What inspired you to start an eSports team?
Just like everyone else, I started with casual gaming. After school I use to go to this gaming cafe called Boomerang, near my house, to play my two favourite titles, Command and Conquer Generals and Counter Strike 1.6. I made a few friends in the cafe who later became my teammates. We all really enjoyed playing with each other and soon the Brutality journey began. One day while surfing the Internet we saw a frag movie of a professional player called Heaton. We then started to know more about people outside of our country and India playing professionally the same game we played casually. Watching few videos of other teams playing really thrilled us and we decided to give it a shot and try our luck in the world of eSports. Well the core team stayed and here we are, a strong eSports team.
How difficult is it for somebody starting out in professional gaming to be able to support themselves financially?
This is a very critical question one has to ask themselves before committing to eSports professionally. I have always suggested to keep a subtle balance between their personal and professional life which will enable them to manage their finances well. I say this because there is no certainty of success and winning in eSports. Given the skill and talent, there are a lot of examples I have had who were legends but are not faring well today. With no offence to anybody, it is very vital to know where your own financial limit ends to support your eSports professional career.
Which part of eSports keeps you motivated?
The fans and our sponsors, Period. We consider ourselves to be extremely blessed to have a fanbase that perpetually motivates us, irrespective of a win or a loss and a set of sponsors who have been in a perennial relationship with us and thus have seen us go from no to pro. We are India’s only team to have 8 brands backing us up in our journey to the top. They have stood with us like a family and made sure to motivate us in every way possible.
How do you balance your work stress so you don’t burn out quick?
Well, like to a lot of people, gaming is a stress buster to us as well and what can be more awesome than doing what you love doing the most, professionally. So yeah, gaming has always relieved us from the stress we get from any external factor and the moment we shoot the first bullet in the game, we are stress-free.
What has been the most challenging part of your journey so far?
I have a huge responsibility to shoulder. When you become a public figure, you owe a lot more to them than to anyone else. We as a team that is loved and supported by so many fans out there, have to be on our toes to give the happiness back to them. It has been challenging to always stay at the top and keep your fans happy. But as I said before, there is no certainty in eSports of someone dominating and hence I say we have the best fans in the world because they have still supported us no matter the results. Kudos to that!
Who are the international players and teams you follow?
I like get_right , f0rest and friberg from Ninjas in Pyjamas and taz, pasha, neo from Virtus. These teams are pro mainly because their core team has always stuck together no matter what and our situation also is almost the same. Whenever I watch them play, I can see that friendship and chemistry which we have amongst us being put at display. So I feel that emotional connect and that’s the reason I love both these teams.
