Nanda "Asteriskk" Rizana, an Indonesian player who currently plays for BOOM Esports sat down with Esports Heaven to discuss his gameplay transitioning from CSGO, Boom Esports recent performances, as well as their strategy moving into the second leg of Valorant Champions Tour.
Thank you for taking the time to give us an interview, Asteriskk. To start, why don’t you explain how you’ve felt about your gameplay this year. What do you think you are doing well and would you improve on specifically?
I play my games with a passion. Maybe that's the reason why I can play the way I do now. I improve myself by playing ranked solo or deathmatch on Valorant. Furthermore, in my free time, I usually watch gameplay from other regions and study their movements and strats to become a better player.
Boom Esports has placed at the top of the leaderboard for the last few tournaments, looking stronger than ever. What would you say happened? How do you plan on maintaining your dominant form?
I think our success is largely due to good communication amongst ourselves, as well as a unique playstyle. [We] play seriously regardless of our opponent and the belief that our team is better is key to maintaining our performance.
What will Boom Esports’ strategy be going into the second leg of the Champions Tour?
I think we will try another agent for stage 2 so that we can introduce more variations in our gameplay. Regarding performance, we will try to perform our best as always.
Does having the same team since the beginning of competitive proceedings in Valorant help in strategizing, and lead to better plays due to stronger chemistry?
Yes, because we have good chemistry in our team. We often talk about meta, our playstyle and we review our matches to analyze our gameplay and spot our mistakes. If someone makes a mistake from our team, they do not get discouraged upon it being pointed out rather they try to improve on it by revising their gameplay.
What do you think the future holds for both Boom Esports as a team and the Valorant competitive scene as a whole?
I think BOOM has a good future in valorant. and I also believe that the future of Valorant’s Competitive scene holds great promise because Riot as a developer has been taking measures to ensure that.
Since you are a former CSGO player, what do you think differentiates Valorant from CSGO in terms of competitive play?
The difference is in the agent skills. In CSGO, anyone can buy smoke, flash, etc. but on Valorant, it depends on the agent that we use.
According to you, which Agent is currently leading the meta?
For now, Viper and Astra. I think this is because Viper has received so many buffs until now.
Amongst all the maps currently in Valorant, which one is your favourite and why?
Since I am playing Jett now, my favourite map is Haven. I like playing operator, and I especially rejoice upon being asked to play Jett by my team.
What are your thoughts on Astra and her unique playstyle?
I like to play Astra. She has many controller skills that can be casted globally. Moving forwards, we are planning to make her a part of our meta.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us. Do you have anything to say to the Doom Esports fans of the world?
I just want to say thank you for supporting us. Please don't be toxic, and always respect the other teams. Only then will we be able to have a good competitive scene.
Thank you.
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Image courtesy of Boom Esports
Aashir Ahmed
2021-04-17 02:03:44