“As TSM FTX’s Free Fire IGL, I shoulder a lot of responsibilities, both inside and outside the server”: Indranil "FABINDRO" Saha

The job of the in-game leader (IGL) for any esports title is one of the hardest to pull off. Even in Garena’s Free Fire, the IGL needs to constantly be on top of their game to help the squad stay ahead of the competition.

TSM FTX’s Indranil "FABINDRO" Saha is one of the most celebrated Free Fire captains and shot callers in the nation. His story is one of discipline and dedication where he grinds every day to be the best version of himself for not just the team, but also the fans who have given him so much of their love and support over the years.

In an interview with Abhishek Mallick of Sportskeeda Esports, the TSM FTX Free Fire IGL opens up about how he got started and his first steps in the Indian mobile esports scene. He talks about his responsibilities both inside and outside the game, and how he manages the time to be a streamer while being a professional Free Fire player.

Here is an excerpt of the conversation.

Q. Indranil, can we start by having you tell our audience a bit about yourself? How did your career as an esports athlete kick-off, and what inspired you to seek a career in this field, to begin with?

Indranil: Hello! I am Indranil Saha, and I am the in-game leader for TSM FTX. I currently reside in Kolkata West Bengal, where I was born and brought up, and my in-game name is TSM FTX Indro.

I initially started playing Free Fire for fun, just to pass my time. But as I kept investing more time in the game, my interest in it kept growing and then I noticed some Free Fire tournaments pop up, which got me hooked into watching a lot of international teams.

Seeing them play just increased my hunger and passion for the game, and I ultimately ended up grinding Free Fire nonstop just to get better at it.

It has always been my dream to represent India on the international stage to some degree, and Free Fire became the gateway to fulfilling that dream. So I decided to invest my time in becoming a full-time esports athlete.

Q. What’s the atmosphere like back at home? Are your parents supportive of your career choice as a professional Free Fire player?

Indranil: In the beginning, my parents didn’t understand what I did, and they were skeptical regarding the fact that playing a game can earn an individual both fame and money.

However, even though they didn’t understand how it worked, they did not stop supporting me with what I wanted to do.

Hence, when I decided to start my career in esports, they gave me all the help I needed and a personal gaming room where I could sit all day and improve on my Free Fire skills. I was given full freedom to pursue my dreams, and they never pressurized me to pursue a conventional career.

Their understanding of the video games industry grew when I eventually started making money from the game.

Q. How has the transition been like for you from Sixth Sense to TSM.FTX? Do you have to adapt to a lot of new strategies and gameplay?

Indranil: TSM-FTX signed us right before the India Pro League tournament, so they did not want to make any changes to disrupt the team order and synergy in any way.

But with the Pro League now done, the organization is having regular sit-downs with us where they are learning more about who we are and looking at areas that we need to work on and improve on.

This is allowing them to better support our team. TSM believes that the best team is one that adapts to the changing and growing META, so we are grinding to be the roster that sets the trends and not just follow them.

Q. You have been the IGL for the Sixth Sense roster and will continue to lead the team in TSM as well. Talk to us about some of the specific responsibilities that you have in the squad. Does the role of the shot-caller always fall on your shoulders? Or does the responsibility rotate among the team members depending on the situation?

Indranil: As an in-game leader, I have a lot of responsibilities to shoulder, and the job is not restricted to just in-game situations. Outside the server, I need to make sure that the players are ready and coming in for regular practice sessions and giving their best.

I also need to make sure they are mentally and physically doing well, responding to feedback, and maintaining discipline.

During matches, my priority is to maintain communication and team synergy along with giving out calls on when to rush, when to hold, and when to play for points.

All these shot-calls are mine to make. Sometimes we win and celebrate our victories, and sometimes we lose and work harder to improve ourselves, but we always bounce back and improve our game.

Q. Apart from being an esports athlete, you are also a very avid streamer and content creator. How do you manage to balance these two aspects of your life?

Indranil: It’s quite difficult to maintain both these aspects of my life. I really struggled at first when I stepped in to be a content creator, so I eventually had to work on a schedule that allowed me to comfortably invest in both things.

During the day, there weren’t many tournaments, as most of the events start after 3 PM. So I invest much of my mornings either practicing or creating content.

This routine has slowly become a habit, but I still find it difficult to manage both sides from time to time.

Q. Why Free Fire? With so many battle royale titles to choose from on the mobile platform, why was Garena’s IP the game you based your entire career around?

Indranil: To be honest, I was never quite familiar with the battle royale genre before Free Fire. I was much more into racing games, and it was only when I started Garena’s title did I get completely hooked.

Free Fire for me was very addictive, and the aspect that I loved the most about was how I was able to talk to players and communicate with them. As the game kept growing on me, I start getting even more addicted and eventually transformed just from a gamer to an esports professional.

Q. With Battlegrounds Mobile India finally live, do you feel it will have much effect on the Free Fire esports scene in terms of viewership and community participation?

Indranil: During the ban of PUBG Mobile, we saw the Free Fire India channels grow on YouTube, so it did have some impact on the scene. However, as TSM-FTX is in Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India, based on what they shared with me, the two audience demographics are different, so there is not much overlap in communities as people think there to be.

So TSM-FTX believes both games will thrive with strong, growing scenes.

Q. What do you feel about the Free Fire esports scene as it stands today? Is there scope for improvements in areas that need to focus on the amateur scene?

Indranil: A big part of why TSM-FTX has entered Free Fire India and also has announced plans to enter Free Fire Brazil is because of Garena.

The publishers have an incredible esports vision as well as plans with well-thought-out leagues and rules for Tier 1-3 leagues.

They give everyone a chance to become an esports pro if they train hard enough and eventually start leaving their own mark on the scene.

Q. What are your thoughts on the star-studded collaborations that Free Fire has been doing for some time now? Do you feel it improves community engagement and keeps the game fresh and exciting?

Indranil: Garena is doing a great job not just in Free Fire esports, but in also being able to create lots of engaging events that promote local and regional content creators to come into the spotlight.

Their partnerships with celebrity figures are also a great step in my opinion that keeps the player engaged and entertained and keeps them from getting bored of grinding the game.

This is a big reason why Free Fire has seen success not only in India but Brazil, Vietnam, etc. where they are doing the same star-studded collaborations that get millions of views and community engagement.

Q. What word of advice would you give newer players who are still struggling to make it big in the Free Fire esports scene?

Indranil: The only advice I would give is to never give up. Don’t give up no matter what happens.

Maybe every day won’t be the same and you will face a lot of hurdles, but don’t give up and always believe in yourself and in the fact that with enough effort, you can do anything you set your mind to.

Your success may not come today or tomorrow. It may take a few months or years, but always believe in yourself, and eventually, people will start believing in you as a player and start cheering for you.