“I want Free Fire to create a structure that would actively help develop the amateur scene”: Hari Raman of PVS Gaming

Garena pulled no punches when it came to helping Free Fire become one of the most popular titles across multiple regions.

However, there are many in the community who feel that the title should come up with smaller events that can help the grassroots even further.

Hari Raman of PVS Gaming has been one of many in the industry who have been vocal about creating a support structure for the Free Fire amateur scene as it would help the game in India drastically.

In an interview with Abhishek Mallick of Sportskeeda Esports, Hari opens up about his thoughts on the current Free Fire ecosystem, how he started with content creation, and some of his goals moving forward.

Here is an excerpt of the conversation.

Q. Hari, can we start by having you tell us a bit about your origin story and how you got started with content creation and PVS Gaming?

Hari: While I was still in college, I used to play video games for fun with a lot of friends. But a lot of people eventually started suggesting that I should create a YouTube channel and stream.

So, I started it for fun and to see how quickly I can grow the channel. To my surprise, PVS Gaming took off surprisingly well, the community loved my videos, and the channel grew substantially in a very short time.

Now I am hard at work in making creative content, which I have a lot of fun doing. I constantly want to improve the quality of my videos, and this is where Rooter and their help and resources come in.

Q. Why did you choose to name your channel PVS Gaming? Is there any significance behind its full form?

Hari: So, PVS is the combination of my father’s and mother’s names. When I began streaming, I wanted to dedicate my channel to my parents, and this is why I decided to go with their initials.

Q. What’s the condition like back at home? Are your parents supportive of your career choice as a content creator?

Hari: My parents were always quite supportive of what I wanted to do. They never had any inhibitions about my passions and always had my back. However, a part of them always wanted me to fulfill their wish of me becoming a doctor.

I am trying quite hard to show them that streaming and content creation is a viable profession in the industry. Hence, signing up with the streaming platform Rooter, along with the growth in the channel and social media, acts as landmarks that put much of their doubts at ease.

Q. Free Fire has been the title around which your channel built itself. What about the game attracts you so much that you invest so much of your time and energy in it?

Hari: Free Fire was the first game I played with friends when I was studying for my M.B.B.S in Gujarat. What got me hooked to the game was the sense of community and how I was able to meet people with the region with whom I shared my mother tongue. This belonging that I felt with Free Fire was the best.

Q. What is the PVS Pro League Championship? How did you come up with it, and what are some of the aims and visions that went behind its making?

Hari: We organized the PVS Pro League Championship to give opportunities to those who have been struggling to make it big in the Free Fire scene. There are many in my audience who have been trying to make their own mark in the industry for quite some time now.

We created the championship to give back to the community who helped me grow and create a platform for them to grow and be recognized.

Q. When it comes to streaming platforms, you have had your fair share of experiences with many of them. Can you talk to us about your time in each of them?

Hari: I have indeed tried out a lot of content creation platforms over the years, but right now I am sticking to Rooter. Rooter has enabled me to not only grow but have a better reach and interaction with my audience and the Free Fire community.

I do a lot of exclusive giveaways in the custom rooms on Rooter, where I get a chance to meet my fans and engage with them.

There was a phase during my career when I needed a support system that could have my back. That is when Rooter came along, and not only did they help me out with everything I required, but worked with me hand-in-hand to help me get to where I am today.

Q. With Battlegrounds Mobile India finally live for Android devices, how would you say it has affected Free Fire’s scene in the region in terms of audiences and community participation?

Hari: I feel that Battlegrounds Mobile India and Free Fire have different audiences, so with the arrival of Krafton’s title I don’t feel there will be much of a difference.

But I would love to see some competition between the two games, where they constantly push each other to grow.

Q. You often do some hilarious Free Fire cricket shorts. What’s the creative process like behind such videos?

Hari: I always wanted to do something different apart from my usual montage content. So one day when a few of my streamer friends and I got talking, we came up with the idea of improving on what we already did, and came up with more videos that will be light and humorous.

Q. What are your thoughts on the current Free Fire esports scene in the region? Are there areas where you feel that Garena should improve in the coming months?

Hari: It’s true that Garena has been able to grow the region’s Free Fire esports market significantly. However, I feel that it would be great if the publishers start organizing smaller tournaments also that will allow newer teams and the grassroots to participate.

Free Fire already has major events and tournaments that are very hard to qualify for. So it will be great if there was a structure that actively helped the amateur scene to improve and grow.

Q. What’s the future like for PVS Gaming? What can fans of the channel expect from their content creators in the near future?

Hari: We have a lot of things planned for the coming months, and we will continue to bring more events and content for our fans and supporters.

We also have a lot of events planned with Rooter, which I promise will be something very special.