The latest entrants to the Indian Esports scene, Revenant Esports, have officially announced their COD: Mobile roster. RNT had previously formed a star-studded BGMI roster after acquiring players who had performed at the top level of PUBG Mobile Esports, and now they have done the same with their COD: Mobile roster.
Revenant Esports has built a strong presence in the COD: Mobile community not only as a competitive team but also as a pioneer in the space as it has sponsored various tournaments in the past and has also trained multiple academy lineups before finalizing its brand-new roster.
Revenant Esports’ Founder & CEO, Rohit "Waren" Jagasia, chose Akash “Candy” Arick as the coach of his new COD: Mobile roster, and under the mentorship of the veteran player RNT has signed the following players:
- Nandhakishore “Abyss” Venugopalan - IGL
- Rahul “Master” Machhar - Slayer
- Neeraj “Bones” G V - Fragger
- Divyanshu “Rekkles” Pabia - Slayer
- Omkar “Xyro” Pandit - Sniper
- Srivatsan “OiL” Suresh - Anchor
Rohit seems very optimistic about RNT's new COD: Mobile roster after picking up some world-class players from the region. He certainly has high hopes from this carefully selected pool of Esports players.
Following their exciting announcement, Shwetang Parthsarthy of Sportskeeda Esports sat down with Rohit "Waren" Jagasia and Nandhakishore “Abyss” Venugopalan for an exclusive interview to talk about the inception of this brand-new roster and their future in the highly competitive space.
Revenant Esports' IGL Nandhakishore “Abyss” Venugopalan has blind faith in his new COD: Mobile roster
Revenant Esports has selected a pool of experienced and talented individuals for their brand new COD: Mobile roster heading into the third stage of the COD: Mobile World Championship. The roster faces an immediate test right after its formation and has a lot to prove going forward.
Leading the charge of this roster alongside Revenant Esports’ Founder & CEO, Rohit "Waren" Jagasia is the team's IGL Nandhakishore “Abyss” Venugopalan. Both of their focus is on the COD: Mobile World Championship as their immediate goal.
The following is an excerpt of the conversation:
Q. Let’s start with the Revenant side of things before we move on to the lineup. RNT has been making an impact in all major mobile esports. Your former COD: Mobile lineups had been doing fairly well, with both the Global and Indian division dominating other teams. Why did you decide to drop those lineups and look for a fresh one?
Waren: We ventured into the COD: Mobile space and tried to make one of the best lineups, and we had some of the best players come together to make form the Revenant Global lineup. Since our lineup was not eligible to compete in Indian tournaments, we picked an all-Indian lineup. However, the global team is still an indelible part of the Revenant family.
With that being said, there have been teething issues with the Indian lineup, and I have been friends with Abyss for over a year now. I have always wanted him to represent Revenant as I consider him the most versatile and the most feared player in the country. Hence, we thought of making an entirely new roster to put up a great show in the upcoming Indian Tournaments and the COD: Mobile World Cup.
Q. What was the thought that went into picking up the former Force One COD: Mobile lineup consisting of a mix of players from Time2Pound and AestheticX? Why did you think this was the best set of players to put your money into, and what expectations do you have from your brand-new lineup?
Waren: We have not entirely picked up the team. Me and Abyss put a lot of thought together before building this team. According to us, we have top-notch individual talent. Some of them have played together earlier, and I think it's only a matter of time before they build team synergy. I have seen all the boys competing in various tournaments previously, and they have proved themselves time and again.
So as individuals, they are some of the best in the country, and I think they are the best COD: Mobile talent we could partner with. In terms of expectations, at Revenant, we have never put any pressure on any of our teams before tournaments. That's why we've always created magic with all the rosters we have had.
We always tell the boys to put up a great show, and we do not believe in being demanding about the results. I sincerely believe if athletes are given time, have good morale, and are in the right mindset to represent an organization. The results will come automatically.
Q. Some might label this acquisition opportunistic, acquiring a top-tier team ahead of Stage 3 of COD: Mobile WC. However, backing up a team in the middle of the tournament means high stakes for both the organization and the players. Do you think your new lineup has the ability to prove themselves worthy of this opportunity?
Waren: Well, I think everyone in the Esports Scene makes opportunistic moves. However, with our commitment to the title, we have been in the COD: Mobile Scene ever since we started Revenant. COD: Mobile was the first game we ever ventured into. We have the best BR lineup in the country and I think it would be great to have a complementing MP lineup as well. I don't think the stakes are high as the tournament hasn't started yet.
The initial rounds were individual rounds. They have qualified for Stage 3 of the COD: Mobile. As I said before, in terms of raw individual talent, the team is top-notch. So I think they will do justice in all the upcoming competitions. Also, I'm thinking of this partnership from a long-term point of view, and there will be a lot of opportunities for the lineup to prove themselves to be the best in the country.
Q. Abyss, let’s get an insight into the mindset of the players for a moment. How has the acquisition affected the morale of you and the COD: Mobile team?
Abyss: Joining Revenant Esports has definitely been the breath of fresh air that the team has needed for a while. It’s like a new beginning and has set us in the right frame of mind. Waren put a lot of effort into motivating us and making sure that we’re all set to grind.
The team is happier than ever, and the players are ready to dedicate all their time and give their best. There’s a lot more optimism in the team, and everyone has a more positive outlook.
Q. You have had close brushes in the past with top Asian COD: Mobile teams such as Vitality, Insidious, and GodLike, and while you’ve managed to win a few games, these teams have often bested you in the past. Do you think this sponsorship was the boost you needed to come out on top of these games finally?
Abyss: In the past, we competed against the best with almost all possible disadvantages. Most of our players were on phones when most of the other teams were on iPad.
Not all of our players played on good ping, and most importantly, we weren’t in a boot camp. We were still able to put up a great fight. But now, Revenant Esports has allowed us to play on a level playing field. Now that all our players are in boot camp with the right devices, we have really been given the boost that we need to come out on top.
Q. As a team, is your sole motive to win the COD: Mobile world championship, or do you have bigger plans now that you have stability?
Abyss: Of course, winning the COD: Mobile WC is one of our main goals as it is the biggest tournament ahead of us. However, we are only focusing on improving ourselves right now. With that being said, we are looking to form a long-term and indelible relationship with Revenant Esports.
Q. Revenant Esports is one of the few Indian organizations partnered with the energy drink brand 'Red Bull.' How do you measure that in terms of your success, and how crucial are the benefits provided by them to your functioning?
Waren: Red Bull is a massive brand for any sport or Esports team to have in their portfolio. We are lucky to be one of the few Esports companies in India to partner with Red Bull. In terms of success, of course, it feels great to partner with the best beverage brand in the world. Also, everyone at Revenant absolutely loves the drink.
I think every brand we associate with is instrumental in our long-term growth, and Red Bull is one of the first brands to partner with us. We are also really thankful to the Red Bull Team for making sure our athletes get their share of wings while they are at their grind.
Q. Before we conclude, Waren and Abyss, mark the formal start of your journey with each other. How do you both see your partnership going into the future?
Waren: We are obviously looking at a long-term association together. Keeping the entire professional scene at the side, Abyss and I have been friends for a while now, and we are here together to make a strong impact on the COD: Mobile Scene together.
Abyss: The team and I are looking for a long-term partnership with Revenant. The best part is they understand the purity of the lineup. We look forward to representing them in COD: Mobile Esports! #BeRevenant.
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