FaZe captain says he and frozen are working to set a better example for younger teammates.
After defeating Alliance and K27 at the RLG Tesla Cup, FaZe have likely done enough to secure their invite to the PGL Singapore Major. According to HLTV's simulation page, they have a 97.1% chance of qualifying.
After consecutive last-place exits at FISSURE Playground 3 and Stake Ranked Episode 4, FaZe have a big hole to climb out of ahead of the November 2 VRS update. But winning the Rome Cup, and beating Envy and HEROIC in DraculaN Season 7, has greatly helped their recovery.
"Even though we lost these recent tournaments, I think it was good experience, because you look at those up-and-coming teams, look at 1win, look at Nemiga, these teams have played a lot of official matches, a lot of experience against other teams on online servers," Twistzz told HLTV in Belgrade. "And that experience is now benefiting us as well, giving us the benefit of playing matches together and creating more synergy in the server."
The Canadian captain also talked about how he and frozen are working to be better role models for their younger teammates.
“David [Cold King] and I have very high standards for how the team should play, and when things don't go well or mistakes happen, we both have a really bad habit of getting down,” he said.
“These young players shouldn't always be surrounded by a bad atmosphere, so now I only bring good vibes.”
Q: We're at the RLG Tesla Cup, and according to the HLTV VRS predictor, you now have roughly a 99% chance of making the Major. Obviously it won't be officially confirmed until November 2nd, but how happy are you to have made it this far in the rankings through these results?
A: I'm very happy. The entire focus of this tournament is that this is a tournament to win. Of course, playing well and qualifying has its benefits for the Major, but for us, we're not looking at that. We always go to these events, we want to win. We want to prove ourselves, to show everyone that we're here to compete. It's a nice extra bonus, and our form is on the rise right now.
Q: Do you think you are favorites to win the championship?
A: Honestly, I wouldn't have said that going into the event. FaZe is always a big name, so people always expect to see us go far, and we're held to high standards, as we should be. But any tournament win is huge for us. It goes a long way in terms of confidence, and reassures us that we're doing the right things and heading in the right direction.
Q: Two very convincing wins in a row for you today. You looked very energetic, with a lot of positivity on display. How did you get yourself into that state?
A: To be honest, sometimes I'm the one ruining the good atmosphere. David and I have high standards for how the team should play, and when things don't go well or mistakes happen, we both have a really bad habit of getting down.
These young players shouldn't always be surrounded by a bad atmosphere, so now I only bring good vibes. Whether I'm 4-15 or playing well, I want to make sure these kids feel good about the game, feel good about themselves, and play with confidence. I want to give them my best.
Q: Do you feel pressure here, or are you fairly confident? If the latter, how did you prepare for this tournament?
A: We'll focus on recovery after tournaments, so it's mainly enkay J and me working behind the scenes after DraculaN. Maybe going over the playbook, having more meetings together, and letting the guys rest. The team itself doesn't really have a new approach; I think it's mainly my vision for how to organize the personnel and the energy I bring, and I think that's a big change. I know HanWang is also working on becoming a better role model for these guys, so there was an honest reflection after these past tournaments.
Even though we lost these recent tournaments, I think it was good experience, because if you look at those rising teams, look at 1win, look at Nemiga, these teams have played a lot of official matches, a lot of experience against other teams on online servers. And this experience is now benefiting us as well, giving us the benefit of playing matches together and creating more synergy in the server. Continuously observing how the team operates has also been very useful for me.
Q: Your recent schedule has been a bit different from these Tier-2 LAN tournaments. How has it been for you, and how comfortable are you in this kind of environment?
A: Honestly, very comfortable. People can say whatever they want about DraculaN, but honestly, if there aren't three BO3s a day, then what is the special experience of going to these events? Every event needs to find something that sets itself apart from other events, otherwise they're all the same, and I think these events do a really good job in this regard.
Different formats, high-intensity CS, chaos, and a great LAN environment. I really enjoy it. Although the ultimate goal is to no longer appear in these events, there's no shame in playing in them. I find it interesting — it's part of the process.
Q: Speaking of Tier-1 LAN events, you'll be competing in Beijing. Do you feel ready to return to the Tier-1 stage and be competitive there?
A: I think we can definitely be competitive there. Honestly, you look at these teams, at the end of the day we just need to play our own game, we need to trust and believe in what we're building. Everyone is doing that really well, whether we're playing Sangal or any team; we play our own game, just like we did against Vitality or Spirit.
Overall, the goal is not to be intimidated by the names on the server or what they might bring. At the end of the day, it's about us truly showing the way we want to play — that's what matters most.
Q: Your opponents must have been scared off by your name, right?
A: (Laughs) Yes, at the end of the day, we embrace where we are. Obviously, the more momentum we build up in the server, the more people might start to worry about us a little, but the goal has always been to play CS we're proud of, that we take pride in. We try to block out the noise. Of course, we have analysts, and there's counter-strat prep going on behind the scenes and stuff, but at the end of the day, we just need everyone to stop overthinking and push forward with what we've got.