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In recent months, the Valorant esports scene in India has grown massively because of several tournament opportunities for players and teams to represent themselves.
The Valorant Conquerors Championship (VCC) is one of the reasons which has led to the grown of the Valorant esports in India. Meanwhile, many other organizers like The Esports Club and Skyesports contributed to the growth and development of the scene.
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Some teams have always remained on the top teams’ list of almost every tournament, and Team XO is believed to be one of them. Recently, Esports XO acquired the entire Valorant roster of Samurai Esports, which included Simar 'Psy' Sethi, one of the experienced players in the current scene.
Even though they missed out on the VCC Main Event, after losing to Enigma Gaming in Wildcard Qualifier, Psy and his team have been outperformed in the other Valorant tournaments.
Team XO’s Simar “psy” Sethi on the team’s journey and his thoughts on current Valorant meta and Indian esports scene
In an exclusive conversation with Pratiti Dhang of Sportskeeda Esports, Psy talked about his Valorant squad, Team XO, and his thoughts on the current Valorant meta. He also spoke about the current Indian Valorant esports scene and its future.
Here is an excerpt of the conversation.
Q: Team XO is one of the Valorant teams in India. It has ended up winning or being in the top 3 in their recent tournaments. What are your thoughts on the team's recent performance?
Psy: Currently, we are not happy with our performance, nor do we consider ourselves top 3. We haven't lived up to our expectations, but we will not give up and keep improving and being the best in the country.
Q: Almost every player in the team is versatile when it comes to agent picks. How does this help the team in the overall gameplay?
Psy: Versatility in a game like Valorant is very important. If you want to experiment and play different drafts against teams with a different playstyle, your team needs to be flexible and can play other agents if and when required.
Q: What else is the team's biggest strength according to you?
Psy: Firepower and aggression.
Q: Prabhdeep "Ghost" Bhatia has been a part of the roster after Team XO acquired Samurai Esports, before Valorant Conquerors Championship India Qualifier 2. How has the team built up the synergy well with him?
Psy: We have had our ups and downs with Ghost. But we are improving now and playing better day by day.
Q: You are one of the top Indian Valorant players to adapt to KAY/O, and have frequently been seen playing the agent in recent tournaments. However, the majority of the teams don't pick the robotic initiator. How do you think KAY/O benefits the team compared to other agents in the game?
Psy: When KAY/O came, I was keen to play this as it gave me a vibe of CS: GO. KAY/O is an agent who can play aggressive and defensive with it. It has a very versatile utility, and you have to make plays with it constantly, and it's an agent who suits my play style.
Q: You were a Jett main in your initial Valorant days. Then you choose to try out other agents like Sova and Killjoy. Any specific reason behind it? What can be the next agent fans can expect you to play in future?
Psy: I have been an operator player all my career. As I mentioned before, flexibility is important for us. Being the senior player, I can play agents needed in the team so that my players can focus on their main agents. Maybe you'll see me on Jett again.
Q: Recently, patch 3.08 dropped with a major Jett bug delaying her weapon pull-out time and rising in her Updraft price. This led the community to divide into two popular opinions. One half of the community demands the Jett bug to remain as a nerf, considering her high pick rate in Valorant. Whereas, the other half wants it to get it fixed. What is your opinion on it?
Psy: It should be fixed, and I am happy that Riot fixed Jett. She has already received a nerf by reducing the number of smokes and the new animation of the updraft. I think Jett is a balanced agent now.
Q: Valorant Conquerors Championship has undoubtedly boosted the Valorant esports scene of not only India but also other South Asian countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. How do you think the region can grow more in future?
Psy: I have never seen such a massive prize pool event in my eight years of career, but I am delighted that so many organizers and sponsors are there to support the PC gaming ecosystem. If support continues to grow, then I am sure more teams from these regions will flourish.
Q: Skyesports is organizing AMD Ryzen Skyesports Tri-series between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It will be the first-ever LAN tournament in the South-Asian region. What are your thoughts on it?
Psy: Skyesports have done a commendable job by hosting bangers of events all the time. I adore how they keep changing the event format to spice things up. We look forward to this tournament, and it would be a great honor if we get to represent India.
Q: The South Asian Valorant scene has still a long way to become one of the top Valorant regions. What are the major aspects that the Valorant teams need to focus on to reach the skill level of NA and EU teams?
Psy: I think we are not far away from the EU and NA Valorant teams, because in the past, I have represented India and boot camped in the EU, and there isn't much of a skill gap. It's all about the experience you get playing against the best. If you look at Global Esports at APAC LCQ, they did a splendid job and showed what we are capable of, and I am proud of them. I believe that if we get more exposure and opportunities, we can do a lot of damage.
