



Photo Credit: Adela Sznadjer, Dreamhack

Ahead of OG's debut at BLAST Spring Series, piethrouer talked with valde about what his transition from North to OG has been like and his thoughts on joining an international roster.





First off, you were in North for the last 2 years, what has the transition been like into a new team for the first time in that long?





Honestly it has been very refreshing and I enjoy writing a brand new chapter in my career. I think it’s healthy for me to move to a completely different setting with new people you have to get to know, a new team environment and a new way of doing things, because you can easily get stuck in your way of thinking when you stay in the same place for a long period of time.





With this transition it’s also been a big change going from an all Danish lineup to your first international lineup. Has this been a hard change for you?





It has been very hard and very taxing for me, both as a player but also as a person. I feel like I tried my hardest in North but we were just not moving anywhere and going from being a player, to being an in-game leader and then back to being a player again and then moving straight away to an international team has been rough. It’s actually not so much about the language barrier at all for me. It is more about having old stuff that I’m very used to doing in the back of my mind all the time, so getting rid of these old habits and ways of doing things simply takes time and on top of that we also have to get to know each other and streamline our way of playing and thinking, because we all came from 5 different systems in our previous teams. Then on top of that you can add the cultural differences etc. so in the end it’s just a process that takes time and there are no shortcuts - it’s hard work and taking baby steps day by day, but I think we are making good progress and I’m really grateful for getting to play with people like Nathan and Aleksi, cause they have already given me so many new perspectives on how to be as a team and how to work and it just really motivates me towards getting back to where I used to be but then also even reaching new heights as a team.





OG as an org seems to have a vibe that is similar to a family. Is this a lot different than how North as an org was?





I think OG and North have two very different ways of running a team, yes. Honestly I don’t want to compare too much, I can just say that I’m super proud of being a part of the OG family and I have so much trust and respect for the people that are with us here in OG, so we have all the assistance we need in order to succeed. In the end it’s very much up to us as players and we are trying our hardest every day.





At the end of your time in North you were calling for the team, do you feel much more freed having Aleksib and NBK- to call for the team?





Yeah, very much so. It’s what I wanted for quite some time now. In the end I only took on the leadership role in North cause we had no better alternatives, and I think Aleksi is the perfect guy for the job on our team. Nathan is a great help because he has so much experience and I think we all appreciate how much he brings to the team, especially in this early stage where you have to power through.





While on the topic of North, since your departure they’ve readded MSL to the roster. What was your experience like with him as an in game leader and why do you think bringing him back is what both parties need to regain form?





I only have good things to say about MSL. Me and him always had a good bond and a good way of working together and understanding each other. I was sad to see him go back then and looking back we probably never really recovered from it. I think he is by far the best choice for North at the moment and I think they can only improve from here.





While the OG lineup was forming, the reports stated you were looking at both poizon and Jamppi but later moved on to mantuu. What was the process for that decision like?





To be honest with you, I cannot answer this question as of right now. We had our reasons and the story will probably be out there one day. In the end I’m just really happy we ended up with Mantuu. He’s a great guy and has so much talent and I’m confident we haven’t seen the best of him yet.





Although just forming recently, you were able to place top 3 at CS Summit 5. What were the team intentions heading into Summit?





Summit was just a test-run for us. We only met each other for the first time at our bootcamp prior to the event, so it was just about playing some officials and getting to know each other, so the result didn’t matter at all.





Prior to your next tournament, OG has added Ruggah, previously of OpTic, to the team. What do you look to gain from having him as a coach?





Casper is a really good coach and just what we need in this team. He’s the man for creating a good atmosphere and on top of that he’s good at handling people and in the end I think that’s the most valuable thing you can be good at as a coach. Everybody can look through a demo and scout the opponent but not many are great at the other aspects, which in my opinion are far more important.





OG is one of the teams that is participating in the new BLAST league. What have been your thoughts about all of the leagues starting?





Honestly it has been a bit confusing at times with all these different leagues coming into formation. There has been so many reports, news and information about one or the other so in the end I’m satisfied with the position we are in. Time will tell how things work out. Right now I’m just looking forward to playing and improving!





OG's debut match at BLAST Spring Series is tomorrow against EG