As a professional player, I choose Valorant over CS: GO — Simar 'psy' Sethi, Noble Esports

Q. So many developers are bringing big free-to-play titles like League of Legends: Wild Rift, to mobile phones. Do you think these games are hampering the PC gaming scene in India?

Psy: Indian companies have to look for themselves. They will have to research and determine which is the biggest market for gaming in the country? If India has more mobile phone players as compared to PCs, then they will have to see how many gamers are interested in their title.

If we go to the Philippines, we can see a sharp increase in mobile gamers compared to PC ones. India has a diverse market for video games, which is benefiting mobile as well as PC gamers. The latter has always been supreme, and it that no secret. However, mobile gaming is something very unique, and people didn't see this coming a few years back.

As a result, many top titles like League of Legends are making their way to the mobile gaming industry, which makes the whole esports scene even more diverse and exciting for players.

Q. What do you think is the future of Valorant? Do you believe it could be as popular as the League of Legends or CS: GO esports scenes someday?

Psy: CS: GO is a legendary game, it cannot die even if players leave it, as new players will come and take their place. So I won't compare Valorant to CS: GO. If we talk about Riot's second title, LoL, I will take the example of my ex-manager, Sid Joshi, who was with me for four years. He used to play LoL at a professional level. He showed me a bunch of new games and provided me with sound advice as well.

He always used to tell me about Riot, saying that it is a company that takes its games to the top level. It makes very few games; however, the quality of each is top-notch. So, the company survived in the video game market with a single title, LoL, for ten years. It listens and knows what the community wants, which is crucial for any developer. If pros are complaining about something being overpowered, the devs immediately bring a fix for them in the next update.

Yesterday, I looked through my social media, and came across a player posting a ticket for a problem he was facing in-game, and the Riot dev replied to him by saying: "Hey Bro! We are really sorry about this." It's so cool when they have such conversations with the people playing the game.

This attracts lots of gamers, as they are assured that the game is responding with equal affection and respect. So yes, Valorant will soar high, just like the esports scene of League of Legends, in the future.

Q. Any message or suggestions for young gamers who are looking to become pros like you, and to make a name for themselves?

Psy: Never stop chasing your dreams! Never lose faith in yourself and always trust yourself. There were times when I faced a lot of extreme circumstances in my life, and I just said to myself that I should just give up, leave everything. But no, never do that. If you have a dream, strive hard to achieve it, and once you reach there, you will never stop and keep grinding to become the best at what you do.

Don't do anything forcefully in your life, as dedication is an essential thing. Be faithful and show respect in playing video games, just like when you do other things. Manage your time schedules. And do not copy or impersonate others to make your brand.

People come to my streams and say 'Arey apne Hiko ki tarah mara!' (You played it like Hiko). To that, I always say, I am not Hiko, I am Psy. This is me. Thus, never be scared of working hard, as it will indeed bear fruits one day.