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The Valorant Red Bull Campus Clutch India Finals took place on October 2, 2023, in Pune, India. The event, which determined the best student team in the country and the representatives for the international tournament to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, was attended by many popular names in the industry. Shagufta "xyaa" Iqbal, the content creator for Team Vitality in India, was one of them.
During the event, Sportskeeda Esports got the opportunity to interview her. The conversation provided insight into the world of content creation, the Valorant vs CS2 argument that has been brewing, and the role of brands like Red Bull in nurturing the growing popularity of gaming in a country like India.
xyaa opens about Valorant, CS2, Red Bull's involvement in the esports scene, and more
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You're a gamer who loves to compete. How do you feel after seeing India's young Valorant players perform at such a big stage?
xyaa: It feels really good to see all the amateur Valorant players getting a chance to showcase their skills on such a big platform like Red Bull.
Streaming and esports competitions are a niche workplace, especially in India. What are some of the negatives of constantly interacting with an audience for hours every day?
xyaa: There are not too many negatives, to be honest, since everyone is super sweet. Whenever I meet fans at an event like this, they are super sweet, and they want pictures and autographs, which is a lovely feeling.
That said, online, there can be a few haters. Being a female gamer, they sometimes feel that I don't deserve to be on this platform. You can always have ups and downs, but my supporters way outnumber my haters.
Apart from gaming, you're known for doing a variety of content on your YouTube channel. What would you say is your favorite kind of content?
xyaa: I really enjoy doing idle streaming, which is basically just showing my audience a behind-the-scenes of my life.
I enjoy doing that, and they also like watching that. They have seen me gaming, but they want to know what I am like IRL (in real life).
It's a well-known fact that you're an excellent CSGO player. How excited are you about the recent CS2 launch?
xyaa: I absolutely love the CS2 reboot. We have had CS:GO for such a long time, and it was a huge part of my gaming life that it is sad to see it go. But CS2 is a welcome aspect in every gamer's life. I have a feeling it will be great.
Valorant has been dominant in the FPS genre since it's release. Do you think CS2's release will be negatively impact Valorant in any way?
xyaa: There are a lot of die-hard Valorant fans in India, so I don't think CS2 can overtake that.
But I do hope it grows well since I love playing CS2, and it's always good to see a variety of games growing in the country.
How do you think the close involvement of a brand name like Red Bull helps develop the esports scene, especially in a country like India?
xyaa: It basically brings more eyes to gaming in India. What we need the most is for more non-gamers to get into gaming, and that is happening with the help of Red Bull.
Because Red Bull is such a big brand, I think it will draw more and more brands into the scene, which is always a good thing overall.
