EPT
I am here with Ex6TenZ from Team LDLC who just won their quarterfinals in convincing fashion against TRICKED eSport. First of all, how did the bracket unfold for you so far and how does the team feel right now?
So we started quite off the wrong foot in the group stage, and we didn’t get into the playoffs with great confidence against paiN and TRICKED. Well, at least against paiN, we weren’t really confident, but we knew we could do better than yesterday. We got the chance to start on a map that they didn’t practice much as far as I know, a weak map of theirs, that they barely played on during official matches. It really helped us getting into the match, and even if we were better than yesterday, with the right mindset, doing everything better, I think it also helped us that they didn’t really prepare the map. And from there, everything went well. We dominated on the T side, everything went smoothly and was easy. The second map was Overpass, they take the pistol round and start to come back, but we stop them by winning our eco-round. And afterwards, they never really entered the match. They showed some slip-ups, whereas we stood strong, we didn’t do mistakes. Little by little we reached our level, while they sank. So the match was easy.
Then we played TRICKED. So TRICKED is a team that is a pain to play against because, technically, they aren’t the best individually, still they sometimes completely demolish us and dominate us during practice. And they also beat bigger teams, for example Kinguin at this tournament, against whom they scored a brutal 2-0. So that’s what I said to my team mates. They’re not necessarily the best in the world, but they’re capable of taking us down 2-0, they have a map pool that’s hard to play against. Once again we start with a map they’re weak on, and that’s where our map advantage shows, the fact we have a big map pool, that we’re capable of playing on six maps. That’s not the case of many teams here, and I think that we benefit a lot from that. We dominated the match again, except on Cobblestone where it was a bit more contested, but we were still in control, we win the pistols, we were on a roll. Overall we played really well, and we went up against TRICKED with more confidence than against paiN.
Coming back to the group stage, you landed in a group with Heroic and Bravado, which were the teams you encountered. Were you surprised by the level of play Bravado displayed, or do you think that it was more about your performance lacking?
So we started the tournament against Bravado, we won 16-9, but that was a tough match, and at some points it could’ve really tipped in their favor, because they won both pistols and started rolling right away, during both sides, while we were not into it yet. So not an easy match and especially not a match that helped our confidence. Then we’re pitted against Heroic and that was the same story. We lost both pistols and they went on and won the following rounds. That was difficult for us, we weren’t really getting into our tournament yet.
After that we have to play a best of three against Bravado on stage. To be honest it was a nightmare. We played awful. Once again, we lost most pistol rounds. The few we win, we get eco’d right away. We’re never at ease money wise, we’re always lacking some stuff, or an AWP, or a kevlar. Each time, things don’t pan out in a familiar way, in a way we’re used to when we play according to our usual game plan, when we’re dominating.
Then the playing conditions aren’t great, because the computers aren’t that good. Low FPS, plus we have to record in-eyes demos. Honestly that was terrible. Also they played somewhat weirdly. So, with a young team, we’re playing under conditions that look nothing like when we’re at home, untroubled. We lost our bearings and it became messy. A very tough match, but fortunately we fought back mentally, and we came back on Dust 2 and rolled on Cache. To be honest, it’s not that they surprised us, it’s more the chaining of a lot of small details that made the encounter complicated. But props to Bravado, they weren’t really experienced and it showed, but they gave everything nonetheless, they had things rolling, they landed good headshots, and they were close to beating us.
Now the next step for you is the match against Space Soldiers. How do you go into that match?
Space Soldiers is a team that’s more experienced than us, that plays somewhere in the middle tier of Europe for longer than us, and they already did some cool stuff. They won TWC [E/N: The World Championships 2016] and even if that wasn’t the full Space Soldiers team, it helps a lot in a team. So yeah they’re motivated. I haven’t really paid attention to maps, and I haven't really looked into that match yet.
I think that for us, we’ve already more or less “succeeded” at this tournament. We’re a young team and that’s our first LAN together, it has to be mentioned. We avoided the common traps, and that’s already something. We did two good matches; we showed some great level of play. Then we’d still be sad to lose in the semifinals against Space Soldiers, especially since we’re probably playing against them on stage, in front of our crowd. That would be awesome to get to the finals, and that would be a great performance, so we’re going into this with a strong desire to win.
You said LDLC is a young team. Also, you have been out of G2 Esports for more than six months and have been leading this project. It already had two lineups, the first one with BouLy and matHEND, the current one with xms and mistou. How do you reflect on your journey so far, not in the french top anymore but in the second tier, and up to this tournament?
Well, at the beginning, I really didn’t know what to expect. I really didn’t know how the players were thinking, what they were capable of. Their strengths, their weaknesses, I knew nothing about. So I really came in thinking I’d just observe how things were. And little by little, I added my stuff, set the bar to where it needed to be in terms of practice, objectives, and professionalism let’s say.
At first it wasn’t easy. We had different visions. Some players couldn’t manage to get their level back, like BouLy who was not as good with us as with his former teams. So gradually we converged towards something that really looks interesting. Just to make things clear, I don’t want to show BouLy and matHEND in a bad light, that’s two players I like, and they are capable of being very strong. But for some players that are now in the team, ALEX and to1nou, they’re more experienced players now, they have a better vision, and we’re starting to have some background we can rely on. At the very beginning I didn’t put much pressure on myself about the results, I just wanted to observe. I’m still in that mindset right now, but with slightly higher expectations than during the first three months.
