[Translated from French]



So I’m with ScreaM from Kinguin who unfortunately just got eliminated by TSM 2-0 in their quarterfinals match. First off, congratulations on achieving Legend status here at Cologne! You formed Kinguin not long ago and are a young team, yet for your first major you already achieved that status. How do you feel about that?

Our first objective was to qualify for the major. We did it. Then, the second objective was to go through the group stage and we did that. We were really happy and we still are, as it is a very good result for us. Then, I think we could have dealt more damage to TSM. Unfortunately we didn’t make it, but we’re still pretty happy with our run.



Back in the group stage, your final match was against Cloud9, considered by many to be the favorites to advance. You prevailed on Dust 2 though. How did you approach that matchup? Were you confident against them on that map?

We were definitely confident. The last time we met, we lost also on Dust 2 in FACEIT I believe [T/N: FACEIT Stage 2 Finals at DreamHack Valencia]. So this time we really wanted to take revenge, and additionally, if we won that match we would qualify for the playoffs, so that really motivated us to win. We knew how they play. We improved a lot since the last time we met them, we played well, and in the end things played out well for us.

Understood. It feels that recently you’ve regained that sort of star player status. Do you feel any additional pressure to perform because of that, even if positive?

First of all, I’ve never experienced negative pressure. I just play. I just have fun. It’s true that I’ve went back to a good level of play, and I hope I will keep it.

So quite a confidence boost?

Yes, and also, when you don’t play professionally for like a year and take a break, when you come back, you’re really motivated.



Alright. I would also like to talk about the in-game leading in Kinguin, which is somehow rather exotic when compared to the other teams. You brought in LEGIJA for the major; how did it work out with him?

So, we brought LEGIJA in like two or three weeks ago. We trained with him for two or three weeks before the major. First of all, we didn’t have a defined in-game leader in the team. We have a lot of skill, very good aim and a lot of good individual players. Regarding tactics, we like to play aggressive, but when it doesn’t work, you have to find something to make things work. LEGIJA cares about that. He’s responsible for setting us up and he tells us what to do. He is our in-game leader in fact. So he tells us what to do, he sets up tactics, and that works pretty well. And it will be better in the future.

I see. So you’ve been in Titan under Ex6TenZ’s lead. Now you’re in Kinguin with this way of approaching the role. Which style do you prefer? Would you say there’s pros and cons to both?

I think that CS:GO is more focused on skill. The game is more based on skill. You can still use tactics, and that’s also important. But now, you absolutely need five skilled players if you want to beat any top team. When you look at these top teams, TSM, Fnatic, EnVyUs—they have nothing but skilled players plus a leader. And they play extremely simply. They won’t really rely on tactics. They will play together, go for the revenge kills, and they’ll just kill everyone. That’s how CS:GO is.

Do you think that’s the reason the best leaders seems not to be those with a rigid lead, but in fact rather those that leave a lot to their players’ judgment? And when they have excellent players, that just combines into something that works well?

You see, in the big teams, the leader doesn’t really lead actually. The players say, for example, they want to play a specific position, or go somewhere they want to go. They do their things.

So he just throws the general idea, and then the players just act accordingly?

That’s it, exactly. In fact, every player does what he wants, just in a good way, and the leader does something related based on their plays. It’s really free. The leader won’t be leading by saying what to do from A to Z. That’s really free.

Would you say you feel better with that form of, let’s say, “fluid” kind of lead?

Definitely. It’s more individual.

Okay! Another thing I would like to ask: You were really famous for your headshots and your tapping, but recently, it feels like you’ve shifted towards a more standard way of approaching rifles. Is it something you actually seeked to change? If one-tapping was buffed, would you go back to it?

That’s a good question. People know me for my one-taps and my headshots. In fact, before CS:GO, I played Counter-Strike: Source for five years, maybe more, and I never played with tapping. I had my own particular style and I sprayed a lot, while landing a lot of headshots as well. One-tapping only came with CS:GO when I was on VeryGames. There I was mostly doing one-taps because I found that more fun. But CS:GO has changed so much, that if you want to be effective in big tournaments, on a big stage like this, it’s not enough. It’s not efficient enough. Me, I just want to be efficient for my team. In fact, I just want to do everything. Spray, one-tap, all of it. I want to be multipurpose.

Right. You were just talking about the stage. That must have been an experience playing in front of that crowd and on such a setup. Has it influenced you?

Absolutely, absolutely. It gave me a boost for qualifying, for playing well.

We saw many players expressing themselves about this specifically, saying “I want to play on that stage.”

Of course. It really was a dream playing on that stage, and we made it. Even if we lost in the end, I can say I played there, on that stage.

Okay, so mission accomplished for Kinguin in Cologne?

Yes. We met our objectives. Now, of course, we want to aim higher.

I was actually going to ask about the future of Kinguin. Do you plan to stick with your recipe?

Yes, we will continue to train, continue to improve, and reach new heights.

Okay, that was all. Thanks!