Three weeks ago, during an interview, we discussed about your team and how you felt after your performance at Electronic Sports World Cup. Today, you come back from two events which are DreamHack Winter and ESH, where you both ranked second. My question stays the same as in November, you defeated former world champions and excellent 1.6 and source players such as ESC, Dynamic and other teams but still finished second : despite of this, are you satisfied ?



Yes, we are quite satisfied of the wins we took with spite, because regarding how much we invested ourselves into the game, I think we deserved them.

There is something that I find less satisfying, even disappointing : I am well aware that we have been far from playing at our best level. There is various reasons to that, and I will be honest with you, let’s get into details… I think we all have things to get better at. Individually, I was not at my best skill level during three tournaments, with a 0.9 ratio. It is just inconceivable, even for a leader. But my teammates also have to work on some things. SmithZz has to work on his lack of investment as a co-leader during our trainings, RpK and NBK for their lack of inventiveness on their positions and kennyS for his lack of maturity in general. Here are all the things we have to improve in 2013. About the positive aspects, I’d say that SmithZz was really good individually and that he helped me a lot as a co-leader during our official matches. We retrieved the impressive RpKTanK after working on his positions and kennyS and NBK managed to get their skill out when it was the time to. As for me, I feel more confident regarding my leader position.

If we work on our mistakes, our memories are likely to be way better than these past months. I mean, honestly, even when finishing second at each event, the tournament intensity, the atmosphere and the trips in general made us live great moments ! The CS:GO scene is really exciting, I can’t wait to be in 2013 !

Ex6TenZ during Dreamhack Winter 2012 Let’s talk a little bit about these events. Since the beginning of DreamHack Winter group stage, as a spectator, I found you kind of weak, not confident, especially against Absolute Legends and TheHawks, two teams against who you won, but on close scores. Past week-end, as ESH, you lost against DGBelgrade. As a team with your experience of big events, how do you explain such a difficult start ? What do you think of these matches ?



These matches were just reflecting our level : we were better than the teams we were facing, but not way ahead of them. At DreamHack, we remained patient and handled the situation correctly. I think that even if we didn’t excelled, we had a good mindset. We played rather good and better than at ESWC.

Now, regarding ESH, we really played under what we are capable of. So that you understand the circumstances, I think we need to go back in time. We were out of three months of intense training without any victory or anthology match. We were kind of shapeless, with a real mental fatigue. We had a lack of perspicuity at all levels. When we began the first match, we were totally lost. It took 4 rounds for Nathan to remember our strategies, Cedric and Eddy both had aim difficulties and were doing no suggestions, as for Kenny, he gave our opponent 3 decisive weapon rounds either by giving himself up, or by an absence of communication at the beginning of the second side. During the second match, it was my fault; I was still worked up by our mistakes of the first match, being aware that this defeat could be our last. I played badly and didn’t manage to carry the team mentally, confidence wasn’t there. We made it out of group stage with 3 wins and a first place, but without being brilliant. I think we really woke up in final against NiP, even when being totally anti-strat by them, we adapted quite well on both maps, taking only one GR on nuke (including one that didn’t served, because they won the eco round after) and being really close to win important rounds on inferno, by letting them at 10hp on these important rounds. It could have turn the tide, but they were better this day. This ESH wasn’t easy but we came out with the feeling that we’ve learned a lot from NiP and we understood how to give them a hard time, and it’s probably what really matters.



On the other hand, reaching DreamHack final was a formality for you whereas this week-end ESC and DGBelgrade gave you a hard time. Do you think the gap between the teams is narrowing between the four last events and today ? (DH Valencia, ESWC, DH Winter and ESH) We began to play a few weeks before ESC, so yes we were ahead of them at the beginning but the gap will narrow more and more. As for the other teams, I don’t know what to answer.

VERYGAMES 2nd one more time, to be continued ?

During these events finals, like the previous ones, NiP got to the highest step of the podium, still letting you the second place on less or more tied scores. Rather less, regarding your game at ESH this week-end (16-9 on nuke and 16-11 on inferno). Is the gap between NiP and you, or NiP and the other teams is getting narrow ? How have you felt these finals ? Obviously, the gap is getting narrow over time but we almost play as much as them, which does not help to catch up with them. We will need a good training after the holidays to catch up. I will try to work on teamplay during the holidays to get us into better conditions for January. As for me, I will play a lot to get myself back to level. I hope my teammates will do the same, this is the only way we can get better ! You have been warned guys ;)





You played against NiP on a regular basis; the stress was at its highest level because you were in final and because they won various times against you. Have you played against them on the Internet ? Do you manage to defeat them when there is no stress ? Each time we will have to face them, there will be a huge amount of stress. It will be each time a particular game, wich fails, exploits, turnarounds… They are not the same when they play against us. What is really crazy, is that they win against us like they win against other teams, with the same score. The difference is that when they play against other teams, they don’t have any emotion, any stress, they are like machines… Whereas when they play us, they yell, they want to obtain the psychological adavantage and over all, they change they play style, anti-strating us from all over the place. It is really difficult to adapt its game style in order to play against a team… The score difference is not representative of the difference of level, it shows a better adaptability and unpredactibility, which we will have to improve.



What do you think of all these teams like ESC, Fnatic, DGBelgrade,… who already have a promising level ? Who do your fear for 2013 ? ESC, Fnatic, Na’Vi, ex-mousesport, ALTERNATE, Area51, Curse, JaS, eXtensive are all the teams I fear. These 8 teams are really solid; you have to get one round at a time. We don’t know who will improve faster, who will be the more productive in the future. It is great to have such competitors !



To finish, what are your projects ? Next events you will attend ? In short, what will VeryGames do in 2013 ?

As for now, there is nothing really concrete. There is only ESEA Season 13 and its $50,000 if it is confirmed. We will fight our best to be among the 4 qualified teams and to take part in our first tournament in the United States. Then, there are a lot of rumours about new European tournaments in February and March, as well as a great comeback of the Masters Français du Jeu Vidéo, we will follow all of this very closely ! To finish with our best memory of 2012, Copenhagen Games 2013 in Denmark in April already seems like a crazy event ! About the training, we will probably be able to do our firsts bootcamps in late January and late February… It will allow us to improve, as well as the official matches on the Internet that we missed.



Thanks for your time !



Thanks to you for these interesting questions, thanks to the readers who took time to read me, and thanks to our sponsors VeryGames and Razer. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year !