soulfly: “I think I’ve been playing at my best lately.”
Alexey Mikhailov
Aurora Gaming rifler Janer “soulfly” In an interview with OFFSTAGE, Kesichi discussed how his team prepares for matches, reflected on his own playstyle, watched demos of other pro players, and talked about the impact of the MR12 format on Counter-Strike.
On preparing for matches
Our analyst simply watches our opponents’ games and gives feedback to the coach, who, in turn, devises a game plan together with the captain. Basically, that’s how it all works. ...> The analyst works directly with us. He just joins TeamSpeak and shows us in-game what our opponents like to do, what smoke grenades they throw, and when their lurker comes out.
On My Playing Style
I’m trying to develop my own style. For example, donk has been playing in a certain way for years. If I switch to his settings and setup, I won’t become like him. So instead of copying someone else, it’s better to be myself. I think I’ve been playing my best lately.
On watching pro players’ demos
Of course, I watch other players’ demos. If I’m struggling with something, I analyze how others handle similar situations. I mostly watch Tier 1 players, but sometimes I pay attention to guys from the Tier 2 scene because they’re also really skilled and have a deep understanding of CS.
On the impact of MR12 on Counter-Strike
I think the MR12 format has made the game more random. Now there’s no room for major mistakes. For example, if you play poorly and lose a round, you don’t have many chances left to make a comeback. So, in my opinion, this system works well for weaker teams, but not so much for stronger ones.
Earlier in an interview, Janer “soulfly” Kesici talked about the atmosphere at Aurora Gaming and his work with team captain Engin “MAJ3R” Kupeli, and also reflected on the challenges of controlling his emotions while playing on stage.
Photo by Sophie Barrowclough, BLAST.
Alexey Mikhailov
