The 2022/2023 season has been quite a journey for Gary “Blazek1ng” Dastin, the leader of Boom Esports Valorant, especially in the Indonesia competitive scene. After taking on the responsibility as the in-game leader of Boom Esports following their previous captain’s departure, Blazek1ng has been successful in leading the team to great achievements.
According to his Valorant GG stats, Blazek1ng has been ranked as one of the best players in Indonesia and Southeast Asia for the first half of 2023. With an average combat score of 235 points from 543 rounds, he placed second in the Split 2 tournament, just behind his teammate Fikri “Famouz” Zaki. Furthermore, Boom Esports has climbed up to the 6th position in the Asia-Pacific rankings. As a result of their victory in Split 2, Boom will be participating in the upcoming VCT Ascension tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, in the next two days.
Blazek1ng’s accomplishments are closely tied to his role as the captain of the Boom Esports Valorant squad. Besides his exceptional skills, his leadership has been praised for fostering the development of two young players on the team, Hildegard “Shiro” Arnaldo and Rizkie “Berserx” Adli Kusuma. Additionally, Blazek1ng has maintained a consistent win rate over the past two years when using controller-type agents like Viper and Omen, as well as being a reliable initiator with Sova and Breach.
Furthermore, his historic achievement as one of the first Indonesian players in Valorant Champions last year has solidified his position as a role model for the Valorant community, especially in Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Many aspiring young players look up to him and aspire to achieve his level of consistency and pursue a professional career in Valorant. Blazek1ng shares some critical advice for those interested in becoming the next big thing in the Valorant competitive scene.
Blazek1ng emphasizes the importance of team building over focusing solely on ranked mode, which he considers counterintuitive. “I think ranked mode is useless,” he states. “Playing ranked is only beneficial to your individual development, but if you want to be a pro, you must make a team, form a group, and nurture a healthy friendship. You should play more games to understand your teammates.”
He believes that playing mostly in ranked mode can negatively impact one’s mental health due to the high expectations placed on random players who often lack clear plans. Additionally, playing in random teams excessively can hinder the development of one’s own playstyle, which is crucial for a professional player.
Blazek1ng’s reasoning stems from his previous experience as a CS:GO professional player on the Boom Esports team before transitioning to Valorant. In CS:GO, he realized the importance of shaping one’s own playing style to discover their best role. He committed himself to a routine that is not often discussed in Indonesia.
Blazek1ng explains, “I think you’ve heard a lot about pro players boasting that they spend up to 8-9 hours per day honing their gaming skills, if not more. I don’t think it’s effective unless you have a specific set of exercises. During the CS:GO era, I focused on practicing my movements, tactics, and aim every day—the basics. The remaining time, I would typically play for about 3 hours with the squad, and I still follow a similar routine in Valorant.”
He believes that spending too much time playing can lead to burnout. In a game like Valorant, it is essential to adapt to the game’s evolving agents and changing maps, rather than constantly trying to figure out how to score big kills.
