KUALA LUMPUR: When Hazim Irfan "JimmyOP" Kamarudin started playing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile, he didn't expect it to lead to a career in eSports.
The 20-year-old started playing the game for fun with friends in 2019.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, the Movement Control Order led to schools going online, and he struggled to cope. So he focused on gaming.
"I tried my best to balance gaming and schooling, but it was difficult to understand the lessons online.
"So I started trying to break into the pro scene by competing in the PUBG Mobile Club Open," said the Alliance in-game leader.
Hazim said he needed a few tries before qualifying for season four of the PUBM Mobile Professional League with the now-disbanded Farang Lejund team.
He admitted that initially his family expressed their concerns, but now that he has entered the pro level, they are more accepting of his career choice.
"I knew since I wasn't going to make it in school, I needed to grind and improve my gaming skills. There was plenty of late-night training and I persevered through failure to get to where I am now.
"I'm grateful that all that hard work has led me to represent the country in international tournaments," he added.
Hazim's achievements with Alliance this year include a first-place finish in the World Cup group stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July. They finished 15th in the grand finals, earning US$105,313 (RM456,742).
He will lead Alliance in the PUBG Mobile Global Championships' group stage at the end of the month. They aim to qualify for the grand finals in London in December.
The Johor-born gamer is also looking far ahead - planning for his retirement by becoming a coach, managing a team or be an analyst.