FUT defeated TYLOO 13-10 on Mirage in their opening match at the Esports World Cup. They built a commanding 9-3 lead on the CT side, but narrowly closed out the match in the final stages.
This is xfl0ud's first time representing his new team at a LAN event since joining Turkish club FUT from HEROIC during the off-season. For the 23-year-old player, this transfer is like a dream come true; he is also incredibly happy about the support he has received from the Turkish community.
xfl0ud: "I might have received some other offers, but those teams weren't as strong."
“Even if I receive better offers, or offers from teams of the same tier, I would still choose FUT. Besides the club itself, the roster is excellent, and the players are all very young. Right now, it's likely that every team is inquiring about our players. So I am very happy to be here.”
xfl0ud attributed the loss to 3DMAX in the BLAST Bounty tournament to the team's limited practice time, and stated that he is now more comfortable with the new roster.
When asked about the roster's potential, he said he believes the team can once again rank in the top five.
xfl0ud: "I believe that if we can be more consistent, continue to learn, work hard, and evolve, we will become a top-five team in the long run."
Q: This is your first match at the Esports World Cup, and also your first victory. After taking a 9-3 lead in the first half, the final stages became very tightly contested. What are your thoughts on this match?
xfl0ud: "I think our CT side was quite solid, and our overall performance was good. We generally read them well, but on the T side, I lost the pistol round. I dropped a 1v1 after getting a triple kill, which was an easy kill I should have secured. I just couldn't hit my shots."
“After that, they started closing the gap. We struggled in the first pistol round and the first two full-buy rounds. We tried to catch the timing, and the timings were actually good, but for example, I just couldn't land my shots. However, by the end of the match, we managed to take them out, and the result was decent.”
Q: This is the second tournament you and your team have participated in, as well as your first offline event. Talk about what happened during the offseason. Were you looking for a new challenge at the time? Did you receive any other offers? What was this experience like for you?
xfl0ud: "For me, FUT is a home where I can truly feel at ease. I feel like they've accepted me like family, because it's a Turkish club that I've been following for a long time. I like their brand image, so I like being here, I love being here."
"I may have received some other offers, but those teams weren't as strong. Even if I received better offers, or offers from teams of the same level, I would still choose FUT. Besides the club itself, this roster is excellent, the players are very young, and right now, it seems like every team is asking about our players. So I'm very happy to be here."
Q: How special is it for you to play for a Turkish club again, especially a club as big and popular as FUT?
xfl0ud: "This feeling is very reassuring and special. When I was at Eternal Fire, which was also a Turkish club, we had an all-Turkish roster, so it probably didn't feel that special. But now—of course, I didn't come here just to be popular—when I see everyone's love and the support from Turkish fans, I feel really good and very happy."
Q: At 23 years old, you are the oldest player on the team. Surrounded by so many promising young players, what does it feel like?
xfl0ud: "From Sangal to HEROIC, and then from HEROIC to FUT, I've always been the oldest on the team. So, alright, I am indeed the oldest, but I don't really feel that old. My mindset is still like I'm 18."
“But it feels really good. Maybe when I was 18 or 20, I would have thought it was better to play with older players, because you can gain some experience. But over the past two years, I've changed my mind. I think it's much better to play with younger players. Their firepower might be stronger, and they can improve faster.”
Q: The team has some of the most promising players in the scene, like dziuggs and Krabeni. What's it like playing alongside them? They have a lot of potential, and I imagine some other teams have been inquiring about them. Is there anything about them that has surprised you?
xfl0ud: "I've known about their potential for a long time. Honestly, I've wanted to play with dziuggs before. Of course, he's not what I'd call a dream player, but more like: 'Bro, this guy looks really strong, I want to play with him.' Because he's a very consistent anchor, and there aren't many stable anchors like that in the current competitive scene. His aim is solid, he's very smart, and he's very communicative. That's exactly what I look for in an anchor."
"As for dem0n, I think he is one of the best aimers I have ever played with. So I like everyone here, not just those two players. Everyone is doing their job at a top level, and I am very happy to play with them."
Q: Let's talk more about the BLAST Bounty. It was the first tournament you and your team competed in, but you didn't make it to the LAN finals. You defeated SINNERS, but then lost to 3DMAX. What were the main lessons you took away from that event?
xfl0ud: "I think we started the season a bit late because the players weren't ready for the new season yet, and I was on my honeymoon. So I think that was the biggest issue. We only had a week or a week and a half of practice before competing in the BLAST Bounty. After the loss, I learned my lesson."
“If I remember correctly, we've been playing together for a month now, so I've already adapted to the team. I know all the players' habits and how they play. Everything is going well now.”
"But at the time, as I said, I hadn't adapted to the team yet. I might miss some callouts, or some voices were new to me, so I couldn't tell who was speaking, things like that. Of course, I'm playing a new position now, and most of my CT-side positions have changed. So now I'm able to perform at my best."
Q: Now let's talk about this tournament, which is one of the biggest events of the season. As a team, what goals have you set? What is your minimum goal?
xfl0ud: "We haven't discussed our team goals yet, but my personal goal, and likely everyone's, is to at least make the playoffs. If we can reach the semifinals or finals, given our short training time, that would be the best result we could achieve. For now, I want to see us make it to the playoffs."
Q: FUT has clearly reached the playoffs in many tournaments and even won championships. With more practice time, considering the team's potential, how far do you think the team can go?
xfl0ud: "I think this team can reach the top five in the long run. If we can be more consistent, keep learning, keep working hard, and keep evolving, we will become a top-five team in the long run."