max on 9z Team: “I didn’t expect this kind of success, since our roster started 2026 with zero VRS points.”
9z Team rifler Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez reflected on his team’s progress in a podcast on the ESL Counter-Strike YouTube channel, and also discussed working with Bruno “BIT” Fukuda Lima and their victory over Team Vitality at the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
On his career and 9z Team’s progress
I became an esports player in 2018. It’s hard to make progress in South America—there are fewer opportunities to play against Tier 1 teams and participate in major tournaments. I think this year I’ve finally found a good team. We get along great not only on the server but also off it. However, I didn’t expect this much success, since our roster started 2026 with zero VRS points.
On working with the team’s coach
BIT understands a little Spanish... To be honest, it’s easier for us to communicate with him in Portuguese, since we’re all fluent in that language. During matches, our communication looks a little strange. We talk to each other in Spanish, but when BIT calls a tactical timeout, we immediately switch to Portuguese.
On the victory over Team Vitality
We first faced Vitality at the BLAST Open Rotterdam—back then, we didn’t stand a chance. After that loss, we were eager to get revenge. We decided to take a different approach to the match against Vitality at the Major. Our team lost the first map, Inferno, 4–13, but then regrouped and regained our confidence. We started winning rounds one after another and putting pressure on our opponents, eventually securing the victory. This is a very important result for us.
Earlier, in a podcast, Engin “MAJ3R” Kupeli discussed his team’s main issues and reflected on the challenges of competing in the playoffs of major tournaments and the individual performance of the captains.
Photo — PGL.
