"What ASUS ROG Academy is doing vital to the Indian esports scene": VLT Valorant professional Anuj "Amaterasu" Sharma

Anuj "Amaterasu" Sharma is one of the best Valorant players that India has to offer and began his journey in Valorant during the year 2020. After a brief stint with Team Mahi, he made his way onto the Velocity Gaming roster and is currently the team's captain.

Amaterasu is one of the most popular in-game leader (IGL) in Valorant and is absolutely deadly when playing agents like Breach and Fade. However, Valorant isn't his first rodeo. Amaterasu used to be a part of the professional CS:GO circuit as well, and played under the banner of Entity Gaming.

Apart from being in the headlines because of his achievements in the esports sector, Amaterasu made headlines once again when he joined the ASUS ROG Academy as a mentor. The academy aims to educate and empower gaming enthusiasts within the country. For a nation like India, where the esports scene is still growing, having an institution like the ASUS ROG Academy will greatly benefit the entire esports community, and can be expected to produce more Valorant professionals like Amaterasu from the country.

Amitesh Dhar of Sportskeeda Esports recently reached out to Amaterasu, who opened up about his journey from being a casual gamer to one of India's top IGLs and also spoke about the ASUS ROG Academy.

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Amaterasu speaks about his journey as a Valorant professional player

Q. What inspired you to take up esports professionally while growing up? What are the challenges that you faced while working your way through the Indian esports scene?

Amaterasu: I have always been passionate and competitive about games and sports. As I grew up, I became more aware of the growing realm of esports across the globe. And soon, it was clear to me that esports is my true calling and since then, I have never looked back.

The Indian esports industry was at a very nascent stage when I ventured into this segment professionally and there were several obstacles and challenges I had to overcome, such as the absence of professional organizations, limited resources, limited access to pro-level gaming gear, and most importantly, the lack of professionally organized tournaments.

Today, however, I am glad and proud to see the magnitude of positive change the Indian gaming community has witnessed and the challenges we have overcome together.

Q. If given the power, what aspects would you like to change about the Indian esports scene?

Amaterasu: I would like to raise more awareness and educate the community about the concept of academy rosters with the aim of building an environment where hiring and making academy rosters is fundamental.

Q. What are your thoughts about the ROG esports academy? How vital and viable is it, with respect to the Indian esports scene?

Amaterasu: ROG Academy is a great initiative by ASUS that provides a platform for gaming enthusiasts and rising talents and equips them with the right gaming infrastructure, coaches, trainers, and more to hone their skills and emerge as stars. For example, Sensei was selected as a participant in ROG Academy Season 3, and with the right set of training and mentoring under ROG Academy, he dove headfirst into the esports industry and is now part of a good team. I think what ROG Academy is doing is viable as well as vital to the Indian esports scene and will further strengthen the Indian esports ecosystem.

Q. What is your opinion about the College VALORANT Tournament that the Riot Scholastic Society of America recently announced? Would a tournament like College VALORANT be beneficial to the Indian esports scene?

Amaterasu: The College VALORANT tournament is a great way to familiarize digital natives with the game as well as raise awareness about the title, resulting in increased popularity and expansion of the esports industry. Collegiate-level VALORANT tournaments will definitely benefit the Indian esports industry as it would greatly upsurge the acceptance and knowledge of the game.

Q. What are your thoughts on Paper Rex’s performance in the VCT Masters 2022?

Amaterasu: Paper Rex performed really well. They have set new milestones and benchmarks for us by being the first APAC Team to be in the Grand Finals of any FPS Title!

I was proud to see a team from the APAC region qualify for the Grand Finals for the VCT Masters 2022. It has motivated all of us to reach newer heights and hopefully be on that same stage representing our nation one day.

Q. Gaming at a competitive level can become stressful. How does one deal with the stress that stems from the competition on a global level?

Amaterasu: To deal with the stress of a competition, I would suggest that people spend some time with their loved ones, eat healthy and go outside and have fun to de-stress. Never let stress take over.

Q. What would be your role in the ROG Academy with respect to nurturing new talent? And any advice for the youngsters who are planning on diving head on into the world of esports?

Amaterasu: My role would be to mentor the participants of the ROG Academy, time and again. I come with over 6 years of experience in the esports industry and given my journey, I have great knowledge and insights about the official title of the ROG Academy. I recently conducted a masterclass for the participants that helped me connect with them and guide them on their journey.

My advice to youngsters would be to never give up! No matter how hard the path gets, NEVER GIVE UP!