Gaming
esports
How Global eSports is giving Indian gamers a competitive edge in Overwatch
Rushindra Sinha speaks about why he started Global eSports - India's best Overwatch team - and why he is optimistic about India finally making it in competitive gaming.
Rushindra Sinha’s voyage with video gaming began early. “I played my first video game, Chips Challenge, at the age of two,” he says.
As a doctor who runs a chain of hospitals, Rushindra has plenty to keep him tied up. But his fascination with gaming and passion for doing something in the Indian esports industry have made him an unheralded stalwart in the Overwatch community.
“Over other forms of media, what excites me about video games is the ability to control characters and direct their fate,” says Rushindra, an alumnus of the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Rushindra Sinha in his gaming cave
© Rushindra Sinha
Driven to do something, he created his own online game early on. “It became wildly popular in 2007-08. An Australian company acquired the game from me later, which I consider my first successful venture.”
Several months after his first bit of success, Rushindra was still looking for a place to make a mark. It was then that he decided “to take the initiative and create my own opportunities”. And thus he formed Global eSports; India’s top team in the Overwatch competitive sphere.
The role of Global eSports
Overwatch is one of Blizzard Entertainment’s most successful gaming titles. The American game development company made a name for itself in the 1990s with titles like Diablo, WarCraft and StarCraft. In 2014 they launched Hearthstone and followed it up with Overwatch in 2016, which is seen as the company’s next big ticket game. While India failed to capitalise on the competitive international scene as far as WarCraft and StarCraft are concerned, Rushindra is determined not to let that happen with Overwatch.
“The average Indian wishing to go professional lacks the opportunities he deserves. Our aim is to unite young and budding esports professionals into one banner,” Rushindra says about one of his aims with Global eSports.
“We now have two top-tier Overwatch teams that are already competing at south-east Asia (SEA) level tournaments. We have a long way to go, but the teams have already set out on the journey,” he adds.
Rushindra's Blizzard toy collection
© Rushindra Sinha
Overwatch might be the platform with which Global eSports is creating waves internationally, but that’s purely a matter of personal preference. Rushindra says that he is a “big Blizzard fanboy” and that he always fantasized about working at Blizzard, which is why he created a team for one of the company’s titles. But his plans with Global eSports are to go further than his personal likes.
“The primary goal for Global eSports is to create a community around esports. Overwatch is only the first step," says Rushindra, adding that the team was created to unite budding home-grown talent and provide state-of-the-art facilities for all esports enthusiasts.
Read: The story of India's first esports Olympian
Not a one-horse race
Every thesis has an antithesis, and while Global eSports is India’s Overwatch giant, they have a rival in the form of ArkNemesis. The tussle between the two teams to be India’s numero uno in Overwatch has taken place over numerous tournaments.
“My team and I believe in taking one step at a time,” asserts Mansoor ‘Nabu’ Ahmed, the captain of ArkNemesis. “We find ourselves on the back foot. Competitive Overwatch demands a level of dedication and commitment that is needed to excel not only in India but also SEA. That being said, we find ourselves grounded because of other job commitments.”
Mansoor 'Nabu' Ahmed
© Mansoor Ahmed
While Global eSports and ArkNemesis continue to battle on the Overwatch maps, the two teams are also in a collective battle against more popular gaming titles
“We certainly are in the backseat with Dota 2 and CS:GO leading the entire industry. The Indian Overwatch scene is at a very nascent stage,” says Rushindra. “According to me, there is tremor and interest at the grass-roots. However, few factors hinder the growth. The first that comes to mind is the price tag.” Rushindra adds that even for those who get past the cost of playing the game, the fact that the game isn’t a mainstream title is a deterrent.
The number of cafes that can support playing Overwatch at a competitive level is currently on the rise in India. However, the growth of avenues to learn and play the game hasn’t increased the quality of competition. India still has a dearth in the number of serious players, organisations, and competitions.
“Other than Nvidia India's Geforce Cup, Indian LAN Gaming, and a few other community tournaments, the inadequacy of tournaments is indeed troubling,” says Mansoor.
Just like they do with Dota 2 and CS:GO, Indian Overwatch teams have found more tournaments and better remuneration by competing in south-east Asian competitions. “Our only goal is to qualify for the Overwatch Open Division Pacific and make our way to Contenders. We aim to represent ourselves as a strong team not only in India but at a Pacific level,” adds Mansoor.
Global eSports (from left): DJDESTINY, Cruzi, Reyez, Eminence, Xan & Judged
© Global eSports
Sacrifices to succeed
As with most sporting professions, dedicating time to practice and planning is what makes an Overwatch player the best.
The thrill of playing at the highest tier is nerve-wracking and striving to be the best means never being at ease with your performance. And very often, this calls for the need of many major sacrifices.
“As a working professional pursuing a career in esports, a total of three hours in practice sessions with Video-on-Demand reviews take up my time,” says Rahul ‘Eminence’ Hinduja, player and manager for Global eSports. “With the dedication to Overwatch, there’s little time for social life and little interaction with the outside world.”
Rushindra's gaming cave
© Rushindra Sinha
As a professional athlete, players also need to deal with the stress that comes with competition.
“One must personally make peace with the virtually terrifying degree of playing every game and every second with the intensity to be the best. When playing for fun becomes a job, the stakes are raised, and it can take a mental toll. Some players slow down once every few days to avoid burnout. Others bite off more than they can chew which leads to a total meltdown,” says Rahul.
He also adds that while many have started getting into esport titles like Overwatch with an eye on the ultimate prize money for winning a tournament, the daily compensations made to be the best should be thought of before anyone makes the plunge.
However, Rushindra has a far more optimistic approach to the game.
“Both CS and Dota 2 have more than a decade head start while Overwatch is not even two years old. We have a long way to go but better times will arrive, and our teams are slowly but surely climbing the ladder,” Rushindra says.
So what is his idea for growing the Overwatch scene? “Steps such as hosting Community Cups and high-end leagues have to start at the cardinal level. Hosting inter-school and inter-college level tournaments are certain to boost the playing field widely,” Rushindra concludes.
For Global eSports captain, Vaishak ‘Judged’ Achar, a shift in mindset is most important at the moment. He encourages more people to take up the game but advises thick skin and a level head.
“Financial stability will be hard to come by [for someone starting out in Overwatch],” Vaishak says. “At any cost, do not neglect studies and work.”
Vaishak remembers that Global eSports lost games for a year before they finally won their first major. That victory made all the losses worth the effort; but the team needed to persevere and find their own financial stability before the first victory.
“Just dabble in the scene and see if you're enjoying it. That's reason enough to start trying,” says Vaishak.
