At the media day before the BLAST Porto event began, Falcons' star rifler kyousuke was interviewed by foreign outlet Pley, discussing topics such as the team's current form, their EWC experience, and personal goals.
Q: After winning the IEM Cologne Major championship, how was your summer?
That's wonderful. I spent this time with friends, and it was really great.Q：After winning such a big championship, is it a little tough to come back and regain that drive?
kyousuke: No, for me, I've always yearned for victory, and so have all my teammates, because we want to create something beyond just a Major championship. We want to win more championships.
Q: There have been some ups and downs after the Major. What do you think about the tournaments after the Major?
Kyousuke: I think the reason the last tournament (bounty tournament) was so tough was because it was the first match and an elimination game. An elimination match can be really hard for anyone. We saw how Vitality seemed to have been taken down by Liquid, along with some other teams. Starting with an elimination match right away is incredibly difficult. Anything could give us a "surprise," because I feel like other teams might be more hardworking and train even more intensely than we do. So that match was really tough.
Q: Is this a problem of finding stability?
kyousuke：No, this isn't about stability. It's about finding the game rhythm—and we didn't find it.
Q：When you sit down to train and discuss strategies, as one of the younger players on the team, how much say do you have in those conversations?
kyousuke：Everyone in the team has a voice. If someone has thoughts during theory sessions or training, or feels there are areas we can improve, they will speak up, and everyone certainly can voice their opinions.
Q: When you face people like karrigan and NiKo, is it not difficult to tell them, "Guys, I think we should play this way"?
kyousuke: Not difficult. For me, sometimes I'm not too fond of talking. For example, NiKo and karrigan would proactively ask me what I think about something, they're actually pushing me to speak more.
Q：From a personal perspective, what has been the most important lesson you've learned since joining the Falcons?
kyousuke: It's about keeping an open mind with everyone. Listen more, and also share your own thoughts.
Q: Looking ahead, what do you think is the most important thing you need to improve?
kyousuke：Same, still this.
Q: After karrigan joined the team, what changes were there for you?
kyousuke：There's a difference. I told you before he's a madman. He brings a lot of laughs, a lot of energy, a lot of atmosphere. He also gives everyone a lot of creative freedom. He's the kind of guy who's exciting to play with. I like this guy, playing with him is really fun.
Q：There are three Danish players in the team who are like Zonic. What's it like to be around these people?
kyousuke: They really love speaking Danish. I can say this—when the two of them get together, my ears are completely filled with Danish. But actually, it's fine.
Q: For the future, are there any goals you want to achieve? You've already won a Major and tried so many things.
Kyousuke: I definitely want to win the best tournaments. I think the best tournaments for me are Krakow, Cologne—I won the Cologne Major, but purely winning Cologne (the tournament itself) would also be amazing. Krakow, Cologne, EWC, and some other tournaments I've mentioned before.
Q：What about that person's honors? Are there any that are important to you, or do you only think about winning with the team?
kyousuke：Personal honors are certainly important to me, but right now I won't set a firm goal for myself, like saying I must become one of the world's top three players or something. I'm not going to set that kind of flag right now, but it's definitely important to me—it's important to everyone.