BENGALURU: The gaming bug bit Syed Abrar during his engineering days, and then there was no looking back. “It was casual gaming for me in the first couple of years. In the 3rd or 4th year, I started participating in inter-college tournaments and won several prizes,” he said.
Describing how his competitive streak fanned his passion, the avid gamer said, “I always had a passion for video games and have been very competitive in everything I do. That naturally drew me to eSports because it satisfies my competitive drive while allowing me to dedicate a lot of time to what essentially is a hobby. I had a little run in Counter-Strike 1.6, and then started playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.”
Syed, who is known as Syed ‘LykaN' Abrar in the gaming world, has been playing for the last nine years. Though he works in an MNC now, he has not given up on video games. “When I started working, I would play for 4-5 hours and started playing Counter-Strike Offensive. In the last two years, we won five out of six major tournaments, some of which were organised by the Indian Gaming League,” he said.
Talking about his team, Syed said, “Our team’s name is HuntYouDown, the acronym for which works out to be HYD (Hyderabad). I met my team members while practising in cafes and at gaming competitions. My team has five members.”
“My favourite game is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In this game, we have to strategise on how to defeat the opponents while having in-game goals. We play both sides, the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists, and find ways to defeat the enemies. Such planning makes the game very interesting. The games I am looking forward to now is Call of Duty: Black Ops 4,” he said.
He adds that he is very grateful to Jasim Khan, who has been gaming for the last 10 years and owns a gaming cafe, for guiding him in his journey.
Stating that the future looks bright for gamers in Hyderabad, Syed said, “The gaming scene is pretty good in Hyderabad. Lots of tournaments and events are coming every year and it’s growing at a steady pace.”
Sharing some tips for beginners, he said, “Gaming as a profession in India is picking up. Top-tier players have started to earn five figure salaries. In the next few years, we will match international industry standards. Stay motivated, practise hard and take India to the big stage.”