Carolynn "artStar" Noquez is part of our World Championship CS:GO Female team. We reached out to her to ask her about these last few months, how they approached the player break, and what they are doing to prepare for the next half of the season.

Hello Carolynn. The team had quite a strong performance the last few months. What is the team currently focusing on, any events or tournaments in particular?

artStar: Right now, there isn't too much going on for the female scene, so we took a short two week break and now that we're back, we're just practicing and refreshing all our maps for the upcoming ESEA season in hopes of making advanced!





Looking back at your results and progress of the first half of the year, did they live up to your expectations or are you aiming for more?

artStar: The first half of the year was a great run for us. We won IEM Katowice and The GirlGamer Festival in Portugal and had a pretty good run at Fragadelphia 12 as well. However, we always strive for more, especially making ESEA MDL so hopefully we continue showing positive progress and make that happen this season.





A few months have passed since the latest player swap in the squad. Do you feel that you’re already at full speed or are you still adapting to the new lineup?

artStar: Picking up CAth was a really smooth transition. We played with her before, so all we needed was to just refresh her on some new things, adjust some strategies and positions, but she picked it up quickly and had a lot of motivation, so we pretty much started gunning it with her right away.





Now that the player break is reaching its end, how are you preparing for the next half of the season?

artStar: We just resumed practice the beginning of September, so all we're doing is just refreshing our maps, adjusting some minor things, and getting back into the groove of practice. Once the season starts we'll be prepared to play in hopes of making advanced this upcoming season!





Are you trying out new strategies or mainly focusing on improving the ones you already had?

artStar: A bit of both, a new player means an entire new team dynamic. Sometimes old plays don't work the same or need some tweaking. But CS is a game of adapting, so it’s always important to be innovative.





What are your next steps as a team, regarding your short and long-term goals?

artStar: As a team we definitely want to keep the momentum we have. Short-term, we'd like to continue winning female events, slowly keep placing higher and higher in co-ed events, and also make advanced. Eventually our long-term goal is to make MDL!





Did you take time off from the game during the off-season or were you still putting in the hours you felt were needed?

artStar: For me personally, I did both. I just got newly engaged, so I spent a lot of time with my new in-laws but still played some CS in my free time. I just didn't grind super hard like we usually do, it’s definitely important for your mental health and overall well-being to take some time off of gaming and go outside!





What do you think is the biggest flaw in your game currently that you’re actively working to improve?

artStar: Right now, I'd have to say being able to paint the picture more for my team. I tend to be in positions where I have a lot of information to share, so it’s important I take the wheel and control the round. Right now, I'm just working on better ways to communicate to my team what the big picture is and what move we should be making next to have a successful round.





Do you want to give any shoutouts?

artStar: Shout out everyone that took the time to read this interview. You da real MVP.





I want to thank Carolynn for the time she took to answer my questions! Don't forget to check her social media to keep in touch and stay tuned:

Twitter

Twitch

Facebook