Lucas "steel" Lopes is the new in-game leader for Immortals. He came into the team to replace well-known coach and player Wilton "zews" Prado. IMT's new roster debuted at iBUYPOWER Masters 2016 and eventually won the event over Cloud9.

On Day 1 of iBUYPOWER Masters, theScore esports sat down with steel and talked about his transition into the team and his approach to leadership with them.

So we're in sunny Costa Mesa, how are you enjoying the weather, the tournament and the atmosphere?

It's been so good so far. About the weather, Brazil is really close, so I'm feeling at home and the crowd is looking sick at the moment. Everything has been perfect.

You came into the team after some pretty tough losses during ELEAGUE and the ESL Pro League Season 2 Finals, what's morale been like on the team?

I think it's been good so far, I'm bringing in new ideas and they are really motivated, so I think we're going to get better and better over time.

Considering this team has worked with the two well-known Brazilian coaches, Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu and Wilton "zews" Prado, and it hasn't worked out with either of them, were you intimidated coming into the team as the in-game leader?

I was a little bit afraid, because I was playing in a different scene, a really weak scene in Brazil. Actually, not weak, but a different scene.

Right now NA Counter-Strike is on a really high level, but I'm going to keep learning, I'm going to keep improving. I'm going to keep getting better and better, in-game leading and individually.

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What has been your approach to leading IMT? Are you forming the team to your style, or are you feeling the team out?

Actually, I am forming my style. Right now we are like a pug, free-for-all team. We are communicating like, if someone wants to do something they come to me and say, "steel, let's do something," and we create something around it. Basically that's all.

Have you brought any major changes to the team, in terms of strategy, practice regime or anything outside of the actual game?

Yes, of course. The first thing we are doing different is that, before with zews they used to practice four or five maps per day, but we are practicing 10 maps a day now. So I think this is one of the main reasons we did well against FaZe and I hope to continue like that, I hope to keep improving.

The team is on the path to the ELEAGUE Major having qualified for the Americas Minor, what are you and the team doing to ensure a victory at the Minor and onward?

The qualifier is going to be tough, the first step is going to be tough. There is really good teams, Cloud9, TSM and Echo Fox, so we have a lot of work to do. I hope to win there and in the main qualifier, with nV and NiP, man, it's going to be so tough. I hope to be playing well.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Navneet Randhawa does stuff and things at theScore esports. You can follow her on Twitter.