Roy "
StrongLegs" Ahad a Canadian Valorant player who currently plays for Renegades sat down with Esportsheaven to discuss Renegade's strategy moving into the second stage as well as his individual performance this year. Furthermore, Roy shared his insight on the future of Valorant competitive and finally his top 5 anime.
Thank you for taking the time to give us an interview, Roy. To start off, how have you found the transition to Valorant from CSGO and why did you make the switch?
The best word to describe my transition to Valorant is “natural”. I have a very extensive history gaming in many different genres and they have all prepared me extremely well for the style of game that is Valorant. I made the switch to Valorant because CS: GO was becoming extremely repetitive and stale for me. My room for growth seemed pretty limited and some fresh air felt good for the soul and the brand :) In terms of gameplay, Valorant feels oddly familiar to me but also fresh enough that there is so much for me to learn!
What will Renegades’ strategy be going into the third stage of the Champions Tour? Can the fans expect more roster changes?
Our strategy will be as it was before: to play the game of inches. As long as we are improve slowly over time, we’ll be where we need to be. Winning is always the goal and we are working extremely hard towards that end. We have revamped several of our comps and we’re approaching the game with a counter-meta comp/style. It’s either going to be glorious or a disaster, we’ll find out soon I guess haha. As of now, no roster changes are planned, AFAIK O__O
CP2 recently left the team. What would you like to say about that? Do you have any ideas on who will be joining the roster?
I don’t have much to say to be honest haha. Chuck (CP2) is a great guy and we’re still friends. The reality of pro gaming is that sometimes unfortunate decisions need to be made among friends to create room for growth with the goal of winning and improvement. Chuck wasn’t benched because he was bad or anything; it was mostly due to role conflicts.
Roy, can you tell us more about your transition from Beastcoast to Renegades?
I was signed with Beastcoast as their coach. Their team was extremely talented but they lacked a centralized voice and a deep tactical FPS background. I was eyed out to fill that gap. I like to think I did a lot to help develop that team, the players, and the dynamic in a meaningful way that will hopefully stick with them permanently. Unfortunately, it was a tragic ending but a learning experience for all nonetheless. The time spent on Beastcoast really allowed me to develop a deep understanding of Valorant and the general map/meta flow. I spent countless hours watching, reviewing, and studying. This prepared me extremely well for my transition to Renegades as their IGL.
What do you think the future holds for the Valorant competitive scene as a whole?
I truly believe the future for competitive Valorant is bright. The viewership was insane for the Iceland event. The community is fired up and it feels so alive! From my POV, nothing is pointing downwards, only up. I am excited to see it all unfold and hopefully be a part of it in a meaningful way.
Roy, Do you think Valorant or its competitive structure requires a change to propel it to CS:GO levels, and if so what change would you like to see?
It’s really hard to give a blanket statement here, to be honest. I think COVID has dampened the structural potential in several ways but I do believe that will resolve itself over time. I think the partially open/closed format we have right now is awesome. It’s healthy and packed for the T2-3 teams and T1 teams can decide if they want to play only the major events or also participate in the T2-3 events.
How do you feel about your growth as a Valorant player in 2021?
My growth in 2021 has been insane! I am so grateful for the support and the kind of community I am attracting to my socials. While I don’t expect my brand to blow up extremely in 2021 but steady growth is the name of the game for me. I will evolve my content and my brand as the community/need for content develops :).
Amongst all the maps currently in Valorant, which one is your favorite and why?
Oooh, this is a tough one. Breeze is becoming one of my favorite maps already actually. I love the fact that it’s very open and the utility in the game feels extremely mitigated in a way that makes gunplay truly feel supreme. Don’t get me wrong, Breeze does have some flaws, but overall, it’s very well designed and I’m excited to see how other teams approach it.
A slightly off-topic question, I noticed that your profile picture is Giyu (Water Hashira) from Demon Slayer and the cover of Itadori/Sakuna from Jujutsu Kaisen. What are your top 5 favorite anime, if you don’t mind :)?
Wow, this might be the hardest question here haha. In no particular order, I think my top 5 animes are:
- Parasyte Maxim
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Berserk
- Demon Slayer
- Attack on Titan
Roy, once again thank you for taking your time out to answer this interview. The floor is yours for any final things you’d like to say, give a shoutout, etc.
I would like to say that I love the Valorant community so far. I’d ask everyone to have a bit more compassion and a bit more patience in pugs. I understand the frustration with the disparity in skill in MM, but we’re all in this together, one big ecosystem. A little positivity and good vibes can go a very long way in inspiring new and young players to begin to take the game competitively! I’d also like to give a shoutout to my community. They are all so amazing and kind. Their vibes are immaculate and they make my time creating content so damn enjoyable.
Thank you for giving me a voice! GL HF :)
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Aashir Ahmed
2021-06-12 03:15:35