8bit Akshu: PUBG Mobile ban, future of esports, favourite teammate, and more
Kamal Akshu Kumar is a professional PUBG Mobile player who currently plays for Team 8bit.
The 19-year-old from Baggi, Himachal Pradesh, plays as an Entry Fragger and Sniper for his team. Akshu is also active on several social media platforms by the name 8bit Akshu. Here are the links to them: Instagram, YouTube
In an exclusive chat, Akshu shares his personal and professional gaming experiences with Sportskeeda.
Q. Other than gaming, how were you in studies, and which field did you opt for.
A: I was good at studies, and chose Science as my stream in 11th grade. But I dropped out midway to pursue my passion for gaming.
Q. How was your family support initially when you started gaming?
A. My parents were always asking: Why are you doing this? What will you become? What will society say? They wanted me to study and become an engineer or doctor.
Q. How did you start your career in competitive PUBG Mobile gaming?
A. I first joined a team in which I used to play random classic matches on a Redmi Note 4. One fine day, I saw Shubham Gamers' YouTube channel, and his new team, KO, which was open for recruitment. I got excited and wanted to join, and then got selected in the team, which is where I had my first brush with competitive playing.
I got my first 60 fps mobile, OnePlus 5T, to play the PMIS, which we unfortunately didn't qualify for. Following my passion, I started giving more time to training himself. Then I befriended riser, who was 8bit riser at that time. 8bit needed an assaulter and sniper in their team, so he invited me to be a part of the roster. That's how my real competitive journey began.
Q. Who is your favorite teammate, and why?
A. 8bit OMEGA, because he is the In-Game leader (IGL) of 8bit. I like him as he never disappoints the team, but rather motivates us to be better than we were yesterday.
Q. Previous games you used to play before PUBG Mobile?
A. GTA: San Andreas and Clash of Clans.
Q. How is the PUBG Mobile ban affecting you?
A. Now, I get more time to hang out with friends, but I miss those competitive customs with 8bit that were a part of my daily routine.
Q. How are your close friends and family members reacting to the PUBG Mobile ban?
A. All of them are just happily asking: "ab kya?"; "kya karoge?"; "kya kheloge?".
Q. Which games have you been playing after the PUBG Mobile ban?
A. I have been playing Valorant, Free Fire, GTA 5, and Among Us after the PUBG Mobile ban.
Q. What are your thoughts on FAUG?
A. I don't think that FAUG can match the feel of PUBG Mobile.
Q. Are you willing to shift to any other competitive game?
A. Yes, I am practicing other gaming titles because esports is the thing I love the most.
Q. Do you think that the PUBG Mobile community can shift to COD Mobile or Free Fire, and why?
A. If the ban doesn't get lifted, the PUBG Mobile community needs to shift to other games likes COD Mobile and Free Fire as there are fewer content creators but more esports players in the community.
Q. Who is the person in the PUBG Mobile community whom you can rely on blindly?
A. Goldy bhai has always been on my side.
Q. What are your future plans as a content creator?
A. I will be more focused towards streaming and uploading content, and hopefully, will find a new genre of content.