​ Becoming a professional player in Counter-Strike is impressive just like any other sport or esport, but at the end of the day it’s just a distinction. It more or less symbolizes the fact that your team has reached the top level of online league play. Every professional player, while obviously unique, endures a similar level of hardship and adversity on their way to the top. No one reaches the pro level by mistake. It’s what happens after that point that separates true professionals from the rest. Marcelo "coldzera" David isn’t just a professional player. He is a master of his craft, a true pro’s pro.

It should come as no surprise that multiple players have asked me over the years what his routine is, how he practices, and what he does outside the server to help his team. What do I tell them? I say coldzera exists in an entirely differentdimension than any player besides perhaps Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. His mind works differently than that of other players. Playing at the highest level individually is not an option, but more so a requirement. Coldzera doesn’t just play the game for hours on end, he plays each and every map like it’s his last.





Take this AMA answer, for example, as he was asked how he approaches practice:





“Consistency comes with training, even when I play MM (which I play every night with friends), I do the same thing I do when I play against FaZe…”





That’s a good quality to attempt to mirror, but it isn’t a skill or a “mentality” you can just replicate to the level Coldzera does. Looking at that same AMA, it’s no surprise to find out coldzera’s favorite player while working his way to the top was Olof “Olofmeister” Kajbjer. One of Olof’s most famous statements was, “I’m not the best player in the world, but there isn’t anyone out there better than me.” If you ever get the chance to meet Coldzera, you’ll learn that he embodies a similar attitude.





Along with his impeccable practice routine comes a thorough understanding of ​Counter-Strike theory. He plays a role that suits his play style perfectly while capitalizing on the space created by his teammates to help close out rounds. Although that does show up on the scoreboard, the stats don’t tell the whole story. No statistic can define just how important most of his frags are. If you could create some sort of “impact” stat, I guarantee he would rank highest. You can count the number of poor maps he has ever played on LAN on one hand alone, and that’s not normal.





It doesn’t end outside the server, though. Coldzera is a professional there, too. Over the past few months, he has taken English classes multiple times a week to help ease the transition of the team’s communication from Portuguese to English. I’ve talked to Coldzera before, and he speaks great English. But he always sees more he could be doing to get better. That paints the picture of what kind of teammate and professional he is.





Coldzera is the perfect mix of talent, dedication, and professionalism, traits that are even more important given SK Gaming’s recent struggles. Even though this level of consistent dedication from Cold was monumental during the run in which the core SK Gaming lineup won consecutive Majors in 2016, it is even more necessary today.





For the first time since that dominant era, coldzera’s team isn’t guaranteed anything. There is no guarantee they’ll even make the playoffs of the next Major, a feeling this team hasn’t felt for an eternity. At a time in which SK’s mettle will be tested most, every single one his teammates needs to see that fearless determination. If ​the soon-to-be “Made in Brazil” players are to make it back to the top, it will be on the backbone of Coldzera and his professionalism.





Photo by Helena Kristiansson/ESL