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The Valorant Conquerors Championship (VCC) has given the South Asian region a chance to make it to the Valorant Champions Tour. Among all of them, Team Exploit from Pakistan was one of the teams that made a powerful comeback in VCC Pakistan & Afghanistan Qualifier 2, after its loss in Qualifier 1.
Like most South Asian countries, Pakistan has also been one of the neglected regions, when it comes to Valorant esports. With the Valorant Conquerors Championship taking place, it has provided an opportunity for some of the top players to come forward to represent their country in the international Valorant esports scene.
By winning the VCC Pakistan & Afghanistan Qualifier 2, Team Exploit, has got itself a chance to play on an international stage. Team Exploit is owned by Murtaza “MRT” Khan who is one of the top faces of the Pakistani Esports industry. MRT himself has been a gamer since a very young age.
Team Exploit’s owner, Murtaza “MRT” Khan on the team’s journey to Valorant Conquerors Championship and its future plans
Pratiti Dhang of Sportskeeda Esports reached out to Murtaza “MRT” Khan and talked about the team's journey and its future plans for the upcoming Valorant Conquerors Championship main event.
The following is an excerpt of the interview.
Q: MRT, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and your journey in the esports industry?
MRT: Well, I am a 28-year-old guy from Karachi, Pakistan. I started playing at a very young age, initially from 2004 to 2011; I was a competitive CS 1.6 player. Then I continued my studies and went to the UK for my degree program, however, gaming was one of my favorite hobbies at that time so I am not new to this industry.
Q1: What inspired you to enter into the esports industry and form Team Exploit? Can you tell us more about the teams’ journey? What were some of the challenges that the team faced?
MRT: Like I said I wasn’t new in this industry, and I had this thing in me to go above and beyond, so I created a team called Team Exploit. Some of the major challenges my team and I faced were a lack of proper encouragement and support from the government.
It was initially very tough to get some sponsors, as people didn’t know enough about this industry. They thought spending money is a waste.
Q2: What was the team’s reaction when the Valorant Conquerors Championship was announced? How did the team prepare and train for the tournament?
MRT: The team was in high spirits when the VCC was announced because it was the very first time that Pakistan got a slot in any international Valorant event. From the day the announcement was made, we started a boot camp for the team to practice day and night for the tournament, which paid off as we qualified for the Playoffs.
Q3: Team Exploit has become the second Pakistani team to qualify for the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event. How did it feel to the entire team and the management after winning the finals of VCC Pakistan & Afghanistan Qualifier 2?
MRT: As we started off, it was a very sad moment for us that we couldn’t make it to the Playoffs after losing in Qualifier 1, but we didn’t lose hope. In fact, we worked hard on our weak points and then, it finally happened.
We got into the Playoffs after winning the VCC Pakistan & Afghanistan Qualifier 2. It had a very positive impact on the players and they were all excited.
Q4: The team made a huge comeback in the VCC Pakistan & Afghanistan Qualifier 2. How did the addition of Abdul "HSB" Haseeb to the Valorant roster affect the teamwork?
MRT: Yes, for very unfortunate reasons, HSB had to fly to Spain for Redbull Campus Clutch. However, we continued with our stand-in in Qualifier 1, but as of now, HSB is back in the team and we already showed what we got in Qualifier 2.
Q5: The Wildcard qualifiers will have the last chance to qualify for the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event. Which team do you believe has the most potential among all of them?
MRT: All the teams have the potential, but in my opinion, it is Team XO (previously known as Samurai Esports) from India and Team Arrow from Pakistan.
Q6: Now that the team will be facing some of the top Valorant teams from South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and also Team Arrow from Pakistan, in the VCC Main Event, which team do you think will be quite challenging for Team Exploit?
MRT: The team is working hard, having a practice session every day, and reading about some of the top teams like Global Esports and Velocity Gaming. We are confident enough to take this challenge to another level, but I also believe that Global Esports and Velocity Gaming might be challenging for us.
Q7: The competition in the VCC Main Event won’t be easy. Team Exploit will have the top Valorant teams of South Asia playing against them. Furthermore, if the team wins and qualifies for the Valorant Champions Tour 2021: Asia Last Chance Qualifier, they face some of the top South-East Asian contenders. How well is the team is prepared to compete for the Valorant Champions Tour 2021 slot?
MRT: It is too early to comment on anything as we have our focus on the regional Playoffs.
Q8: Valorant has grown massively in the South Asian region, and now that VCC is happening, what do you think about the future of esports in South Asia in the next five years?
MRT: The future is bright as we see many brands showing interest in the esports industry. So, I think it’s going to be a profitable industry in the near future just like the entertainment industry.
Q9: What are your expectations from the team in the upcoming days?
MRT: I am very optimistic, so I just want them to win every tournament, playing under our name, for which they have my full support.
