Ankit noticed many new changes in the match and felt excited to experience them all. He became the jumpmaster and led his squad as they jumped from the plane.
Their squad landed at Bimasakti. In mid-air, Ankit managed to kill six enemies, surprising everyone. One teammate opened his mic and exclaimed, "Bro, how are you killing enemies in mid-air? Can you teach me?"
Ankit kept his mic off, but another teammate joked, "Bro, you hacked the game, I know."
Finally, his subscriber spoke, "Bro, can you teach me? I'm your subscriber."
Ankit opened his mic and said, "Bro, I can teach you all. Let's team up after this match."
He wanted to play with friends instead of strangers, knowing teaching them would turn them into teammates and friends, making the game more enjoyable.
Ankit didn't mind teaching others to play like a pro.
They all agreed, and after winning the match with a Booyah, they formed a team and played together regularly. Ankit taught them how to drag and adjust sensitivity settings. They also subscribed to his YouTube channel.
His first subscriber was Yash, followed by Sumit and Amit. They became his teammates and friends. Ankit advised them on improving gameplay and starting YouTube channels.
He suggested live streams for entertainment and comedy since his teammates weren't as skilled.
Yash, having a good device, started live streaming and uploading videos. The others didn't have suitable devices yet. They agreed on the idea but were still skeptical about Ankit's predictions. Ankit chose to let his actions speak for themselves.
After a game update, the Free Fire graphics improved. Character movements became smoother, and medikits changed from looking like soap bars to their current design. Ankit continued to play, film, edit, and upload videos daily, with his teammates growing better and better.
When his teammates spectated him after dying, they were always surprised by his consistent headshots. Ankit's kills per match often ranged from 14 to 23, and he would sometimes troll enemies.
He awaited the arrival of the first elite pass for rare items and bundles and persuaded his father to let him manage in-game purchases.
Some teammates questioned his voice, which sounded childish. Ankit explained he was 17 and used a voice changing app.
Since Ankit didn't know much about the older Free Fire versions, he kept checking event updates but didn't find anything interesting to top up for now.
In January 2018, Free Fire became increasingly popular. His squad improved, averaging 5 to 9 kills per match. They were still amazed by Ankit but less shocked.
Ankit searched for Free Fire YouTubers online, hoping to connect since they also had low subscriber counts.
His nine-year-old sister wanted to play but was not allowed; she was allowed to watch sometimes.
Free Fire introduced several features, and the user base grew rapidly. There was no ranking system yet, so Ankit focused on content creation and squad training.
He made additional friends but none as close as his original squad. His subscriber count reached 100 due to gameplay videos highlighting headshots and editing skills.
Other YouTubers from various countries emerged, but Ankit remained a top player. His friend Yash gained 50 subscribers by following Ankit's advice on live streaming.
By February 2018, a patch introduced characters like Kelly, Andrew, and Ford, new guns like the M249, and grenades. Ankit noticed the game evolving closer to how he remembered. His gameplay improved alongside the team's.
Ankit maintained daily playing and uploading videos. His subscriber count hit 170, with videos reaching about 500 views. He didn't speak in videos, focusing on editing to highlight skill.
Sometimes he played solo versus squads, easily winning with headshots.
He also followed popular YouTubers like Gyansujan, Tap Gamer, and Lelehorio, anticipating their future fame, and tried to connect with them.
This routine marked steady growth in Ankit's gameplay, content, and community presence in a realistic, gradual fashion.