Lake on NRG’s crushing defeat by BIG at the IEM Cologne Major 2026: “I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.”

I’d say he’s a pretty quiet guy on his own. But lately, he’s been really active in cheering up the team, and that’s really great. It’s really nice to have another person with a lot of energy on the roster. Especially when one of us is feeling down at some point. I also have moments when I’m totally pumped, but sometimes it’s the opposite. So it’s great that he can be the pillar of support we need. And if we can create the right conditions for him, help him get kills, that’s always good for the team and for him personally.

We haven’t really discussed it, but of course, it’s very important to them. It was very important to us when the Major was held in Austin. It’s a Major where you want to make the playoffs. It’s exactly the same for them. I don’t think it creates any huge additional pressure, but it can definitely add some pressure. You want to play in front of a home crowd that has supported you practically your entire career. It’s a dream for all of us. That’s why helping them reach that stage is very important for the whole team.

I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. A match like that can destroy your confidence, to put it mildly. But my condolences to those guys. That’s all I can say. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.