The Letter of Zeus

Cybersport interviewed IGL Na`Vi’s is Danylo”Zeusteslenko for a better understanding of Na`Vi rejoining, Coach’s role, the contrast between CS 1.6 and CS:GOas well as why FaZe Clan is struggling.

When he returned to home team Na`Vi, he did it with CS coach as well as his longtime friend Mykhailo “kane” Blagin. How important is the influence of Coach Mykhailo on Gambit? And what about Na`Vi?

I have known Mykhailo for more than 15 years. In 2005, we won the WCG world final in Ukraine and at that time, the WCG was still considered a prestigious tournament. Winning that tournament was very important to us. I also played for Virtus.pro with Misha (Kane) in 2008 – we also got some good results.

When I switched to Gambit Esports, part of the contract included Kane joining the team as a coach. The reason for this is because the way of thinking of the two people is very similar, in terms of tactics as well as many other things related to Counter-Strike. Misha has a few things he needs to develop both in-game and out-of-game to get everything ready for CS.

Misha is the only coach to win Majors in the CIS region and don’t take it lightly. I feel like our system works and people are experiencing it. However, it takes foresight to make it work, so we need time to get to the level that fans have been waiting for. One of the important things about Misha is that he doesn’t get ‘star disease’ after winning in Krakow – which can happen to other players/coachs. Misha works hard and very hard!

Speaking of himself, he must have felt some sort of attachment to Natus Vincere, the organization he helped create and develop. How did you feel when they invited you to join again?

To be honest, I feel negative. It’s not about Na`Vi contacting me, but about the people who have been closely attached to me and the problems that occurred throughout. Talking about what happened in Gambit, I was really sad for a long time. On the surface, no one knows how I really feel and how difficult it is to say goodbye to them who have won the most important championship of the year with me and fulfilled a long dream. that long. I was forced to make a decision that I didn’t want at all.

In the end, I’m glad I made the decision for my friend. Na`Vi gave us a very warm welcome. What’s even better is that the organization is now very professional.

The team is still not having good results in LAN or online recently or before. This is considered to be because Na`Vi lacks the silhouette of an experienced IGL. It seems that’s not the reason now despite his presence. Can you tell us about any other issues surrounding the team?

I think failures come from many causes. One of them is the lack of a strong leader; the other is due to the individual’s declining performance. I noticed there was a gap in communication, no timing, and the team only prepared with 50% of the strategy.

Right now, we always have below average results, despite the presence of IGL and the coach. But you have to understand that backlog issues in the previous lineup cannot be fixed in a single day. Regarding this, I would like to reiterate that people need more time to get better results. I am contemplating about 3-4 months.

Can you tell me more about IGL’s work?

You know, IGL includes a lot of things, but right now I’m trying to bring the team members together. I can say that to be a good captain you need experience because without it you wouldn’t know where to start. After the game, when you look back and realize you could have done things differently.

I have to be honest with you that to be an effective captain, it’s much harder now because individual skill is now so important that if you don’t shoot well it will directly negatively affect the whole team. I think this is probably the main reason why the role of coach stands out. Captains have to spend a lot of time making sure every possibility is formed in their head, how to ‘outplay’ the opponent, think about their strategy and combine to be effective. In addition, they must ensure their shooting skills remain at a high standard.

Continuing on the topic of IGL, do you think seized could complete his quest given more time, or is it just because he doesn’t have enough points/skills to do so?

Personally, I think Denis can be a captain if he really enjoys the role. But the question for Denis is what he really wants for himself. In my eyes, he hates that his personal skills have dropped so bad since joining IGL.

Excluding seized, who do you think has the potential to become IGL in Na`Vi’s core composition?

I don’t see anyone with great potential for that role, but I think if anyone can, it’s Edward. He’s very seasoned, and I clearly remember winning the Asus Cup 2005 under Edward’s leadership. If it wasn’t for Edward, I don’t know who really wanted to be the captain, that’s why I have a headache.

I remember at some point when I still saw the coaches standing behind the players, we had the idea that starix would be the head of the team while everyone was playing. If there’s something he needs help with, I’ll jump in. We worked with this approach for almost a year and it really took a lot of the weight off my shoulders. It was like I had a year off and the team’s results were very good.

My conclusion is as follows – a good captain is someone who has many years of experience plus the ability to work hard every day.

Going back to the past, how do you feel about the change of the game and the perspective of the players since Na`Vi was playing Counter-Strike 1.6?

Of course it has changed. I will mention a few points as follows:

• Doping testing is already in place in most of the professional leagues, and I think it will soon be available in all competitions.
• The arrival of the coach – something we didn’t have in the past.
• Many teams have hired psychologists, masseuses, analysts, sports psychologists and fitness coaches.
• Tournament organizers have pushed the tournament to the next level. From being welcomed at the airport by the latest Mercedes Benz to staying at 5-star hotels. The broadcast is also more professional; analytical teams work directly. Things are getting more professional and I’m happy about it. Esports is currently on track to appear at the 2020 Olympics.

For some reason he was able to rework the lineup: ceh9, Edward, Zeus, starix and markeloff when they were at their peak. Do you think the team will be able to compete with the current top teams?

I guess the team will have some good results after playing together. Let’s say the team will make it to the top 10 in the world.

The days of Counter-Strike 1.6 saw a lot of harassment and hostility in matches. A good example is the frequent shouting of ceh9 at LAN. Do you remember the old days when it was not forbidden to do such things?

First: a lot of tournaments now take place in closed rooms. What makes you think similar things don’t happen inside this closed room? Obviously we see things become more professional, and mocking an opponent will get him penalized. Do you remember when we went to the toilet between maps and got penalized? This situation is similar, if the admin hears you mocking your opponent, you can be fined. Luckily the admins support us and they don’t penalize the team, with that the opponent will never realize that we are insulting them.

Not seeing it on Youtube doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

To wrap up the nostalgic question, what would you like to see of the old in CS:GO?

The only thing I want to experience is that I can play Counter-Strike like when I was 20 years old, instead of 30 years old in terms of looks, teams, time, tournaments and even games.

Last sentence, many people think that we will see the development of the “age of FaZe”. What do you think prevented them from continuing their winning streak after ELEAGUE Premier 2017?

Looks like FaZe Clan got tired after winning and decided to relax a bit. But while they were resting, their opponents were practicing! I think it’s time to apply the sub. Play through the season and go to sleep while the younger players play in your place and get ready to play for the next two seasons.

Source: cybersport