Global Esports’ KappA Talks About Competing in LANs, Pulling off Comebacks and More

Global Esports’ Akshay "KappA" Sinkar is one of the stalwarts of his team who puts on consistent performances no matter how high the stakes. He recently competed with his teammates at the Skyesports Champions Series (SCS) and the Global Esports roster managed to take home first-place and a qualification spot for the upcoming Valorant Champions Tour Asia-Pacific (APAC) Challengers 2 event. KappA talked to AFK Gaming about how much he loves LAN and how the team is preparing for the competition that lies ahead against 19 of the best teams from the APAC region at the next Challengers event.

KappA feels the LAN experience is “unbeatable”

Global Esports has a massive fan following and KappA loves the fact that the scene is going back to LAN events where he can interact with the community. He talked about how online events disconnect fans from players as they do not get to experience fan reactions during games. He said, “Fans cheer for us in LAN events and I get to meet members of the Valorant community, which cannot be matched by online events. Being able to hear your fans cheer for you is something that I really enjoy.”

KappA feels that the competition in the Indian scene has grown a lot in recent months. In 2021, Global Esports and Velocity Gaming consistently faced off against each other in the grand finals of most Indian events. Both teams were regarded by many as the best but Enigma Gaming has managed to break into the competition and has positioned itself as a top team in the country as well.

Enigma Gaming Has Emerged as a Dark Horse

KappA said, “Velocity Gaming and Global Esports competed in most grand finals at major events. But Enigma Gaming has improved a lot over the past six months. We can take on the competition if we stay calm and composed and we can beat any team if we want to. Since the Mumbai LAN, Enigma Gaming has made changes to their gameplay.”

Enigma Gaming came second at the Skyesports Champions Series after losing to Global Esports but the team will also be heading into the APAC Challengers 2 event. Global Esports was knocked into the lower bracket and were in a high-stakes situation leading up to the grand finals of the Skyesports Champions Series. But KappA does not let the pressure get to the team.

Performing Under Pressure and Looking Ahead

He talked about how “Global Esports has been knocked into the lower bracket in the past and we do not let it affect us. We have made a lot of comebacks in past events and the Skyesports Champions Series was no different. We know that we have what it takes to win and we delivered the results.”

KappA feels that Global Esports has grown as a team because “everyone in the team including our coach is always very supportive. We know when to take breaks and reset ourselves. A few deep breaths and calming ourselves down is all it takes for us to bounce back and take on the competition.”

Global Esports made it to last year’s APAC Last Chance Qualifiers as well as the 2022 circuits’ APAC Challengers 1 event. The team has the most experience out of all competitors from South Asia at VCT LAN events. While the team has not qualified for a Masters event till date, the players have put forth impressive performances on the international stage and they can definitely go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the region.

KappA and his teammates have changed their perspective about the meta in competitive Valorant esports. He said, “We tried to adapt to the meta and faced difficulties. We feel playing to our strengths is a lot more important and that is what we will do. We will focus on things that work for us and do our best in the upcoming event.”