Intel Extreme Masters at Gamescom kickstarted with what was probably the best game of the day as Team SoloMid faced off against EnvyUs.

The French squad eventually won on Cobblestone and finished the day without a loss, something Nathan ”NBK” Schmitt attributes the new constellation’s hard work the last two weeks.

– We had one week of negotiations after everything went down and ever since then we have been practicing everyday, he says to Aftonbladet Esport.

Only two weeks remain until the biggest tournament of the year will commence, as sixteen of the best CS:GO teams in the world will land in Cologne to face off in the second major of 2015.

This week however, six teams from all over the world have been invited to participate in the Intel Extreme Masters at Gamescom. Last year, ESL One was played during the enormous gaming exhibition. This year, the major will be held in a bigger stadium and at Gamescom CS:GO is represented by a smaller tourney with a brand new format.

”Taking this event as a real test”

Six teams face off, and the winner of each match get to decide which teams will play in the upcoming match. After the first days games, Team EnvyUs looms large a the top of the table with no single ”life” lost.

– We basically came here to prepare for the major that is coming up. We know that Dan ”apex” Madesclaire and Kenny ”kennyS” Schrub are two very active personalities and we wanted to test the limits of that and how it would go. We wanted to know if they would be overreacting or be talking too much in-game. So we are taking this event as a real test to see what we might need to improve on, Nathan ”NBK” Schmitt says to Aftonbladet Esport.

”We had to come to the same level”

Probably no one in the CS:GO community could have missed the falling out in the old Team EnvyUs squad. After winning Dreamhack Winter 2014 and embarking on a fantastic run in the beginning of 2015, the squad fell to pieces and eventually let Richard ”shox” Papillon and Edouard ”SmithZz” Dubroudeaux go. In came apex as well as one of the most famous players in the CS:GO scene, kennyS.

– We are coming from two different backgrounds, over the last year we have had contrasting views on leadership. So the most difficult thing we had to go through is to get on the same page on the view on leadership and we had to all come to the same level. What we are practicing right now is to make everything automatic and being able to talk well and have a good communication in the team.

”Had a lot of problems with leadership”

In a vlog published shortly after Team EnvyUs acquired the two stars from Titan, NBK spoke about the new hierarchy within the squad. Vincent ”Happy” Cervoni would be the in-game leader and overall responsible for the tactics in the team, apex would take charge of CT-aggression and handling the tactics at the sites where he and Fabien ”kioShiMa” Fiey would hold bomb sites together. In short, NBK, kennyS and kioShiMa would only focus on hitting the opposing players head.

– In the old team we had a lot of problems in regards to leadership, but in this team, as soon as everybody understands their role, we will be really good. I think this lineup is perfect regarding the roles. And now all we need to do is to have everybody working within the same concept.

”The real test is in a few months”

As the old Team EnvyUs drew to a close, the world could see a disgruntled French squad. Whenever the camera panned across the player’s faces during a game, there would be nothing more than frowns displayed. While facing mousesports on the last map of the day, the viewers could notice a team seemingly in harmony, laughing and joking with each other between rounds. Something that NBK is not too surprised by.

– It’s always like that in the beginning. Everybody is happy and things are going well. The real test is going to be in a few months when we have settled down and if we can still find things to keep on evolving. That’s going to be the real test, because I have no doubts that this team is going to be real good really fast.

You and Kenny obviously used to play together, but you were basically kicked out of Titan. How are things working out for you and how is he settling in?

– We had huge problem at the end of that era in Titan. We have put those old differences behind us. And the only thing that matters now is the team. As I told you, we are going to work hard and I believe in this lineup.