We know FlipSid3 Tactics as the dominant season-two Rocket League Championship Series winner, but last season we saw the EU giant in an unfamiliar position: near the bottom of the standings. True, the regional competition was stronger than ever, but it also seemed like the revised team wasn’t gelling together well, and weren’t ready to compete. Between their 2-5 record and missing the World Championship it was a low point for the fan-favorite squad.

But changes have been made: outspoken captain Mark “Markydooda” Exton is out, now off with exceL for season five, and rookie Maurice “Yukeo” Weihs is in as FlipSid3’s new third. Furthermore, David “Miztik” Lawrie—last season’s new addition—has been elevated to captain, and is now the man in charge of wrangling both Yukeo and Francesco “Kuxir97” Cinquemani as they attempt to restore the old F3 glory in Rocket League.

This shot by @miztikRL is so massive and beastly, if we’re not careful it might destroy Tokyo. Except it’s also so graceful, it’d probably just dance harmlessly through it. This is insane. pic.twitter.com/9e36DIyoqV — The Rocket Dailies (@Rocket_Dailies) 18. Dezember 2017

With the new season only weeks away, we spoke with Miztik about last season’s frustrations, embracing his new leadership role, and why he thinks Yukeo is ready for the RLCS spotlight.

What do you think went wrong last season?

Last season was a complete mess for F3, to say the least. To be fair, we did get real life’d pretty hard, but it’s not my place to talk about what happened. I feel like that, combined with a lack of practice, was the reason we had a horrible season. I personally thrive in a team environment, so when it was extremely difficult to practice with my team consistently, the motivation disappeared pretty fast for me.

How did it feel to see Markydooda depart, given his long history with FlipSid3 Tactics?

It was decided pretty quickly that Mark and Kux wouldn’t be playing together for the next season. It wasn’t really until the announcement had been made that the realization kicked in. He is one of the best people I’ve ever met, and a crazy good laugh; it’s just a shame that it didn’t work out. In the end, we both have jobs to do.

Now you’re the captain. Do you welcome the role, and what will you do to try and ensure more consistent success ahead?

Being the captain of F3 is going to be a big test for me. I’ve never really been a leader, and I’m usually a show-up-and-play kinda pro—but I’m looking forward to giving it a go. My priorities right now are to make sure that we have scrims as much as possible. As soon as Kux comes back from being sick, I’ll be making sure that we will scrim daily if everyone is around. We made the mistake of not being prepared last season, and I’ll be making sure that it doesn’t happen again.

You’re bringing in a relative newcomer with Yukeo. What do you think makes him ready for the RLCS spotlight, and more importantly, why is he a good fit for FlipSid3?

We decided to give Yukeo a tryout, and he was the first player we actually tried. I noticed his potential when we 4-0’d his team in a Gfinity Cup at the time. While the 4-0 might seem like a stomp, this random dude was almost 1v3’ing us. I was impressed from that moment onwards. Ever since we started trying him out, he didn’t give us a single reason to be against him joining the team—so we leaned towards focusing on him relatively fast.

He will be a good fit for F3 because he is a breath of fresh air, really. He has great mechanics and he wants to improve. He plays the game a ton too, which will help Kux and I for motivation. Watching him play at DreamHack Leipzig was a real confidence-booster for everyone, I think. For Kux and I, knowing that he can compete in a LAN environment reassures us that if we do succeed in qualifying for LAN this season, he will be ready for it much like Kux and I will be. That is why I think he’s ready for the RLCS spotlight.

“Yukeo didn’t give us a single reason to be against him joining the team”

You got a last-minute call to fly to the U.S. for Gold Rush 2 in place of a sick Kuxir97. What was that experience like for you?

Getting offered that spot for Gold Rush 2 was a massive opportunity for me. It took some back-and-forth whether to go on such short notice, but in the end I stopped being lazy and accepted the invite. The event was so different from what I’m used to. Instead of the usual “hi’s and bye’s” to everyone, I actually got to have conversations and get to know people. It was great.

The actual games were frustrating; if I’m honest, I did absolutely horribly. I was pretty bummed out with my awful performance and it made me think a lot. I decided that when I got home, I’d do my best to broaden my skills in other playlists instead of just being a team-based competitor. It’s been going well so far, and I’m enjoying the grind again. That’s all thanks to Gold Rush. Gold Rush 2 will definitely be up there in some of my favorite days being involved with the Rocket League scene. I came home happier than I have been in quite a while.

Lead Image: Miztik at Dreamhack Atlanta taken by Alexander Scott