The Indian esports scene has grown multifold and the perception of gaming and esports is slowly taking a turn for the better. The scene has not always been kind or welcoming in our country but it has evolved over the many years, thanks to hardworking and resilient folks like Sid Joshi. Stylish shoes, an array of esports trophies, savage commentary, and perseverance – What better way to introduce someone like Sid Joshi, who is looked up to by the esports audience across the country. Loco’s Dream Karo Stream Karo took us along the incredible journey of how Joshi followed his dreams against all odds.

From an avid gamer to an all-round manager, to an entertainer, Sid Joshi has seen and done it all in the Indian esports scene. According to him, the turning point in his career was when he decided to leave everything behind and focus on esports when a team he had just formed in the eleventh hour made it to a LAN in Malaysia.

Things we learned from Sid Joshi’s venture into esports

Work hard, dream bigger

One of the many things about Sid Joshi that stood out is the fact that he is self-made and literally started from scratch. His love for gaming transcended into a viable career option only because of his sacrifices and hard work. Sid said, “I was a typical middle-class Marathi boy,” and that he started playing games like Age of Empires and SimCity. Joshi followed his dreams and wanted to pursue game design and ultimately moved to the United Kingdom (UK) to study. The UK atmosphere and the gaming culture opened his eyes to esports and its varied opportunities. He said he used to sneak around his family to play games at a PC cafe and was once caught red-handed by his father, who later reprimanded him. So many years later, Sid Joshi returned to the same PC cafe to meet his fans and life seems to have come full circle for him.

Sid believed that the four years in the UK and the odd jobs that he did to sustain a living molded him into the person he is. Today, Sid Joshi is one of the biggest influencers in India and plays a significant role in the shaping of the esports scene of BGMI.

Strike the right balance between studies and gaming

Sid Joshi’s mother Kirti Joshi said numerous parents come forward to ask her if they should let their child get into gaming or if they should encourage esports as a career option. She encouraged them and stated that they should take their chances since gaming has a lot of options. “Studies are also important. If you study for 30 minutes, you can play games for four hours. No problem,” said Kirti Joshi. She asserted that balancing the two is very important and believes that Sid Joshi has found the right balance. “He didn’t forgo his studies or he was not a failure in studies. So, he went ahead with balance.”

Trust your instincts and stick to your guns

Kirti Joshi revealed that Sid started his IIT training when he was in the 9th grade and that he was doing really well in his studies. But right after the twelfth-grade results were out, Sid was no longer interested in the engineering route and told his mother, “I can’t do engineering. I don’t like it and I will keep failing.” After Sid expressed his interest in games and game design, Kirti Joshi supported him and took out a loan to help him realize his dreams in the UK. Sid Joshi said he quit his stable job in Muscat in 2013 to move back to India to play League of Legends competitively and that his salary was Rs.5,000. Following this, Sid revealed that he went out on a limb and offered to manage the esports teams of Neck-Break for free to prevent the organization from shutting down. Later on, he moved to work with big-name organizations like Entity Gaming and Team SoloMid and is now a crucial part of the S8UL lineup.

Be original, start somewhere

Sid Joshi stated that initially, he was following Loco’s contract to a T and that he only realized the potential and the reach of the medium when he started doing watch parties. He said that he focused more on Loco since he started from zero and that he had his “own face to sell and not somebody else’s.”

Sid Joshi also believed that Loco has made all the streamers and content creators on its platform financially independent and that it is an important aspect of growing the ecosystem in the country. According to Sid, there are broadly two types of streamers: gamers and entertainers. “If you are able to crack both of these together, then you are unstoppable.” Addressing those who are pure entertainers in the industry, Sid said, “The only advice I can give and which I follow is - just be yourself on stream. If you are an esports aspirant or if you want to get into esports, don’t ask me how. Start somewhere.”

If you are intrigued, inspired, or ignited by Sid Joshi’s story, you can follow more of his journey exclusively on Loco at S8ulSid.