MOUZ added two 18-year-old players to their roster during the off-season—xelex and PR—with their first test coming at BLAST Bounty Season 2.
This international roster advanced to the LAN finals and defeated 3DMAX in the quarterfinals, continuing their promising run, but xertioN stated that they still need to improve moving forward.
"I think our performance, especially on the first two maps, was quite poor, far below our usual level in practice," he told HLTV after defeating the French team.
"But you also have to learn to win these matches, winning the mental battle even when you're not at your best."
He also discussed the lowered expectations for the current MOUZ roster, his ongoing adaptation to the in-game leader role, and the upcoming matches at the Malta event.
Q: Congratulations on the win. It was a tough match, but you seemed to improve on each map, and you played the final map quite comfortably. How would you describe your performance today?
xertioN: To be honest, I think we performed quite poorly, especially on the first two maps, far below our usual level in practice. But you also have to learn how to win these matches, winning the mental battle even when you're not playing your best.
We won a lot of clutch rounds, which showcased many individual highlights from the players, and I also did my best to put them in good positions. Regarding the flow of the match, there are definitely some things we need to review, but overall we just took too long to find our rhythm. I'm glad we won.
Q: It seems like after 3DMAX picked you in the draft, they prepared counter-strategies against you, especially with their B-site execute on Dust2. Do you feel that's the case, or was it more due to their excellent tactical setup?
xertioN: They certainly have tactical setups, just like every team nowadays. Their advantage is knowing they'll likely face us, so they can prepare earlier than we can. But I don't think that's the key issue. On Dust2, we just weren't mentally invested in the match.
We had three or four rounds where it was basically just three of us defending B site. We knew it was B, but we still lost them. This is more of an individual issue on our part; we need to make better decisions when they actually execute onto B. I don't feel like we were caught off guard that much—it's more that they just won the actual execution. Sometimes that's just how it goes. The important thing is that we review this and move forward.
Q: You've been the in-game leader for a few months now, but even before that, you were already a very vocal player. How much has this actually changed for you on the server?
xertioN: In terms of micro, mid-round play, and how we execute, there hasn't been much change. I've always been deeply involved in how we enter bomb sites or control areas. But I definitely have more control now. I'm the in-game leader, and across both sides, I actually call about 95% of the rounds, so I'm taking on a lot more responsibility.
The change is primarily mental. I need to truly become a leader and support my teammates, even when we're playing poorly. This is what I'm working on. Sometimes I might get a bit too worked up, and I need to focus on the game, so there are definitely some weaknesses in this area that I need to address.
Q: One thing that is definitely not your weakness is your killing ability, which seems to have improved after you took on the in-game leader role, whereas it usually declines. Why do you think that didn't happen to you?
xertioN: I feel like I'm spending more time on theory and watching demos now than in the past, which has helped me become a better player. Especially on the CT side, I have a much better understanding of what the T side is planning to do in many situations, so I'm better prepared for their strategies.
I've put in more preparation, studying new round strategies and things like that, so I try to put us in good positions. It also helps that I can actually shoot when enemies push right into my face. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I want to be a different kind of in-game leader, not a liability, but someone who can get kills and maybe even save the team with my own aim and individual skill.
Q: xelex has played with you before, and the other new recruit, PR, lacks extensive top-tier experience. Both are only 18 years old. How do you feel about bringing two such young players into the system?
xertioN: It's a bit strange, because for a long time we were a top-five team in the world, and as MOUZ we maintained that level consistently for about two years. So now we're talking about taking a step back to take two steps forward. We haven't won many championship trophies in the past, and now we're taking a step back, lowering expectations, and trying to see how far we can go with this roster. Hopefully, at some point we can return to a level where we can compete for titles like before, but we believe this change will benefit us greatly in the long run.
I am really pleased with what the players have shown. They worked very hard, and that is something very important that my coaching staff and I hope to see in the players. I believe the future of this team is bright, especially for these young players. We just need to see how everything develops and how we can improve going forward.
Q: You've advanced to the semifinals, where you'll avoid Spirit. If both teams win, you could potentially face them in the finals. Is securing a matchup against Spirit and seeing where you stand against a top-tier team your goal?
xertioN: On paper, I think no matter which team picks us or who wins, we will be the favorites. But we're still a newly formed team, so we won't put too much expectation or pressure on ourselves. We're more focused on playing better.
For example, after finishing Dust2 today, it's clear that we need to improve our mentality and focus, as we lost some rounds that we probably shouldn't have. We are still a very young team, and we can't expect to convincingly beat anyone. For instance, we can't expect to reach the finals and then defeat Spirit. But of course, we are working hard towards that goal, striving to get better every day.