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Saloni “Meow16K” Pawar is one of the few female streamers in a male-dominated esports arena. She, along with her team, performed really well in the Skyesports Valorant League in 2020, but missed the champions title by a whisker.
From Apex Legends to Valorant, Saloni is really into FPS games. In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports’ Debolina Banerjee, Saloni talks about her journey in the esports world, life as a content creator, and her take towards sexism.
Q. Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey in the esports world. What
were you pursuing before you decided to become a full-time streamer?
My name is Saloni Pawar, and I go by the name "Meow16K" in the gaming industry. I am 21 years old, and I started playing professionally when I was 16.
At the initial stages, I wanted to become a content creator, as I didn't want to play professionally. However, over the years, I have played professionally as well. Before I got into the gaming industry, I continued my education and wanted to pursue music as a career.
Q. Gaming as a career is still frowned upon by Indian society. Were your parents supportive of your decision when you wanted to become a streamer?
Indeed, gaming is still not considered a career in India. At the beginning, I convinced my parents a lot to get me a gaming PC. I had to make many adjustments and promise my parents that I would focus on my studies equivalently.
Eventually, when I started winning tournaments and showing my achievements, my parents also understood the concept of gaming and gaming as a career option.
Q. How important do you think brand support is in a professional gamer’s career?
Once you get to a proper position in esports or content creation, brands start noticing you. To me, Alpha Zegus has played a very crucial role in terms of brand associations, and they have introduced me to cool and amazing brands that I have not seen in any other talent management company. The best thing about Alpha Zegus is that they always reply whenever I face any trouble. They have always made me feel like a family member.
Q. Your YouTube channel is called "Meow16K". Is there a special anecdote behind this moniker?
My initial IGN used to be "MEOW". It somewhere felt incomplete, so I wanted to add a suffix to it. I added 16K because CS:GO (Counter Strike: Global Offensive) was my favorite game, and 16K is the maximum amount of in-game money that one can get in CS:GO. Moreover, I was 16 years old when I first started my career in esports and that was in 2016.
Q. You have nearly 50K subscribers on your YouTube channel. How do you plan on making your channel grow, and what kind of videos can your viewers expect?
At the moment, I am pushing myself a lot in terms of content, and my subscribers can expect a variety of games, vlogs, role as an influencer, and much more. I am really glad and thankful about the 50K.
Q. What approach do you take to make sure that your videos are unique?
I always make sure I put up good behavior on the stream. I want to make sure I am kind to everyone I come across in a game or in a stream. Always keep in mind that my content is constantly viewed by kids and under 18.
Therefore, I always make sure that the content is clean, and I don't say anything that might affect their behavior. As a professional player, I learn a lot in the process, so I always make note of it and put it out to my audience so that they can learn from it.
Q. You regularly stream Valorant on your YouTube channel nowadays. What is it about FPS games that you absolutely love? Aside from Valorant, what other FPS games do you enjoy?
FPS games are really amazing and I prefer to play them professionally. I enjoy other games, but I like the mechanics of FPS games. I would always choose 5v5 FPS games over Battle Royale titles.
Aside from Valorant, I love playing Apex Legends. I also enjoy PUBG, COD: Warzone, CS:GO, and Overwatch.
Q. You have taken part in your fair share of tournaments. What was the toughest tournament that you were a part of? What did you learn from all the competitions that you have been to?
One of the toughest tournaments I had played was Skyesports Valorant League 2020. I got the chance to play against the top players and aimers of the country like Debanjan "DEATHMAKER" Das, Karan "Excali" Mhaswadkar, Mohit "mw1" Wakle. It was my first opportunity to play against these stalwarts who we see competing internationally. Even though I was nervous initially, the moment I hopped on into the server, I eventually performed well.
Every tournament I play, irrespective of winning or losing, there is always something to learn out of it. I have built myself in such a way that I am not toxic/raging at any given point during a tournament.
Q. You are one of the very few female players in the Indian esports world. Have you ever had to deal with sexism? If yes, how do you tackle the situation?
Sexism is an everyday scenario to me because the rank I play in is "Immortal". Girls playing Valorant or any FPS game is still considered taboo to many people. Some men can't really digest the fact that a girl can be better than them and as a result their male ego gets hurt.
The best way to tackle these kinds of people is by ignoring their comments. I don't really need to focus on the negative part.
Q. There are many aspiring streamers and gaming YouTubers who want to make it big in the esports world. What are the tips and tricks that they should remember?
The key to success is consistency. Don't give up on yourself and be stubborn and determined with what you are pursuing. Plan your content accordingly and try to achieve your pre-determined goals. Never give up at the end of the day.
