NiKo: “I’ll become captain when I’m 100% sure this is the right decision.”

I know I have the right qualities for the captain’s role—for example, an understanding of the game and the ability to communicate with the team. At the same time, it’s important for an in-game leader to maintain a positive attitude toward teammates, constantly work with them, and participate in creating game plans... I believe I can handle these tasks well, but other factors must also be taken into account. For instance, the community tends to underestimate many captains—people speak highly of apEX and karrigan, but criticize those who don’t stand out as much in comparison. For this reason, I want to gain more experience, observe the approaches of different in-game leaders, and learn a little from each of them.

I’ll become captain when I’m 100% sure this is the right decision. This thought has crossed my mind many times, but ultimately, I have my own personal goals. It’s hard to see how some players start to perform worse around age 30—their transition to support roles often happens under pressure. I think that if I start fulfilling the captain’s duties and things go badly, it will be very hard for me to recover mentally. Right now, it’s important for me to remain a reliable player and put up excellent stats. I don’t necessarily have to be the team’s top star—I can be second, third, or fourth in importance. I aim to push the usual age limits and continue competing at the Tier 1 level for a long time to come. I’m not sure yet whether I want to become captain or end my career as a star, but I feel I’ll have to make that decision very soon.