Evgeniy `Aunkere` Karyat, a streamer and former professional player, shared his thoughts during the BetBoom LanDaLan #2 event. He talked about the recent BetBoom Streamers Battle CS2, his predictions for the upcoming Major, and Alexander `s1mple` Kostylev`s return to competitive play.
— On BetBoom Streamers Battle CS2 — how was your second time participating?
— I think Streamers Battle is a fantastic concept for streamers and former pros who aren`t currently active. I believe it`s great from a content and competition perspective. Plus, there`s a large prize pool and HLTV coverage – everything is very serious. There can be all sorts of emotions and drama, but that only adds to the tournament from a viewer`s perspective – it makes it more interesting. The tournament is great, and the organizers are top-notch.
— Speaking of drama, I can`t avoid the moment with Nix. How did you react to his rage?
— His rage? That`s fine. I`ve known Sasha [Nix] for a long time; we get along wonderfully in real life. I respect him and learn from him, not just on streams but in life too. So, the fact that he got emotional in a game is normal. Every CS player, every Dota player, can get emotional in one match or another. I didn`t perceive it as negative at all. I just… I simply understood it. I understand why he had that emotion.
— And why is that?
— It was hard for him to adapt to the pace of a more professional style of Counter-Strike because he`s a pro Dota player, and Dota 2 is a different discipline. In professional CS, everything is very fast, chaotic; there`s no clear, strict line in a round. Everything can change every second; players might countermand each other, and all CS players are used to this. But he has a slightly different view on all these things, and because of that, he raged – because he was told one thing, then told to do something else, and he got lost. He approaches tournaments, games, and everything in life very responsibly, and that particular moment just annoyed him.
— Your team won the last BetBoom Streamers Battle, but placed lower this time. What do you think was missing for the win?
— We finished in third place. We lost the semifinal and the lower bracket final. I think I played poorly. I`m not in my best shape right now because I traveled twice for my US visa. Because of this, I didn`t play CS for three weeks at a time over two months, which is a lot. The others, however, streamed and played daily. So I think I actually played poorly. If I had played better, the result would have been better.
— And as a professional player, tell us, how much can everyday life affect your game?
— Life circumstances can always affect you; it`s about emotions. Not every player, even a professional, can completely disconnect from real-life issues, fully immerse themselves in the game during a match, and be independent of their emotions in life. For example, I`m a very emotional person in life, and sometimes it`s hard for me to turn off my thoughts. If something is happening in life, if personal relationships are strained, you can`t be 100% focused during a game. It affects you significantly, yes.
— How does Aunkere Cup differ from BetBoom Streamers Battle CS2?
— Aunkere Cup is first and foremost a LAN event, while BetBoom Streamers Battle CS2 is an online tournament. Plus, Aunkere Cup has more professional players, and we tried to build rosters without players who have 500 or 1,000 Elo. We aimed to put together five players with high ratings for a competitive environment. We mixed different pro players, and in that way, we got interesting content because everyone competed against everyone.
— So, more balance?
— Yes, more balance. Well, it`s hard to say that some teams at Streamers Battle were completely unbalanced, but that`s simply because the ruleset isn`t fully refined yet; it will get better with each Streamers Battle, which is also important to understand.
— And plus, Streamers Battle is still more about show and content.
— Yes, it`s show and content, and tournaments. There is a competitive aspect here too, but it`s still more of a show. People need to understand that this isn`t a professional tier-1 tournament. It`s very important for the people watching to understand this.
— Look, we spoke six months ago, and back then I asked you about s1mple – he had just moved to Falcons on loan. And now we`re speaking again, and he has joined FaZe Clan. Do you think the results will differ from the previous ones?
— The results will be 100% different. I don`t know what Sasha`s [s1mple`s] form is like right now because he hasn`t been streaming or playing. It`s very difficult to assess, but judging by how motivated he seems… This is one of the most important steps for him – to play well for FaZe, to prove himself again in CS2, otherwise his path will be very difficult and complicated. But I believe Sasha can do it.
— Thorin recently expressed the idea that if s1mple performs well in FaZe, and NAVI struggles at the Major, there`s a high chance he could return to the main roster.
— That`s 100% possible. I think w0nderful isn`t in his best form right now, plus maybe the media pressure – with everyone saying “replace w0nderful” – could be affecting him. It`s up to the organization to decide. I can`t say whether w0nderful will be removed or not; the organization knows best. But there`s definitely 100% pressure on Igor [w0nderful]. He needs to become stronger.
— And the fact that FaZe signed s1mple, whose capabilities are unclear right now… Does it seem to you more like a PR move?
— It`s definitely a media move, 100%. Sasha hasn`t competed in tournaments; nothing is known about his game form, no information at all, and that`s the whole risk they took. Why didn`t they take Abdul `degster` Gasanov, who just won a tournament and showed very good results with the AWP? They could have taken Abdul. Everyone thought they would, but in the end, they took Sasha. From a media perspective, it`s a good move. Sasha is the coolest, most media-popular player in the world of CS. And even beyond just Counter-Strike. The whole point is, if Sasha starts playing well, it will be a very sweet replacement. We don`t know; it`s just like roulette, hard to figure out.
— What about m0NESY in Falcons?
— I`m very happy for Ilya [m0NESY] that he`s finally reunited with NiKo. Everyone had been waiting for this for a long time – the whole community, pro players, and streamers. Everyone waited for something to finally happen in G2. And what happened was Ilya leaving for Falcons. Regarding the roster itself – honestly, I was surprised. I didn`t think this specific roster could achieve such results. But they are showing genuinely high results, and that`s great. I don`t know if Falcons will make a change, but many in the community are saying they want to replace Magisk. He`s a very experienced player, but the results… It`s unclear yet. We can`t see inside the team; we can`t know what`s happening there. And that`s the main thing – maybe the team is completely satisfied and doesn`t care what the community says.
— Statistically, Magisk initially didn`t perform very well, but then played quite well in the last tournament, while NiKo, on the other hand, performed poorly. Choosing among four contenders for the Major win – Vitality, Spirit, Falcons, and MOUZ – who do you pick?
— I`ll be rooting for Spirit, but Vitality is in unreal form. I`d love to see a Vitality vs. Spirit final. It will be a Bo3, but I`d really want to see a Bo5 between Spirit and Vitality in the Major final. Well, let`s see how the tournament goes. Maybe there will be a sensation and Vitality will get knocked out. Nobody knows. They are in wild form right now, but how they will play in America at the Major is anyone`s guess.
— Do you feel like Spirit has dropped their form slightly based on recent tournaments?
— They need to play tournaments; they haven`t played for a long time. They need to participate in competitions to maintain their game form. Practice helps build game form, but tournaments are crucial for maintaining it. Every tournament is important. You play tournament after tournament, find errors, fix them, improve your game form, and that`s how you grow.
— But playing all tournaments could lead to burnout?
— It can. But you need to find a balance. A month`s break is a long time.
— Let`s finish with a quick blitz.
— Okay.
— Favorite movie?
— Favorite movie… “Better Man” (The Robbie Williams Story) – that`s probably one of the last films I watched. It`s definitely top-notch.
— Favorite series?
— “The Sopranos.”
— Okay-ay-ay. Favorite musical artist?
— I listen to everyone. Um… I like Tom Odell.
— And your favorite esports player of all time?
— S1mple, 100%.
Finley Holt