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Valorant, the first-person shooter, has been a popular pick for youngsters and professional Counter-Strike players. It has received a lot of attention from the gaming community, and many esports pros are shifting to this Riot Games game.
It has given birth to many prodigies and provided them with a platform to showcase their talent and love for the shooter genre. In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda’s Rijit Banerjee, Sami’ SSSami’ Ar Rahman talks about being the first Radiant player in Bangladesh, his transition from CS to Valorant playing the game as a professional esports athlete.
Q. Let us start by asking you to introduce yourself.
Sami: I am Sami Ar Rahman, aka SSSami. I am an 18-year-old student from Bangladesh.
Q. What brought your interest in video games?
Sami: My parents bought a family computer, and there were some games already installed like Road Rash, Dxball, Max Payne, and I loved playing them.
Q. Before Valorant, what were the games that you pursued professionally or played casually?
Sami: CS: GO was the game I tried to pursue professionally. I used to play other games casually, like Fortnite, Battlefield, and Red Crucible.
Q. Coming from Bangladesh, how difficult was it to adapt to other Indian esports players in terms of communication while playing professionally?
Sami: It is difficult for me to communicate, and I’m still trying to adapt to it. I think once our communication improves, we can dominate the scene.
Q. You were the first Radiant Valorant player from Bangladesh, and many players from India haven’t reached that feat to date. Please walk us through your grind to Radiant and the sacrifices you made to achieve this remarkable achievement.
Sami: Grinding to Radiant was very difficult, mainly because I used to Solo queue. I was stuck at Immortal 3 for two months before finally becoming a Radiant. It took me a lot of days of practicing and grinding to get to this rank.
Q. What was your thought process when you got the opportunity to play Valorant professionally for Noble Esports?
Sami: I was happy when I heard that I got invited to play professionally because it was my goal from when I was playing CS: GO.
Q. What specific role do you play in XTZ Esports’ Valorant line-up?
Sami: Depending on the map, I play support and entry. We haven’t completely fixed our drafts yet as we all are learning new Agents and trying them out. Sooner or later, I will probably be on a fixed role.
Q. After your arrival into the squad, Noble Esports has regained its lost form. What are your thoughts on that?
Sami: I think I added a lot of impact/firepower to the team. When I joined, we started to win tournaments (3 of them) and came second at the TEC. But I think it was the team’s honeymoon period, because we haven’t practiced adequately.
Q. In your current Valorant roster, HikkA and you are the overseas players who suffer a significant disadvantage from the ping issues. Would you be coming to India in the future to play with your team?
Sami: We both will be coming for XTZ Esports’ Bootcamp, which we are thankful for because we wouldn’t be playing in 100 ping again.
Q. Who is your favorite Agent in Valorant and why?
Sami: My favorite is Jett because of her ultimate, which rewards players with good aim and reactions.
Q. Would you state the reason behind Valorant’s explosive growth over the last few months?
Sami: The game is like CS: GO, so it brought over many Counter-Strike players like me. I think the game became popular because it was a breath of fresh air for CS players, and mainly because of Covid.
Q. What new additions would you like to see in Valorant over the next few months?
Sami: New maps, new Agents, and a change/solution for the run and gun problem in Valorant.
Q. Is there anything you would like to say to the next generation of gamers?
Sami: If you want to be a professional player, you will have to put in the work for it.
Q. What are your goals in the vibrant world of gaming?
Sami: To be the best in the world.
