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Few Street Fighter veterans have the spirited enthusiasm that Mayank "MiKeYROG" Prajapati has. The family man has dedicated himself to the title to stand among the 15 members chosen to represent India in the Asian Games 2022. Together with Ayan Biswas, he has geared up to compete against some of the top international players in the medal event.
We had the opportunity to interview Mayank regarding his experience with international players and expectations for the Asian Games 2022. He seemed motivated for the medal event and spoke about Street Fighter 6, among other things.
Mayank Prajapati speaks about representing India, Street Fighter 6, and more
Q. Congratulations on representing India in the Asian Games in 2022. How do you feel about participating in a Street Fighter V global tournament?
Mayank: It feels surreal to represent India in the Asian Games. For every gamer, representing their country is like a dream come true, especially when it is a medal event.
We went to the RDAG (Road to Asian Games) in Hangzhou last month and played against many top-level players, which was super fun.
Q. Give us some insight into your Asian Games matchup. Who are you excited to play against, and why?
Mayank: There's going to be a lot of top players in the Asian Games, and I am certainly excited to meet my idols.
I'm looking forward to playing against Mago from Japan. He's one of the five gaming gods of Japan in Street Fighter history. He's among the elite and has played the game for a long time. I also hope to play some casual games with him.
Q. Tell us how you prepared for the Asian Games and your expectations from the RDAG. Were there any hurdles in particular that you had to cross to get to Hangzhou?
Mayank: We dedicate two to three hours of practice on a daily basis. It helps me focus on gameplay improvement and learn from the mistakes we made in the previous tournament.
We also watch each other's replays and try to point out the reasons for our loss, which often results from taking a lot of unnecessary damage in the sets.
Additionally, playing against each other also helps a lot. We try to learn the frame data to prepare against the whole cast and collect the matchup knowledge either by watching Youtube videos of a particular character or by playing it ourselves.
One thing I learned from our RDAG experience in Hangzhou is never to respect the opponent in a match. It is best not to think too much and play your own game. That way, you will perform much better.
Q. How do you feel about Street Fighter 6? Is there anything you would have liked to see added to the franchise?
Mayank: I think Capcom has done a tremendous job with Street Fighter 6 and fixed all the major issues people had with Street Fighter 5. Fixing the netcode is the most important thing for us because it enables us to play with our neighboring countries so that we can learn and improve.
Capcom is also actively listening to the player base and addressing the issues people face. It's just so good to see a game developer care so much about the community and the game.
Q. The Modern Controls have stirred up quite a debate in the Street Fighter 6 community. What are your thoughts on the new control setup, and how will it impact LAN and online matches?
Mayank: The Modern Control is a pretty convenient way of introducing the game to a newer playerbase who have never played any fighting games, making it super accessible to everyone. They simplified the game so beginners don't find its learning curve too difficult. It also rewards players by eliminating the execution barrier, which makes the game fun and addictive.
Old players can also employ their fundamentals with Modern Controls to take advantage of the simplified inputs. A lot of top-level Japanese players are using modern controls and are doing pretty well in tournaments.
Q. Which characters do you play in Street Fighter 6? How does Modern Control influence their gameplay?
Mayank: I play JP in Street Fighter 6. He's a zoner-type character that can keep the opponent away from him and performs well in close combat.
Although I haven't tried his modern controls, he seems unoptimal for the setup. However, there are a few characters that actually benefit from modern control, such as Luke, Lily, Chun, Marissa, etc.
Q. As a Fighting Game professional participating in some of the most prestigious tournaments, what advice will you offer to Indian enthusiasts who want to pursue Esports as their career option?
Mayank: Casually playing a game completely differs from competing at the highest level. You need to always stay updated with everything the game has to offer and keep practicing. It takes a lot of focus and quick reflexes to make it to the top and compete against professional-level players.
A strong mindset also helps a lot when you play in big tournaments. When things are at stake against a top-level opponent, you must calm your nerves to deliver optimal performance.
Pick any game you choose, and you can be the best at it by putting in hours of practice. Choosing a title that's already popular helps a lot since they have more tournaments with better prize pools. You can earn a lot of money from them if you are able to consistently end up on the podium.
Q. Since you have competed against players from other countries, such as Hong Kong and Korea, in the Asian Games, how is their playstyle different from the veterans of the Indian Fighting Game community?
Mayank: While playing against the top players of the world, we were considered the underdogs as we had never competed in international tournaments before. Hence, we played calmly and managed to be as decent as we had hoped.
Players from Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan had a lot of tournament and international experience. They were all veterans, and it actually showed in their gameplay. The way they move in the arena, their neutral inputs, and their counter-punishes are a lot different than the players in India.
Although we have a lot of skilled individuals, they need to compete against international veterans to get that experience. It will help us implement more strategic gameplay and improve our playstyle.
We'rWe're trying our best, and hopefully, we'll able to get some medals for our country in the upcoming Asian Games.
Follow Mayank on Twitter to stay updated on his future Street Fighter endeavors. You can also head to his YouTube and Twitch channels for more gaming content.
