PARIVISION defeated 100 Thieves in two straight maps on Friday to avoid elimination at the Esports World Cup, securing the victory after FL1T joined the roster.
In a post-match interview, dastan explained the reasons for signing FL1T, a former player from his Virtus.pro days, as well as dropping nota and BELCHONOKK during the off-season following a period of poor results.
PARIVISION will face MOUZ on Sunday, marking their first matchup since PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. dastan considers MOUZ the favorite, but notes that B8's victory over Vitality could boost PARIVISION's confidence.
Q: dastan, congratulations on defeating 100 Thieves. Now you are just one win away from the playoffs. Are you satisfied with today's performance?
dastan: I'm very happy because we prepared for 10 days, and after a Bo1 loss, we wanted to beat a team here. I also wanted to taste victory again. I originally expected it to be a much tougher match, but today my players' aim was really solid. Our gunplay was good, and our communication was good too, but I can still sense some areas where we aren't strong enough, because we need to guide the younger players more than I originally expected.
Q: This is your first tournament working with FL1T. You knew him from your time at Virtus.pro, and he brings a lot of experience and game understanding, which might be exactly what the team was lacking. Talk about the reasons behind your decision to sign him.
dastan: Regarding FL1T, about a year ago I already felt it would be great if we could sign him. But at the time, he was with Virtus.pro, part of their core roster and the team leader, so it was very difficult to bring him in. Later, we achieved good results, and we might not even need him in the first half of 2026.
We have worked with FL1T extensively, but I can certainly say that I feel the two-year gap now. Under the new meta, our understanding of certain situations differs. FL1T also needs time to better understand what's going on around him, as he hasn't played in any official matches for half a year.
We won a Major together and worked together at Virtus.pro for a long time. The difference between HObbit and FL1T is that FL1T is younger. I have great respect for HObbit, and this was a difficult decision. We need three young players to have enough firepower. I even think HObbit is currently better than slaxejezzz, but in the long run, slaxejezzz will develop more, and we need firepower. If the team had HObbit, me, Jame, and FL1T all at once, it might be too difficult in terms of firepower. Still, the month I worked with HObbit was very enjoyable.
Q: I'd like to ask a few more questions about slaxejezzz. He is still very young and inexperienced. How do you think he is adapting to the team and this level of competition?
dastan: I think it's tough for him because when xieLO, nota, and BELCHONOKK joined the team, they already had at least Tier 3 tournament experience. When slaxejezzz joined us, it would have been easier for him to adapt if he had another year of experience. But his individual skill is very good, and his mouse grip is similar to donk's. However, it's naturally difficult for him when it comes to situational awareness and making callouts. These maps are all new to him. I think he's a typical FACEIT player who plays a lot of Ancient, Mirage, and maybe Dust2; on other maps, he still needs more playtime.
Q: Even Inferno, right?
dastan: Even on Inferno. Yes, he hasn't played Inferno or Cache. I understand that. As a coach, I've been working for many years, so it's hard to watch some mistakes because they are very silly. But he is working hard to improve. I expect him to be stronger over the next six months to a year. He is very calm; he just needs to be more proactive in expressing his thoughts, calling out the situation, and making more decisions within the team.
Additionally, even if he goes to the XSE Pro League, it will be his first international trip, and everything will be new to him. When he arrives at the event, he'll think, "Oh, that's ZywOo. Oh, that's rain." I don't want to take that experience away from him, because ten years ago when I was with AVANGAR, I felt the exact same way seeing olof or coldzera. I believe he'll only get better with time, and he's still young.
Q: You have sometimes been very critical of the previous roster. When it came time to make changes, why did you decide to remove nota and BELCHONOKK?
dastan: It's due to individual performance. Their personal output in kills and frags has declined. There are no issues between us, and this kick wasn't due to any conflicts. They are still young, and I believe nota has a bright future. But for the current team, it's time to make a change with a new step, new players, and fresh energy. I met BELCHONOKK here, and he's currently playing for 1win. I think he has gained experience now and will show a better version of himself in his next team. nota will also be joining a new team, I believe a CIS team. I feel that in two or three years, they will both be stronger. I understand that competing at the top tier is tough, and sometimes changes are necessary, but this wasn't a kick driven by conflicts.
Q: You're about to face MOUZ. The two teams haven't played each other since Cluj-Napoca in February. You've swapped two players, and they've swapped two as well. What are your expectations for this playoff match?
dastan: I think they are the favorites. They won the BLAST Bounty tournament and also defeated Spirit. In terms of team energy and confidence, they are currently higher. Maybe they're a bit tired from participating in the BLAST Bounty tournament, but after winning today, I feel our confidence will be higher. Before the match, B8 defeated Vitality. B8 are also my friends, and I'm happy for them. I think my players will feel that B8's victory over Vitality helped us in terms of confidence.
I think it will be a close match. MOUZ has always been strong, and they also have new players. I feel we are currently in a similar position; the only difference is that they have three experienced players while we have two, that's it. But I think our firepower today is good, and I hope we can keep it up. Having a day off before the match will also help us prepare more and counter them better.
Q: PARIVISION has already achieved a lot this year: reaching the late stages of tournaments multiple times and winning a BLAST Bounty title. With FL1T and slaxejezzz now on the roster, how far do you think the team can go?
dastan: Our goal is to qualify for the Major more comfortably in the fall. We want to accumulate as many points as possible to secure our Major qualification. Since slaxejezzz, xieLO, and zweih are still in their first or second year on the top-tier scene, I understand that some mistakes are bound to happen. I always compare my team to other top teams. If I compare my players to G2's, they have significantly more competitive experience, with perhaps only r1nkle having less. But I need to remain patient and help us become a consistent top-tier team as quickly as possible.
These are the goals: qualify for the Major, reach the top 12, secure all direct invites, compete in as many tournaments as possible, and make it to the playoffs. That would always be a good result. Of course, year after year, I will expect more; but if I had ZywOo or donk, I might give a different interview. For now, however, I understand our current level and what we are capable of achieving.