CHENNAI : With his team being chosen to play at the semi-finals of winter season of ESL India Premiership, gaming pro Syed Amir Ahmed has many feathers in his cap. He began playing, as a child, at home, and now is part of one of India’s best Dota 2 teams. The five-member team has qualified for Mountain Dew Arena, Taiwan Excellence Cup, AMD GameON, ESL Masters (Winter), Cobx Masters and Indian Lan Gaming Grand Finale.
Amir, known as ‘Weapon X’ in the gaming world, says, “The thrill of playing with another person and being interconnected gave me a high. You could make a move on your PC, and you would see the same on the other PC too. We were one of the best amateur Counterstrike teams in Hyderabad. Later on, I started to play Dota. Initially, I used to play to beat competitors in gaming cafes, and from there, we went national, and now we are playing internationally.”
His parents were hesitant at first as they did not see this career as a feasible one. Once he explained it to them, however, they quickly understood. “You get a lot of sponsors as India is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets. They do not advertise or promote a lot, but they tap into the market by buying gaming equipment, PCs, gaming chairs, etc. In Taiwan Excellence Cup, the prize money was around `5 lakhs. In ESL Premiership, it’s around `10-20 lakhs,” he says.
Gaming has helped Amir hone his decision-making skills, and he feels that he is able to weigh the pros and cons of any situation quickly. As an introvert, gaming has helped Amir get out of his shell and meet people. His favourite game is CS:GO. “If anyone wants to go pro, they should first complete their studies and then decide what they want to do. It would be difficult if they want to balance some other profession with this, as you cannot travel in two boats.” he says.