EPT
I’m with MSL of Team Dignitas who just won 2-0 against ENCE eSports. So you’re qualified for the winner bracket finals. How do you feel about that victory?
I feel great about that victory. We felt confident going into the match and we believed that we should win, but it would be a hard match. I’m really happy we won.
Let’s come back to the group stage. You faced Epsilon first, and then Orbit. During the game against Epsilon you took a big advantage in the first rounds, but then Epsilon manage to start a comeback. Were you worried at that point?
We were still confident that we would win that game. We got a big lead going into the CT side, and it looked like we couldn’t close it out, even though we should have, but we weren’t worried or anything. We just knew it would take some time while we weren’t on point.
Then you faced Orbit, against whom you were considered the favorites. It ended up being a close game, and right now they’re in the winner's bracket finals. Did you expect such a performance from the Bulgarians?
To be honest I think they are a really underrated team. Every time we have played them on LAN or online we have always struggled. So I think they’re a really good team, and I actually saw them doing what they did, and it was a really tough match against them on Cobblestone, but in the end we managed to make some good decisions that made us win.
Now let’s take a few steps back and talk about Dignitas in the last few months. You’ve written a very lengthy post on Facebook explaining what you’ve been through these months with the good results at DreamHack Leipzig, GameShow and the ESL Barcelona, but also the struggles with the Columbus Major qualifiers. You said you learned some hard lessons during that period. What are some examples of key things you’ve fixed during that time?
The most important thing we’ve learned during that time is that we need to prepare against any opponent even if they are maybe not as good as we are, and we underestimate them. So we need to prepare exactly as we prepare against a good team. I think that’s the biggest lesson we have learned. And, yeah, just prepare, even though it’s a lesser team.
You talked also about a coach that would be there full time in June. Can you talk about that?
I cannot say who it is yet, but our coach will actually join in two weeks.
Can you talk a bit more about his role? Will he be taking away from the in-game leading?
He won’t be the in-game leader, I will still do that. He will just help with everything outside the game and also inside the game. He will take a lot of focus away from me so I can concentrate more on the in-game leading. And get some help as well, we’ve had a big issue with only me coming with inputs and decisions so we kinda need that guy on CT side to take control of the other side and that’s what his impact will be.
Talking about Dignitas style, you’re often qualified as a strat-heavy team. Do you think that’s something that will become a solid trend in the future?
I think that’s already become a trend for sure. When you see NiP using a lot of strats, you know it has become a very strategical games. So yeah, I think it already has.
Talking about game style, you’re known for careful setups and executions. In this game you played really aggressive, especially against Ence, pushing with flashes through smokes on the CT side, and even on T when taking B on Cobblestone, you were often pushing through door taking connector right away. Is that aggressive style something you tried to implement for some time or was it specific against Ence, going for the throat?
We have always been aggressive, I think we are the kind of team that play some rounds really aggressive, and then some where we focus more on the strategic side. So it has always been like that, because we don’t have our best T, we have to use fast rounds as well.
Ok! I’ve noticed during the game that you had Pimp, Magiskb0y and cadiaN behind you. Does that help to have the danish family watching you play?
No it doesn’t really matter, but it’s nice to have them here.
Continuing on the danes, SK was coming into the tournament pretty much like the favorite, at least to win a couple of rounds. But it didn’t happen [I/N: SK crashed 0-2 in groups against Orbit and Epsilon], do you have a comment on that?
Not really, I think they missed Friis of course, but it was a hard group. Orbit, like I said, is a really underestimated team, and I actually thought from the beginning that it would be us and Orbit qualifying for the playoffs.
Then, let’s round out the danish scene and talk about Astralis. They’ve been struggling recently finding result, compared to their performance during 2015. Do you think that will imply some changes in the danish scene?
I’m not sure to be honest. I really think they’re in a slump, and I’m not sure if they want to keep working or change something. I guess we’ll have to see.
You’re in Dignitas for more than a year now; the Astralis guys are together for more than a year. Do you think it’s typical of the danish scene to be really stable?
I think it’s because of the contracts.
On the topic of contracts, there’s been the announcement two days ago about the WESA organisation. Have you been able to think about it?
Yes. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for CS:GO, or for us teams. I think it’s just a way to get the organisations to be important. If I have the rights sources (?) it’s a really bad thing for CS:GO in general. So I don’t like it.
Not confident in WESA for now.
No.
Alright, one last: if you could build your super danish team, your dream team, who would you pick?
I would probably pick device, dupreeh, Xyp9x and Kjaerbye.
Alright! Well, thank you MSL for this interview, and good luck for the rest of the tournament!
Thanks!
Interviewer: ragnarork
CSS: FO-nTTaX
Graphics: David-Scott
Photo: GFINITY
