Mothers who embrace gaming: Pillars behind India's rising Esports superstars

Published at :May 11, 2024 at 2:44 PM

Modified at :May 11, 2024 at 2:45 PM

On Mother’s Day, prominent Indian gamers Mortal, Regaltos, and AnkkitaC acknowledge their mothers’ crucial role in their gaming careers’ success.

For years, gaming has often been viewed with skepticism, dismissed as a hobby or even a harmful distraction. Parents, concerned about the effects of screen time, questioned the long-term value of spending hours playing video games.

However, the growth of India’s Esports industry has begun to shift these perceptions. The HP India Gaming Landscape Study 2023 revealed that 42% of parents now approve of gaming as a hobby, and 40% admitted that their perception of gaming has improved, largely due to the growth of the industry.

Despite this shift, there are a few mothers who embraced the gaming revolution early on, standing by their children as they pursued careers in Esports. By valuing and supporting their children’s passion, these mothers helped pave the way for some of the country’s biggest gamers and streamers.

Naman Mathur aka Mortal, who recently met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the growth of the Indian gaming industry, is one such gamer whose mother was a crucial pillar of support in his early days of gaming. Despite his success today, the Co-Founder and CMO of S8UL wouldn’t be where he is without his mother’s encouragement.

“Everything is possible for one who believes, and my mother never stopped believing in me. Running a tiffin service to run the household turned her into a warrior. My keen interest in gaming never bothered her as I was focused on my studies, and when I shared my interest in becoming a gamer with her, she didn’t hesitate to support me,” expressed Naman Mathur, the Co-Founder and CMO of S8UL.

When Mortal needed equipment to start his journey, his mother saved money from her hard-earned income to buy him his first iPad. This foundational support enabled Mortal to focus on both his studies and gaming. Now, as Mortal has become the face of Indian gaming, his mother has also taken up gaming in her spare time.

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“Today, when I am in such a place, she is the one who is most proud of me and that proud smile makes me the happiest son in the world. Now she is a gamer herself, in her free time she plays games and even I get calls when she is stuck at some level of the game, I feel really proud at that time,” added Mortal.

Similarly, Parv Singh aka Regaltos, an Esports athlete of team 8Bit Creatives who has represented India on the international stage, highlighted how his mother always supported his passion for gaming, even when others, like his father, were not convinced.

“My mother is my biggest supporter and my biggest fan too. Since my early days, she supported me and believed in my vision for doing something big and that was the biggest motivation for me to stay dedicated to gaming. She loves playing video games and I love it when she plays with me in her free time, as we make a good duo in BGMI,” said Regaltos.

Regaltos reveals that his father didn’t like him playing video games, but his mother defended him and even helped him with in-game purchases. “That’s when I promised myself to never break her trust and always share everything with her,” he says.

Now that Regaltos is making his mark in Esports, he attributes his success to his mother’s blessings and constant support.

Compared to male gamers, female gamers in India face additional stereotypes and pressure from their parents when pursuing a career in gaming. However, this was not the case for S8UL’s prominent gaming creator Ankkita Chauhan, also known as AnkkitaC, whose mother was already a gamer before it was mainstream.

“A bigger gaming freak than me, my mother is my inspiration. In our free time, during summer breaks and almost every time we used to play together. PC games like Zuma, Insaniquarium, Typer Shark, Mahjong, Bejeweled, Diner Dash, Road Rash, and many others were our favorites. Maybe that is the reason why my mother was my biggest believer when I decided to do this full time and she watches all my videos now,” states AnkkitaC.

WildBrain’s new research report, “THE FAMILY MEDIAVERSE: Building Bonds Through Shared Entertainment”, commissioned from Savanta, highlighted co-gaming emerging as a key trend with parents and kids, with moms twice as likely to play video games with younger children than dads.

Ankkita’s mother continues to play games like Candy Crush and sometimes joins her daughter in playing Valorant on PC. Her constant support inspires Ankkita to reach new heights.

These mothers inspire a growing movement among parents that recognizes gaming as more than just a hobby. With these gamers, it is clear that behind every successful gamer, there’s a mother.

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