arslan Ash to Knee to JDCR to Nobi, Tekken 7 has its fair share of professional players worldwide. Which player do you look up to the most and why?
Hitesh: I look up to Arslan Ash, JDCR, Knee, Nobi, LowHigh, and Chikurin, as they are great players. Since they all are skilled, I cannot choose one over the other. Whenever I spectate their game streams, I get to learn about something new.
Q. Quite a few fans are cheering for India to win the Finals of the 13th Esports World Championship in Tekken 7. What would you like to share with them?
Hitesh: Cheers to all the fans for supporting me throughout the journey. Your support gave me the courage to achieve my dream, and I will make sure that you guys are not disappointed. I am looking forward to getting a medal and making our country proud.
