Games
The shining star of Indian eSports has an inspiring story from the humble beginnings in Kutch district to fulfilling his wishful dreams.
Yash ‘LolzZz’ Thacker is a popular Indian YouTube gaming content creator.
He currently has 1.2 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel. Apart from livestreaming classic matches of battle royale games, he is known for uploading videos of match highlights, tips, tricks, vlogs, and much more.
He started his main YouTube channel LolzZz Gaming on 27th March 2017 and has been working dedicatedly as a professional gamer. He also runs a secondary YouTube channel called LoLzZz Plays, where he uploads shorts and one-minute videos.
LolzZz recently appeared on Red Bull Game On as a contestant on the Good Game Show, where streamers, content creators and pro gamers went head-to-head in a unique game show format that saw them test their knowledge and quick-thinking skills. While on shoot for the game show, we picked LolzZz’s brain for a bit.
Here he discusses how he got into gaming, his career so far, and current association with Godlike Esports.
When did you start gaming and how did the idea of getting into this field come about?
My gaming journey started at the age of 10. I used to play PC games like (Grand Theft Auto:) Vice City then. Later on, I started playing games on my parents' mobile phones. When I got my first personal phone, I used to love playing Mario on it.
The idea of pursuing a gaming career came about while I watched streams of Dynamo Gaming and Kronten. Watching them inspired me to start my own YouTube channel.
How much impact did gaming have on your studies, since you started at a very young age?
I loved gaming since childhood. Of course, my family was not so much in favour of this interest in the beginning. But I wanted to focus on making a career in gaming. After the fourth semester of college, I stopped my studies and dropped out.
There was pressure on me to take up a job after dropping out of college. This was the period when I was playing BGMI. Finally, the family relented after watching my passion and my dad gave me Rs1.5 lakh to assemble a gaming PC for myself. I took the risk of making it a career, but later the support of my family filled me with enthusiasm.
Who is your inspiration in gaming?
My inspiration is Dynamo Gaming because I loved his sniping skills. I have learnt a lot by watching him and have now improved my sniping and spraying skills.
How do you focus on staying healthy while managing your gaming career?
I always feel that gaming is like a vast ocean, with no ends to be seen. I don't think about anything else while gaming. Despite dedicating lots of time to gaming, I make sure to stay healthy by sleeping well. I try to sleep for eight hours every day so I’m relaxed and refreshed. I haven't started gym workouts yet, but I plan to include them in my fitness routine.
You play with a lot of passion and are yet relaxed during your livestreams. How do you manage this balance?
I love to entertain my audience in my livestreams. During this time, I consider myself as a character of the game, which makes me enjoy playing. People watching me enjoy my character in the game. I generally try to keep my streaming atmosphere relaxed and positive.
What has been the most emotional moment for you in gaming so far?
Almost three years ago, a fan meet-up was organized for PUBG Mobile. I met many of my fans at this event. It was my first fan interaction moment and I will never forget it.
How happy were you to reach the one million subscriber mark on your YouTube channel?
I was very happy when I reached 1,000 subscribers. I was elated when I reached 10,000 subscribers. And I started dancing when I had 1 lakh subscribers. After that point, my enthusiasm decreased with subsequent milestones. But I still felt a lot of joy when I hit one million subscribers. It felt like all my dreams had been fulfilled.
Which game do you enjoy playing the most and which tournaments are you preparing for?
My focus right now is on BGMI. If the game is back in the coming months, I will give 100% for BGMI tournaments. I enjoy BGMI the most because I’ve been playing continuously for the last two-three years. This game has a special connected to my heart.
Tell us about Godlike's bootcamp. What is the atmosphere like?
My main role is content creation with Godlike esports. However, I do play custom matches and classic matches as well. In bootcamp we often talk about ideas to improve content and other areas we can focus. We also exchange notes on gaming strategies and other things. Besides that, our creative videos are also very much liked by the audience.
What can we expect from LolzZz Gaming in the future?
I have planned a lot of things for 2023, like challenge videos and other gaming content. I am trying to make a two-three challenge video right now, but it has not reached the final stage yet. We are also working in the Godlike bootcamp to come up with several ideas to grow our channels in 2023.
Apart from streaming, I have plans for a lot of things to do on my channel. Efforts are on to do something new and different; fans will get new vlogs and videos formats on my channel soon.
