During the recent offseason, 3DMAX made an unexpected roster change, replacing Ex3rcice with former GamerLegion sniper Kursy.
However, this 24-year-old player will not take over the AWP in the team, but will instead take on a completely new rifler role.
"I need to understand it more, it's not finished yet, and I still have a lot of progress to make," Kursy admitted, while also noting that he feels more confident with rifles compared to the AWP.
He also talked about his removal from GamerLegion, his new team, and their expectations for the BLAST Bounty tournament.
Q: After leaving the server for nearly a year, you joined 3DMAX. How does it feel to be back competing?
Kursy: I've always wanted to compete. It's something that's constantly on my mind. I wanted to join a team just to play, that's exactly what I wanted, and being able to get back on the server and show my skills feels really, really great.
Q: You've already played in four tournaments, which hasn't given you much time to settle in before jumping straight into official competition. How has this period been for you, especially considering you're taking on a new role within this team?
Kursy: Yes, the practice time hasn't been... Between my first tournament and my first practice, I didn't have much time, and it's also quite difficult to change every position. I want to make changes, and I really like it, but I'm working on getting a little better every day and understanding my new role. I need to understand it more; it's not complete yet, and I still have a lot of progress to make. I feel like every day I can show something new and learn something new.
Q: Regarding your transition to playing rifle, why did you make this decision?
Kursy: At GamerLegion, I don't feel like I showed my good side, so to speak, and it was hard to show my best form. Rifles have always been easy for me; it's a comfortable way to play. I feel like ever since I started, I've been more comfortable with rifles than the AWP, and since they happened to invite me to join as a rifler, I just said, "Why not?" I knew I wanted to play rifles anyway.
Q: Your stats in these recent events seem inconsistent. You play some maps very well, while others are weaker. Is this because you're in a new position, using a new weapon, or is there another reason?
Kursy: I know I'm inconsistent. Honestly, I can play a really good map one day, and then a really bad one the next. But I'd say it's just a matter of time. I know I can play well every time, but I need to gain more experience in this position. Whenever I encounter new situations in my role, I don't always know how to react. That's why I'm working with the coaching staff, you know? Becoming consistent is just a matter of time.
Q: Returning to a French team, with the same language and culture both in and out of the server, did that make this transition easier?
Kursy: Yes, of course. Being on a French team made it much easier for me to grow into a new role. I think that's really great, because if I were on an international team, I don't think I would have progressed like this, and I would have faced more difficulties. Being on a French team has helped me a lot, allowing me to grow and gain more experience.
Q: Your time at GamerLegion was quite short, especially considering how little experience you had in tier-one or international teams before that. How do you look back on that period?
Kursy: That's life, it's fine, just like in competitive play. Even if I play a bad map or have poor stats, that's just how CS works, I have to accept it. I just struggled when transitioning from a French team to an international roster, because I had never spoken English in-game before, and I think that's very important. Our playstyle is also different from my other team, and the environment is completely different. So I have a lot to change, and time is short, I'd say, but that's life, it has changed me, so it's fine.
Q: You've played Cache seven times so far, more than most teams. Does feeling comfortable on a map that others haven't practiced as much help you win matches against higher-ranked opponents?
Kursy: We feel very comfortable on Cache, but I think we've lost the last two or three maps we played on it, so this tournament didn't really help us because we couldn't win on it. But overall, yes, it helped a lot because we put a lot of work into Cache, trying to find new things, and I don't think anyone else put as much effort into this map as we did. However, now everyone is practicing it, so Cache is still a good pick for us, but since everyone can find new things now, it's also a bit tricky.
Q: Reaching the top eight is already a success in itself, but you get to pick your opponent today and will likely face either MOUZ or Spirit. With favorites like Falcons and Vitality already eliminated from this event, do you see this as a good opportunity to pull off a dark horse run, even against one of those two teams?
Kursy: Of course, I think everyone wants to win. I believe all the upsets happen because people want it more. We'll be playing against Spirit or MOUZ, I don't know which one yet, but we'll give it our all. It's not about who we're facing, it's about ourselves. Whether we're up against a top 50 or a top 3 team in the world, we have to give it our all. I think we just need to give it our all and see what happens. This is a good opportunity for us because we can earn a lot of points, and making it to the playoffs is really great. We gave our all to get here, and we must continue to give it our all to have a chance to keep advancing.