BETBOOM defeated BIG, Astralis, and MIBR 2-0 successively in the S3 group stage of Fission World, securing the top spot in the group with an undefeated record and advancing directly to the tournament semifinals.
After defeating MIBR, S1ren gave an interview to HLTV, discussing the team's performance in the group stage, their confidence when facing stronger opponents, and the plans for participating in several European tournaments consecutively. He stated that BETBOOM currently views the Fission Universe Season 3 as an important "warm-up," hoping to build confidence for the upcoming schedule through this event.
Q: S1ren, after three consecutive wins in the group stage, you have now advanced to the semifinals. How do you evaluate the team's performance in this tournament so far?
S1ren: Overall, after the conclusion of the 2026 EWC, we spent a lot of time improving individual performance, including better understanding of the game, macro-situations, and similar things.
I think these efforts are starting to pay off now, basically.
Q: Could you talk about these matches in more detail? From your perspective, how did each one go?
S1ren: To be honest, the teams in this tournament weren't strong enough that we felt we might not make it to the playoffs, but of course, it's still great to have secured our spot.
Overall, our match against BIG was played with relative ease. Although the map scores were actually quite close on paper, the gameplay itself was very smooth. We maintained control throughout and held the upper hand in the entire series, never letting any situation slip away from us.
Playing against Astralis was noticeably more challenging, and you could feel some tension. Historically, we had never defeated the Astralis team before.
So overall it was a pretty tough match, but in my personal opinion, it should have been played more comfortably.
As for today against MIBR, we played the first map, their pick, with confidence. There was some slight wavering on the CT side, but once we moved to the T side, we resolved the match cleanly and quite easily.
Anubis was our map pick, which was a tough game. We had played scrims against them before and knew they were strong on Anubis, but it remained the most ideal pick for us, so we ultimately decided to go with it.
Overall, the match was tough, but we gritted our way through it step by step.
Q: Will the group stage performance give you more confidence entering the knockout rounds and help you maintain your good form?
S1ren: I don't really think how well you perform in group stages directly determines how you'll do in the knockout rounds.
A few months ago, we also competed in XPL in Guangzhou, China, where we advanced from the group stage with a 3-0 record, only to be defeated by FaZe twice in a row with scores of 13-2 in the playoffs.
So I think, when facing the knockout stage, one should still stay clear-headed, treat it as just another ordinary match, not dwell on the previous results, and continue playing their game just like in the group stage.
Q：Facing high-level opponents like FURIA, G2, and Legacy, are you confident in competing against them?
S1ren: If we only look at the training matches, I think we absolutely have the ability to compete with them.
But everyone knows that official competitions are a completely different kettle of fish, and knockout matches will be staged in front of audiences, which I think will certainly have an impact on us.
But over the past six months, we've made it to the playoffs multiple times and played numerous matches on stage. So I believe the experience we've accumulated during this period should overall be able to help us.
Q: You have several frontline matches ahead where you'll face stronger opponents. Will you view this tournament as an important opportunity to accumulate points or even compete for the championship?
S1ren: Of course, one hundred percent. We're actually treating this tournament as a warm-up.
In about 20 days, we will embark on a long trip to Europe to compete in three consecutive S-level events.
So overall, this competition serves as preparation for the marathon ahead. We hope to build more confidence here and then perform well in those races.
Q: You missed out on the Major previously. How was that experience for you?
S1ren：That period was really, really hard for me psychologically.
I only found out the day before my teammates left for the Major that I couldn't go, because my visa didn't come through in the end.
Psychologically, it was indeed very difficult. So during that short break, I focused on relaxing as much as possible and readjusting my state of mind. I even attended a concert to rest and take a breather, then recharged my energy for the upcoming competitions.
Q: Does it work? Did you successfully recover your condition? Did that period make you rethink your competition or make some changes?
S1ren：I feel like I've always known what areas needed improvement. Perhaps at that time, I already understood what I needed to work on, both as an individual and as a competitor.
I don't think this rest itself suddenly made me realize these things. Whether during the competition or in the off-season, I would have slowly come to these conclusions on my own.
This break was more about letting me catch my breath and recharge a bit. However, missing the Major was indeed mentally quite difficult.
Q: It hasn't become any easier for Russian citizens to apply for Schengen visas. Not sure how much you can disclose, but what is the current visa situation like on your end?
S1ren: I probably can't say much about the specific details.
However, I can say that we have found a long-term solution. Overall, there should be no more visa issues in the future.