“Riot Games' Valorant has helped women feel more included in the esports industry”: Ayesha 'Mythica' Samman

Valorant has emerged as one of the most popular FPS titles in South Asian countries like Pakistan, however, the scene is still growing.

Ayesha “Mythica” Samman, a Valorant content creator and coach, is one of the most renowned personalities in the Pakistani esports and gaming scene. From being a casual player to taking up esports and gaming seriously as a career, Mythica has made her own name.

Ayesha “Mythica” Samman on her journey as a Valorant Coach and Content Creator

In an interaction with Pratiti Dhang of Sportskeeda Esports, Mythica opens up about her journey in the esports and gaming industry so far. She talked about the current Valorant scene in Pakistan and pointed how the esports events and tournaments have helped in the growth.

Here is an excerpt of the conversation.

Q: Mythica, many of your fans are not aware of your origin story. Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your journey so far?

Mythica: I started off by playing Dota casually but soon fell in love with CS:GO and realized FPS was more of my thing, but gaming of course mainly started for me back when I was 7 years old. Neo Geo being my go-to. I started off as a casual player who fell in love with the esports side of the games I played. I went from being just a player to a content creator and now a coach as well.

Q: Did you face any hurdles while pursuing a career in gaming? If yes, what were some of them?

Mythica: I faced a lot of problems pursuing this career. It wasn't very feasible, especially in a country like Pakistan, and even harder with the lack of support from my dad in the beginning. It was hard trying to convince my parents that I could make something out of it. Other than that I had a really tough time facing s*xism from the local community over everything.

Q: Talking about toxicity, it is quite common in gaming. Recently, we witnessed a glimpse of it where your teammate Sway was demeaned by the Malaysian player, Moosey. You were quite vocal about it as well. Do you think this kind of toxicity has been a major issue in the growth of the gaming community? Have you yourself come across such an incident?

Mythica: I don't know why this sort of racist toxicity still exists in 2021 when we should be more woke than this. We're all a part of Asia and we should treat each other with respect. Everyone has a different acceptance, different culture and so on. And yes, I have been a target of such toxicity as well.

Q: Valorant has gained immense popularity in one year. For how long have you been playing this game, and what are your go-to agent picks?

Mythica: I've been playing since beta and my go-to agents are all Sentinel agents in the game, but if I ever play duelist, it's always Jett or Reyna.

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Q: Apart from Valorant, did any other game attract your attention enough to be played recently?

Mythica: I have been intoxicated by the New World, and I have been enjoying it. Can't wait for the official release.

Q: Talking about the international Valorant esports scene, the scope for female esports players is comparatively less. However, the progression has been confirmed by the initiation of VCT Game Changers. Do you think this can give a better opportunity to female esports players?

Mythica: Riot Games’ Valorant has helped women feel more included in the esports industry more than any other company if I’m being honest. The company has helped so many new talents come to light because of its amazing initiatives for women. It's such a huge and positive change, I can't begin to explain my love and respect for Riot Games.

Q: Now, let’s shift the focus to the Pakistani Valorant scene. Recently in the Valorant Conquerors Championship, Team Exploit proved themselves to be one of the three Valorant teams in South Asia, which has given Pakistan recognition in the international Valorant scene. How do you feel about it and such opportunities helping the Pakistani Valorant esports scene grow?

Mythica: Tournaments like the Jazba Cup, VCC and others have brought many opportunities to the local scene. Pakistan has never had this many huge events and good teams in such a short amount of time before. It's definitely helped the scene a lot.

Q: Even though the South Asian Valorant esports scene is growing, it has a lot to develop, when compared to the regions like NA and EU. What are the major aspects the scene needs to work on to improve?

Mythica: I think the understanding of how a certain role in the game works is what sets us apart from the bigger regions. Teams and players here still need time to understand the fundamentals of the game better, and this is coming from my coaching point of view as I've coached American teams before and I currently am. This is one of the bigger differences I’ve seen so far. Also, I think we don't treat scrims the way they should be, unfortunately. It's something I’ve been working on, in the scene. Hopefully, I’m successful!

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Q: Who are some of your favorite Valorant esports players?

Mythica: My number one favorite is XETA from Cloud 9 as he's my biggest inspiration to compete. I almost cried when he followed me back on Twitter recently! (laughs) I also love Envy Yay, Envy Crashes, SEN Zombs and as of recently, Gambit nAts.

Q: Any message or suggestion to aspiring female gamers who wish to make a career in esports and gaming in the future?

Mythica: I just want to tell them to not be afraid and to have an open mind, most importantly. Learn to accept mistakes in-game, work on yourself as a player and always be open to criticism.