Ankit commented his UID and channel name under videos from several Free Fire YouTubers, including Gyan Gaming, but got no friend requests back.
He sent requests too, yet none were accepted. Undeterred, he joined Gyan's livestream and sent a Super Chat with his details.
Gyan noticed and sent a friend request. He invited Ankit to join a match. Ankit kept his mic off and focused on playing. His squad watched in surprise as Ankit landed headshots before enemies could react.
One teammate said over mic, "Yo bro, are you a hacker? I'm gonna report you." Ankit had expected this reaction—his precision looked unnatural at this stage of the game.
He stayed silent, racking up kills until they secured a Booyah. Gyan's viewers saw it all live.
Ankit was recording the whole match for his channel. After, he typed in chat, "Bro, I recorded everything. Check my YouTube to see I'm not hacking."
Then he left to edit and upload.Gyan, still streaming, searched Ankit's "Returner" channel right away. He checked the oldest video upload date—it matched Free Fire's December 2017 release exactly.
Watching clips from launch day through recent ones, Gyan saw consistent Booyahs, high kill counts with headshots—sometimes fists, sometimes guns—and occasional misses that proved clean play.
"This player Returner isn't hacking," Gyan told his live audience. "His videos start from Free Fire's first day. He aims for heads every time but misses sometimes like anyone. No hacks."
Viewers started checking Ankit's channel themselves, impressed by the steady skill across months.The next day, Ankit uploaded the Gyan collab video where they play together.
Gyan and his watchers tuned in, seeing controlled drags, precise head aims—skilled but human. Doubts faded, and belief spread in chat.
Ankit rejoined Gyan's group and typed, "Bro, you saw the videos? Proves I'm clean. Can I play with you?" He respected Gyan and didn't mind the hacker comment—knowing Gyan would suspect pros like Raistar later too.
Ankit liked Gyan's energetic vibe and future fame potential, plus a chance to meet rising stars like Raistar through him.
Gyan agreed, enjoying Ankit's high level and skills. They played occasionally. Ankit shared tips on sensitivity, drags, and character skills when asked.
He introduced his squad—Yash, Sumit, Amit—who'd all hit level 50+ in two months of heavy play. As college students less focused on studies, they had time for daily sessions.
Only his squad heard Ankit's real voice; he stayed muted with others. His subscribers hit 500, Yash reached 400—strong numbers for early Free Fire creators.
Gyan spectated the squad and noted their high KD ratios, headshot rates, and perfect win streaks, calling them pros.
Gyan started queuing with them when Ankit was offline. Ankit's videos drew comments: hacker accusations, tip requests, even one from the official Free Fire account saying "keep it up."
He knew popularity would bring their notice but planned to stay independent—no contracts or ads, just gameplay, edits, friends, and fun. He'd engage later with real influence.
Other YouTubers began mimicking his style: clean edits, headshot highlights, varied content. Ankit kept grinding, building quietly in the game's early days.