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Neha "Casper" Sottany is currently one of the country's most talented female Valorant athletes, representing VLT Asteria.
Casper started her career in FPS games by playing Counter-Strike. After Valorant's release last year, she switched to the Riot Games shooter. The pro recently represented India and the South Asian region in the Valorant Game Changers FSL Elite.
In an interview with Sportskeeda Esports' Rishab Chakladar, Casper revealed her experience of the tournament. She also spoke about VLT Asteria's plan for the upcoming months and the future of Valorant esports in the South Asian region.
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Casper reveals that VLT Asteria is preparing to deliver a better performance in next year's FSL Elite
Here is what Casper said:
Q. Casper, tell our readers about your journey till now, how you started your career in esports and your sojourn to VLT Asteria!
Casper: Of course, my esports journey was never easy. I started playing Counter-Strike 1.6 in a cyber cafe. Later my friends told me about CS: GO, and I switched to it. We formed a female team named GE.Rayne and played some online tournaments. We also qualified for the LAN event.
After that, when lockdown started, I got disconnected from everything for almost a year. Then my sister got a PC at my place, and I started playing Valorant and decided to stream from that system.
I met other girls from Team Asteria (now known as VLT Asteria) who already had a team and were looking for their fifth member. I hopped in, and surprisingly, I was the perfect fit. We participated in the VCT Game Changers FSL event.
After making multiple roster changes, we proved ourselves in the FSL WILDCARD, and now, we are a family, VLT Asteria.
Q. How much did your family support you when you decided to be an esports athlete?
Casper: I went to Thailand for a CS: GO tournament when I wasn't even 18. However, my family was really supportive, and they never stopped me from playing as it was my passion. But they always told me that study is my priority and after that, I can do whatever I want in life.
When I said I would be a part of this team and explained everything, they congratulated me and supported me to have a career in it.
Q. Velocity Gaming, one of the most renowned organizations of India, hired Team Asteria after you qualified for the FSL Elite. How much did it help you and your team?
Casper: There are very few renowned female teams in the region. We have the potential, and we want to show it to the world. After our qualification in the FSL Elite, Velocity Gaming came forward and gave us a chance to play under the banner.
We worked hard for that, and we finally got it. I can't explain those feelings in words.
Q. Did it (the organization's banner) increase the pressure on you and your side in the FSL Elite?
Casper: No, it didn't increase the pressure. Instead, we were sure of one thing: that we were not fighting alone. They always had our backs no matter what.
Q. You had a decent run in the FSL Elite. However, you were knocked out of the competition after losing against Renatus White in the Lower Bracket Round 2 tie. Tell us, how was the experience? How did you feel while representing the region and the country?
Casper: Yes, losses are hard to accept, but we cannot win it all. We learned from our mistakes. As it was our first time participating in such a tournament, we had a great experience. Moreover, representing our region was, of course, an honor.
Q. According to you, where did it go wrong, resulting in an early elimination for your side?
Casper: We prepared for everything, and we did our best. But somehow, it was not enough. We also had a ping disadvantage which is not a significant issue, but it affected the game.
Q. You traveled to Chennai for a better environment to play on Singapore servers at the FSL Elite. How was that experience for you?
Casper: At first, we thought going to Chennai won't be that effective. But when we played on LAN, we could feel the difference between the pings. Moreover, I felt confident in the boot camp rather than sitting alone at my place.
Q. What are the future plans of VLT Asteria?
Casper: We plan to give a better fight in next year's FSL, and we will also play domestic Valorant tournaments for more experience.
Q. It's a great initiative by Riot to give a chance to female players through the Game Changer event. What is your view on it?
Casper: As I already mentioned, the female Valorant scene was not recognized earlier. But because of FSL, we have a chance to show our potential and capabilities to the world.
Q. Can you share your views on the South Asian esports scene in PC esports?
Casper: The South Asian gaming scene is growing at an incredible speed. But we need more tournaments for females to boost their participation and the scene. I would love to make our region proud with my team nationally and internationally.
