After defeating Gravity on Saturday, Team Impulse's Adrian spoke to theScore eSports about his reasons for rejoining TiP's starting lineup and playing alongside Gate.

There have obviously been a lot of changes on TiP recently. What made you decide to come back to the team after deciding to step away?

One of the biggest reasons I came back was because I didn’t want to leave my team in the dry. I didn’t want them to completely fall apart. They had no one that they could use so I came back for them. I knew they needed me back but I didn’t think XiaoWeiXiao would be suddenly leaving so unexpectedly.

What was going on in your head when you found out he was leaving?

It was surprising that he had to leave so suddenly right before playoffs. I was really sad because he is a really good friend of mine.

You just won your first game with Gate in the mid lane. Does the addition of another natural English speaker affect how you communicate in-game? Apollo mentioned that some of the calls that you commonly use are unfamiliar to Gate, but surely the transition is smoother because he speaks English?

It's way easier to explain to Gate what to do. Using English is way easier because when I had to deal with XiaoweiXiao I had to say things multiple times or break it down for him and it took a lot of time. With Gate, I just have to say it once and he’ll understand it

With your win over Gravity, there is now a four-way tie for first. Who will come out on top at the end of the day to secure the two first round byes? What does TiP need to do to make sure you're one of the two?

I think we just need to play how we usually play and we’ll beat Team Liquid and we’ll be first. I think it’s really easy.

What is your mindset like when you go into a game, especially before and after a match. Is it any different between the two?

I don’t let offline stuff affect me, I just focus on the game. I play my best and don’t worry about what other people think. I don’t get nervous at all.

This interview was conducted with the assistance of Nicholas Doucet and has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Skye Bui has a passion for dry humor and eSports. Follow blahblahblah on Twitter.