Understood. I mentioned G2 Esports in my last question, do you still follow closely the team these days, and how are your relationships with the players?
Well, they aren’t bad. With NiaK, their manager, who’s someone I’ve worked with for eight years, we still get along well and talk often. I have very few contacts with the other players though. It’s been like this for a long time with these players that have been at the top with me for eight years, Shox, SmithZz. It’s just that when we’re not in the same team, we don’t talk anymore. There’s no bad blood or anything between us, but it’s that way, and it’s very peculiar. When you’re not in the same team you kind of become enemies, that’s really weird.
But my relationships with them aren’t bad. I’m not mad at them because I think that in the end they did the right move. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I think I’m really benefiting from the experience I’m getting now. Shox wanted to lead, I think that with the players he had, that are monsters of skill, we had different visions, and his was maybe better. I know that ScreaM is someone that likes to keep things simple, that likes to play with a focus on skill. RpK is somehow the same. So I felt it, I saw it coming. The day I was kicked, I was sad of course because that’s a failure. But I kind of expected that, and.. yeah, I’m following their results, and we’re not angry at each other.
Okay. A quick side question on your former team. Do you think there was a curse on Titan, especially at the majors?
If I have to talk from my point of view and my experience, my first major was a succession of failures. Because, for the first major, with VeryGames - it starts here in fact - we make the semifinals but in fact we had to win that major. We really have regrets now, but I know that at the time I did my part, I did what I was expected to do, especially as a leader, and was playing good. Second major, we did some good stuff but there were some errors, and this also wasn’t me. Third major with Titan, it went wrong again but we still don’t have that ingrained in our minds that things would be going wrong.
But from the third major and onwards, where we fail again, while we do not in the other tournaments, it got to our heads. Some matches we lost 16-14, in the group stage at the majors especially — and there’s plenty — we’d have won them 16-12 in other tournaments. Bit by bit it just makes its way into your mind, added to the groups where the level is already high, meant that towards the end, major or not, it could happen that we didn’t even survive the group stage. There’s no such thing as the Titan curse. In my opinion, everything can be explained.
In my opinion, the first three majors we did the job, at least from my point of view, but also I didn’t push my teams as much as I could or should have. The last one [E/N: the Columbus major] is a good example, and I know that lead to my kick. I know that at some point I lacked confidence, and the leader must absolutely not lack confidence at this stage of the competition. I know the idea behind why I got kicked. That’s not the only reason, but I know it had a part in it. It happens, one can’t be at the top all the time.
Let’s move to a more positive topic. You qualified for the European minor, which will have many teams currently attending ESWC, plus GODSENT and HellRaisers amongst others. It’s the first time you have to go through this route, as before you either had a seed, or directly qualified at the offline qualifier. How do you look upon that journey ahead of you?
Like you say, it’s a big hassle. Honestly, when a top team like GODSENT gets to the bottom, even in the qualifiers for the minor that we just got out of, it’s hard. It’s only bests of one, against teams like Fnatic Academy, that are really skilled, and on a best of one… it’s hard to string six best-of-one victories, that’s what we did and we gave everything. After that, you have to go through best-of-three series against teams like Kinguin that are solid; teams that can eliminate you. So getting to the minor is already not bad.
Next, you have to win the minor, and I don’t know the format yet but I’m pretty sure it’s going to involve the best of one format, which would be completely stupid, but it could happen. So it’s really annoying. Then you get the actual major qualifier, and you get once again a very high level. So frankly, the path is long and for a team like us it’s nearly impossible. So to answer concisely the question it’s long and difficult, for all the teams.
You talk about a long road, but there’s some teams at the minor that got a head start by being invited. What do you think about these invites, in a tournament that was designed as a way to find regional talents and help them reach the major qualifier?
Personally I consider this completely normal. As I said, five bests of one online against very skilled opponents, hmm, yeah it’s good to give smaller teams opportunities, but honestly it’s bothersome. I think there should be at least a few invites, and that these teams don’t have to play against everyone. Teams like Fnatic Academy, etc., yes they’re good, they’re motivated, but it shouldn’t be open to everyone like that. To qualify we played six or seven best-of-one matches straight. The seventh, it doesn’t mean anything anymore considering how tired you are. That’s problematic. There’s a little bit of randomness I think. Then I didn’t put much thought into it, I’m still open to discussion about this.
So to wrap this up we’ll talk about the french top scene. EnVy seems to be slowly back on track and climbing again, but they still changed a player recently. G2 Esports had a good run before the Cologne major with win at ECS Season 1 and second place at the ESL Pro League finals. All in all it seems that the french top is a bit shaky. What’s your take on this?
Well, G2 had four or five very good tournaments, and four or five bad tournaments… ah, it’s complicated, because I know what’s going on behind the scene but can’t talk about it.
It’s understandable. Well that’s all for me. Anything you want to add?
Shoutouts to our sponsors, Cooler Master, ASUS, Seagate, Ballistix! Thanks to all the fans that supported us here at the event, and hi to the american scene! And thank you for the interview.
Thank you!
Interviewer: Ragnarork
CSS: FO-nTTaX
Graphics: DearDave
Photos: HLTV
Very nice interview by the way!
