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Samurai Esports is one of India’s top Valorant teams. Formed back in February 2021, the roster has won several tournaments.
The roster has gone through several changes over the last few months but has maintained a strong performance. There have been several recent rumors regarding the future of the roster.
In an exclusive conversion with Sportskeeda’s Suryadeepto Sengupta, Samurai Esports’s CEO and Esports XO’s Chief Esports Head, Premal “TrAnZ” Mehta opened up about the future of the roster, departure of Jigar ‘sMx’ Mehta, and Valorant Conquerors Championship.
The following is an excerpt of the conversation.
Premal, since the formation of the Valorant roster back in February, the team has won many tournaments and is currently one of the top Valorant teams in India. Was this level of success something you anticipated when starting? Recently, Samurai Esports raked in 1 Million INR in prize money and 5 Million INR in brand deals. How do you feel regarding this accomplishment?
Premal: Yes, the accomplishments of our Valorant squad are truly remarkable. The squad is hungry for the win and they are working hard towards their goal to be the best team in India.
Coming to brand deals, I have been working hard for the same and we have had remarkable success. In the future, there is more to come which we can’t reveal at the moment.
What do you think is the reason behind Valorant’s success in India? Do you think the ban of PUBG Mobile propelled its popularity by bringing in a new demographic of audience and player base?
Premal: Yes, the ban on PUBG Mobile has been a boon for Valorant, but I believe that Valorant boomed because it is a combination of FPS and MOBA. It is a pretty fresh take on the FPS genre and can be exciting for the viewers to watch. Now that PUBG Mobile is back as BGMI, Valorant still is and hopefully will remain one of the most popular games to watch for the esports enthusiast audience.
Riot Games in partnership with Nodwin Gaming brought Valorant Conquerors Championship which allows South Asian teams to compete at the Valorant Champions Tour. What are your thoughts on Samurai’s performance in India Qualifier 1? How is the roster preparing for India Qualifier 2? How do you feel Jigar ‘sMx’ Mehta leaving the roster will affect the teamwork in the upcoming qualifier?
Premal: Obviously, we are not happy with our result in the VCC Qualifiers as we’ll be content when we qualify for the grand finals. The departure of sMx will definitely affect us as he had great performances in the entire event. But with the addition of Ghost in our lineup, we believe we will be able to perform even better than we were before. The boys are putting their heads down and working hard with him. We expect even better results in the forthcoming VCC qualifier.
How do you feel tournaments such as The Esports Club Gauntlet are influential in the growth of the Indian Valorant competitive scene? TEC Gauntlet might be one of the last tournaments the roster participates in under the banner of Samurai Esports. Any thoughts on the matter?
Premal: TEC has been putting up fantastic events for budding esports athletes. They have been responsible for growing not just the valorant scene but also other games. They have also enhanced the viewing experience for esports enthusiasts. Kudos to TEC and other organizers who have been doing such a great job in growing the Indian Esports Ecosystem. Yes, TEC will be our last event under the Samurai Gaming Banner and it has been a great ride for us. For future events, we’ll be representing Team XO. We are excited to represent such a brand.
Speaking of the roster, there have been several reports of the Samurai Valorant roster joining XO Esports. What can you tell us about that? What messages do you have for the fans of the roster?
Premal: Let’s put the rumors to rest. Yes, we are going to move to Team XO. We are excited about this new venture and hope that the community would be happy to see us dawning the colors of Team XO. We expect our fans to keep supporting us and show us more love for the hard work that the team is putting in.
What’s the future like for Samurai Esports? What can fans expect from the organization in the coming months?
Premal: As we are getting transferred to TEAM XO, as we discussed earlier, in the coming future Atif Kazi will be revealing the plans for Samurai Esports.
