Trident Gaming is a new esports and gaming solutions company co-founded by Sunny “Fea” Lohia and Abhijeet “Ghatak” Andhare. Both are industry experts and popular faces with several years of experience in the Indian esports scene. Using the knowledge they earned throughout the journey so far, a new optimistic approach saw the light, the resulting foundation of Trident Gaming. In GamingonPhone’s recent interview with Trident Gaming, they shared an exclusive peek into the Indian esports scene. In our talk, other issues like sustainability, future, community culture, etc. also came up.
1. Fea, let’s start with you. Tell us about your stance on the mobile esports scene in India. Where does it currently stand, what do you envision after experiencing various organizations and brands, and the path ahead along with your thoughts on its future?
Fea: There are two problems with mobile esports in India at the moment. Firstly, it’s too dependent on one game: BGMI. Secondly, for grassroots players, there are very few chances for them to go pro or compete with the best.
We are looking to address both these problems. Our grassroots-level initiatives will focus on community building, which we will leverage to grow other games. Secondly, our grassroots tournaments have been designed in such a way that every gamer has lots of chances to prove themselves and go pro. We will also be nurturing promising talent to aid them in their journey to become esports stars.
Ghatak: Esports is all about engagement. Keeping viewers engaged, providing fans a team to root for always, and making sure aspiring players have tournaments to play in. As such, banter is also good to a certain extent as it boosts engagement. I am talking about friendly banter to fuel rivalries. Unfortunately, in our community, sometimes, even banter is called being toxic. I hope that will change as our esports community continues to mature and develop further.
3. The Indian scene is good so far but without a global touch, your game just feels like a domestic league. The intensity of global events is on another level and India is very much missing it. The last PMGC didn’t feature any Indian teams though we thought we would watch a slot from direct invitation. So, where’s the path leading us? When will this chain break? PUBG Mobile already announced its 2024 roadmap.
Fea: [Laughs] Unfortunately, that isn’t an answer that we can give you, and rests with the decisions of KRAFTON and Tencent. Yes, international events are very important for a game’s overall roadmap. I am hopeful that we will get to see BGMI teams competing internationally in the future.
But, new games like Honor of Kings are coming, which could also send international representatives internationally. Besides this, we have Pokémon Unite and COD Mobile offering our players a chance to represent the country.
4. You said in a recent interview that people aren’t watching the damage being dealt to the grassroots level. What is Trident Gaming expecting to solve the issue? I mean, will we see Trident do something that relaxes the young players so that they can feel no damage is coming to their study or life goals? While hiring young talents who still go to school or college, how will Trident back them?
Fea: Yes, this is an issue people don’t understand and many say that there are official and unofficial open-for-all tournaments happening. However, in these competitions, it’s usually just one or two matches that players have to give their all or get eliminated.
Our scrims will ensure players can compete across several matches to decide who moves on to the next stage.
In terms of your other question, we would never recommend leaving behind studies to pursue esports full-time because it is a volatile industry. Just look at the bans on PUBG and Free Fire so we never know what is in store. However, for promising talent, we will guide them to become better and give them proper coaching plus resourcing while ensuring that they stay dedicated to their education.
5. “Trident Gaming is the one-stop destination for esports and gaming solutions.” Also, “It wants to address the key industry challenges and at the same time invite brands to achieve their esports goals by joining hands with Trident”. So basically, Trident is going to launch tournaments at the college level and also wants to solve the key challenges. How will it become possible? Share your vision.
Ghatak: Yes, we are aiming to be the one-stop destination for esports and gaming solutions. We will be launching grassroots and college initiatives, identifying stars, and helping top organizations on international organizations looking to enter India with talent scouting.
Fea: Besides this, we will also be working with existing TOs and esports organizations in the space to connect them with brands. Usually, the case is that brands don’t know how to approach esports. We will be able to be the bridge that connects them with the wider industry through education and awareness.
6. So, Sunny we know that you have been working with some leading organizations and brands connected very closely to the Indian Esports scene. And of course, you know their culture and organizational behavior. How will you incorporate good cultures and a healthy environment at each stage like events, teams, etc.? Is there a similar vision from both of you and Ghatak that you talked about or if not, what will be the approach then?
Fea: We at Trident believe in being for the community and by the community. For this answer, I would like to focus on the by-the-community part. For our founding team, we have hired candidates who have worked for years in the industry and me and Ghatak know personally. We have developed a friendly and homely environment in the company.
7. Kronten said neither Ghatak nor GodL left each other. It was the vision that created the separation. So, when Ghatak figured out he had plans for something else.
Ghatak: I wanted to start a company like Trident for a very long time and right now felt like the correct time. So I decided to leave GodLike Esports.
8. Fea, will we see Trident acquire any roster (any title it may be) or launch their in-house starts? What is going to be the first step in this journey? Let me add something here as well, you founded esports network but that is at a halt for many days. How do you think Trident will sustain for a longer period?
Fea: Esports Network wasn’t at a halt. We were continuously doing white-label events, which we will continue to do now but under Trident’s umbrella.
In terms of acquiring a roster, we probably won’t. While we might get to see our academy players sometimes competing in tournaments, the end goal is for them to go on to become stars at other established esports organizations. However, we will likely be the managers for these players, helping them each step of the way while facilitating brand deals for them.
9. ORB, Entity, GodL…….the journey that can create a book. Thank you, Ghatak and Fea for marking a distinct presence in the esports industry. You guys helped the industry to dream big and also still carry the same. We appreciate your time, effort, and contribution. Coming to the questions, how long do you think BGMI will reign? Great titles are coming up and especially if PUBG Mobile faces any threat from other titles, it is going to be MOBA games. Considering all the games, all the events, and everything……what is the future of mobile gaming in India, you can tell from the South Asian scene that Nepal and Pakistan played important roles after the ban in India. Now, BD teams are also coming up.
Ghatak: Thank you for the kind words. The future is set to be very exciting in the country and MOBA titles could be one area to look out for, especially with the release of Honor of Kings later this year in the country. We also have Free Fire India coming up soon. All these will aid in the growth of mobile gaming.
One trend to look out for in the coming months and years though is the penetration into tier 2 and tier 3 markets. BGMI and other present esports are more heavily concentrated in tier-1 cities. As India grows, I expect to see growth fueled by other untapped markets.
If you enjoyed reading our interview with Trident Gaming, feel free to read our other interviews
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