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Free Fire has content creators worldwide who upload videos revolving around the battle royale game. Despite the game’s ban in India, the content flow was not reduced as players chose its enhanced version, Free Fire MAX, instead.
One of the most popular Free Fire YouTubers from Nepal, Sarju “Tonde Gamer” Giri, has been creating content for over three years and has 5.65 million subscribers on his channel. In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports’s Debolina Banerjee, he talked about why he chose Free Fire over other games, what kind of videos he likes to create, his journey on YouTube, and more.
Tonde Gamer’s journey as a Free Fire content creator
Q. You started your journey as a Free Fire content creator on YouTube three years ago. How did it all start? Who inspired you to choose this unconventional profession?
Tonde Gamer: I was going through a phase in my life when I could not think or decide anything. I started playing Free Fire at the time and decided that I would create content revolving around the game. Hence, I had to make my own YouTube channel.
I started checking out Free Fire content on YouTube and came across Gyan bhai’s channel. He and Jaldev Gamers inspired me. Eventually, I bought a good setup for my YouTube channel and commenced my content creation journey.
Q. How has the gaming scenario changed over the past three years? Did the Covid-19 lockdown play a role in boosting the gaming section of society?
Tonde Gamer: Yes, the gaming scene has changed over time. The gameplay is not very interesting currently due to too many glitches. For example, I felt interested while pushing my rank in the battle royale game, but there are too many glitches in ranked matches now.
Most of the Free Fire creators are PC players, and Garena has stopped matchmaking in emulators due to which emulator players cannot play ranked matches. Hence, content creators mainly focus on Clash Squad matches, and if the same type of content is uploaded all the time, at some point, the audience gets fed up with it.
There are many glitches in the game that have not been resolved yet. The difficulty level is very easy, which works towards reducing the craze for the game.
Yes, due to Covid-19, there was a massive gain in the subscriber count. It has had a significant effect on Free Fire creators and everyone in the community. During the lockdown, everyone was at home, so people gave their time to the games, watching videos or streams on YouTube.
Q. Now that Free Fire is banned in the country, many battle royale mobile gamers cannot enjoy the game. Do you feel that it will be re-released? Do you think that the MAX version can satiate the audience?
Tonde Gamer: Yes, Free Fire will also get re-released as per my thoughts, as PUBG Mobile got re-released with a different name. Garena’s flagship title will also return, but it will take some time.
No, Free Fire MAX will not satisfy the audience because most play on low-end devices and will face lags while playing the enhanced version. The sensitivity of the MAX version is not so good on PC, and mobile players got comfortable with Free Fire.
Still, the sensitivity of the MAX version is different, which is difficult for some to get used to.
Q. What made you choose Free Fire over other battle royale mobile games? What contributes to Free Fire’s popularity?
Tonde Gamer: While I was studying and working (as a backup to my studies) simultaneously, a situation arose where I thought I was in depression. From every side, there was pressure, and I could not stay happy in my life.
Then in my hostel, some friends, who used to play Free Fire, spent their time happily. I thought I would give it a go. So, I started playing, and I got addicted to it. For this reason, I have not tried other games. I chose Free Fire, and now I have made it my profession.
Since Free Fire is easy and good, it contributes to its popularity. Anyone can learn and play this game easily. There are many creators for this battle royale title, so its popularity has also increased.
During the lockdown, the popularity of Free Fire increased a lot. Garena also collaborated with renowned organizations and introduced new events in the game.
Esports has also gained a lot of fame, increasing the game’s popularity. Currently, there are creators like Ajjubhai, who have approximately 32 million subscribers.
Q. How long does it take to create and upload a video? How challenging is it to upload content daily?
Tonde Gamer: It takes about four to six hours to play the game, create the content, and edit the videos. From the moment we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep, and even while sleeping, all our thinking is related to content creation, editing, etc.
It takes over our whole time. It depends on the situation, and sometimes it happens that I have uploaded four videos in a day, and on some days when I have not uploaded any video. We need to manage everything at the same time. Eventually, a situation arises when we cannot create any content.
Yes, it is hard to create content daily, but not difficult. There is no such challenge in uploading content. It’s the same as going to the office every day, and we do the same as well.
We wake up, start playing games, create content, edit them, and upload them. I don’t see this process as a problem because how can there be a problem if Free Fire gives me so much happiness?
Q. Whenever you upload a video, what is your main goal? What kind of videos do you like creating the most?
Tonde Gamer: When I upload a video, I look forward to getting a good number of views and for the audience to like it.
I mostly enjoy creating videos on ranked gameplay and various Free Fire events.
Q. You have a good connection with your fans, and they are not shy about showering you with love. Do you feel that your social media presence and friendliness will help you improve your gameplay?
Tonde Gamer: I have a great connection with my fans. They showed me their love, and I did the same. Gameplay can be improved by playing games. Spending time with my fans on social media will help me build friendships and relationships, not my gameplay.
Gameplay and relationships are two different things. To improve my gameplay, I need to focus more on the game, play and practice a lot for improvement, and spend more hours on the game. Suppose I read comments on YouTube, upload a video on Instagram, go live on IG stories, or comment on stories. In that case, these will connect me with the audience, not the gameplay.
Q. The most viewed videos on your channel are mainly YouTube Shorts. Are you aiming to upload more Shorts to gain more popularity over time? Which video has been your favorite so far?
Tonde Gamer: I will upload Shorts on my channel, but I prefer to upload videos more than Shorts. If I upload two videos, then I will upload one Short. The latter has become necessary because the YouTube system recommends it more often. It is essential to consider what the audience likes.
There is a Shorts on my channel named “Super Hidden Power of Adam.” I liked it very much, and the video is very well arranged with the music.
Q. Your YouTube channel has over 5.44 million subscribers. What has your journey on this platform been like so far? What is your next target?
Tonde Gamer: After getting so many subscribers now, I can say that I am financially strong enough. I can fulfill all my needs. I have achieved many things like fame and love from the audience.
Now I have a good life and have the liberty to employ others. Hence, I have appointed editors. It makes me feel happy that I can also do good deeds for others (including my family).
My next goal is to achieve 10 million subscribers.
Q. What are your words of advice to players who want to establish themselves as Free Fire content creators someday?
Tonde Gamer: To start, you need to observe how Free Fire creators and other game creators upload videos. It is crucial to understand how YouTube works. Creating videos, checking the sound quality, video quality, etc., and getting the basics right is vital to gaining views.
During studies, we have to read all the subjects and gather knowledge about every issue, then only we will pass, so the same thing is true in the case of YouTube. So, the first thing is to understand how YouTube works. Having YouTube knowledge is like you have read all the subjects.
Then you have to choose the specialization, and if you want to become a Free Fire creator, you have to watch such creators, what they are doing, how they are uploading videos, and think about what you can do better/different from them.
If you upload videos or content like these, the audience is already watching them. Why will they see your content? If you want the spotlight, you have to make something different and ensure it is better than the other content available. Creating Shorts can help you expand your channel.
Check out the latest Free Fire MAX redeem codes here.
