“Punk is a person in the community who I respect very much”: S8UL Sid on the recent New State Mobile controversy

The recent developments in the Indian BGMI and New State Mobile communities have generated intense discussions among fans, especially after XO Punk's statement following the end of the PUBG New State Pro Series India, which left many in shock and awe. Here's what he said in his Instagram Story:

"To attain the title of king, it's not about talking but about performance. Focus on performing, not just speaking."

This is the statement from XO Punk (Image via ig_punkk /Instagram)

XO Punk's statement caused a stir in the community, as some perceived it as a dig at popular players and teams. Siddhant Joshi, manager for S8UL's esports division, responded by saying he had contacted Team XO's management to address any potential conflicts. The following is a summary of what he said:

"Punk is a person in the community who I respect very much. Whatever he posted was apparently because he had some problems with the players. I prefer not to delve into that matter on the stream."

The manager further added that he was open to finding a resolution. He was quoted as saying:

"I have no hard feelings towards him, but it was surprising to see such a post. I have communicated with the management that I don’t object to it being made. However, if there is a problem in the relationship, I am open to finding a resolution as I have had no prior issues with Punk or Team XO."

Since then, several prominent content creators and personalities have also reacted to the incident and provided their views.

Disclaimer: The quotes used in the article were translated from Hindi to English, so there may be some discrepancies.

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Scout’s view on Punk’s statement and the New State Mobile controversy

Tanmay Singh, who is popularly recognized as Scout, also offered his insight into the events that took place during the tournament. He highlighted the distinction between off-screen and on-screen banter, emphasizing that the former carries more weight.

He was quoted along the following lines during his stream:

"On-screen actions are just staged banter designed to add excitement. This makes the audience believe that there are conflicts happening, but afterwards, the participants may even have lunch together."

The BGMI star further explained that the story might be a result of some off-screen events. He added:

"Conversely, off-screen events are taken more seriously. The BGMI players trying out for New State are commonly taunted and criticized for switching games, with comments that they will not be able to make it. Moreover, many seasoned New State players also talked about how they will not allow them to qualify. Punk’s recent statement was in response to this."

This offers some context regarding the incident that may have occurred during the PUBG New State Pro Series India.

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An official statement from Team XO’s co-founder XO Nayan

Nayan Gaur, VP - Community and Esports (Core Team) of Team XO, issued an official statement on the matter through an Instagram story. He stated the following to provide clarity to the community:

"To address the ongoing matter, as Sid already mentioned in his stream, we have an extremely good relationship with the organization. Any miscommunication or banter created is unintentional and has no hard feelings against any player or organization. We are aware of some things that occurred at the venue that definitely shouldn’t have happened, but it's all part of the bigger picture and taken in a sporting manner."

XO Punk later clarified that his statement was not aimed at any individual player but that it was rather a general remark following Team XO's win in the New State Mobile tournament. Nevertheless, the controversy arose mainly due to the perception that it was directed at certain players.