Before the BLAST Open Porto tournament began, FURIA player molodoy gave an interview, discussing his EWC performance, FalleN's pressure before retirement, YEKINDAR's in-game leader role, and the transfer rumors surrounding himself.
Q: Looking back on some of your important achievements this year—the runner-up finish at IEM Kraków and the runner-up finish at the Cologne Major. Do you feel these experiences have strengthened your mindset, rather than winning everything right from the start? If so, in what specific ways?
molodoy：Everyone wants to win, but you know, it always comes down to three things: first is the mindset, second is how you execute during the game, and third is how much you enjoy the process.
Q: You arrived at this station with a fourth-place finish in the EWC. That result isn't bad, but it might not be what you wanted, especially considering the bracket you were in. What are your thoughts on the final ranking of this EWC?
molodoy：I think we played well at EWC, but we lost to FUT. That match was on us – we didn’t perform. But that’s how CS is; there are wins and losses. You just have to keep improving yourself, and that’s just how it is.
Q: It was almost a seamless transition from the third-place match in Paris to Copenhagen. Did you have a chance to review where EWC didn't work out, or was it straight to the next event?
molodoy: Without time to systematically review many things, we'll adjust as we go in this competition where we can improve. We're not thinking too much about how far we can go in this event; we'll just focus on doing well with what's in front of us.
Q：We're now in the final months of FalleN's career, and you haven't won a championship since BLAST Rivals. Do you feel extra pressure to give him a proper farewell?
molodoy: No. We've talked to him about this issue, of course we want to win a few championships for him, but at the end of the day, this is our job to do.
Q: Everyone knows that YEKINDAR has been responsible for in-game leadership on Ancient, Anubis, and Cache. He has always taken on some leadership duties, but since he started full-time shot-calling for certain maps, have there been any noticeable changes?
molodoy：He does love giving orders, but transitioning to a full-time IGL is too difficult. I don’t think he wants to be an IGL—maybe someday—but in my opinion, he shouldn’t make that switch.
Q：Many people are discussing your future with FURIA. Would you intentionally block out these messages, or do you see them?
molodoy: I see some news about 'molodoy might be leaving', but I don't pay attention to these.
Q: Let's discuss the expectations for this BLAST Open. The lineup here is indeed strong, with most top teams participating. What is FURIA's goal?
molodoy：I think it depends on how we start this race and how we move forward. The key lies within ourselves, not who our opponents are.
Q: The first match is against paiN, which can be considered a Brazilian derby. What are your thoughts on this?
molodoy: Playing against Brazilian teams is never easy.
Q: You've beaten them every time you've faced them in the past 12 months. Are you confident this time? How do you expect them to play?
molodoy: It's never easy playing Brazilian teams because it's a Brazil derby—they want to beat us, and we want to beat them. Every match is a hard battle.