Aleksib on Natus Vincere: “The main thing is not to get hung up on VRS points and not to feel unnecessary stress.”

Straightforward victories are extremely important for the team right now. We need to beat any opponent, since we can’t afford to lose even to top-tier teams. A losing streak always takes a heavy toll on our confidence, so every match we win is valuable right now. Plus, 9z was ranked higher than us in the VRS system, so this result is especially important for restoring the team’s morale.

The situation is complicated. Just a few months ago, after winning the championship at the Atlanta tournament, our confidence was at its peak, but now the team has suddenly found itself ranked 25th in the world—or thereabouts. If someone had told us about this outcome a couple of months ago, we simply wouldn’t have believed it, but now it’s a reality we have to face. We’re continuing to work hard. The main thing is not to get too hung up on VRS points and not to let our tournament standing cause us undue stress. There have been examples in esports history where Tier 1 teams missed a Major simply because they were too worried about the result and couldn’t play their usual game. Right now, we’re one step closer to making the playoffs, and that’s our main goal.

At this stage of the match, there’s always an intense psychological battle. Often, captains analyze their opponents’ pistol rounds in detail, but in an official match, opponents completely change their approach because they think similarly and try to read your moves. The only thing that repeats regularly is the use of specific grenades. A team might use the same grenade spread but set up a stronghold at a completely different point on the map. At the same time, no one copies standard routes. The only exception is perhaps the quick push to Site B on Mirage: sometimes opponents may repeat this play twice in a row, counting on the fact that you won’t expect such an obvious move from them.