KSCERATO’s take on FURIA’s new style of play: “I enjoy playing this way because I am not someone who is aggressive”

FURIA are invited to the Legends Stage of the Paris Major due to their outstanding performance at the Americas RMR. They were able to outperform their local competition. The team will enter the event after a successful bootcamp with the goal of taking the game by game, and avenging the friends they lost to paiN.

The 23-year old sat down to talk with HLTV before FURIA played Monte. They discussed a wide range of topics, including their new playstyle, his status as one of best riflers of the world, being away from Brazil and the team’s hopes for the French Tournament.

You’re at the beginning of the BLAST Major. You told me that you just arrived yesterday. Tell me what you feel like after returning from Poland and a bootcamp.

It’s my last Major, so I am excited. I’ve heard from BLAST that the Major will have 360hz monitors. I need to confirm this, but I believe it will be better than the previous one. I feel like I’m going to be buffed.

Oh, okay! [laughing]

Let’s see, let’s see!

What kind of boost does 360hz provide you with? Should we be worried about you? You’ve played well already this year.

I’m sure my Deagle will work [laughs]. Let’s wait and see if it works.

I saw an interview where guerri stated that you will be bootcamping in Brazil and here. What was the difference between those two bootcamps?

We spent a week in Brazil and then we practiced in Europe, because Europe is a better place to practice than Brazil.

What was your experience, given that you probably only had a week to practice in Europe?

It was a week in Europe and a week in Brazil.

You swept the Americas RMR and didn’t drop a single game. You went to Rio, made it to the finals but lost. What was it like to go into this event after reflecting on the Rio loss and all the practice?

I believe it’s true. Since I’ve played for 14 years, I’ve lost many times. I understand that it’s a part of the game, and every team loses before they win everything, just like Astralis did with TSM. I know it’s a part of the game, and I don’t really feel bad. In the moment, I am sad. But I know what will happen next, so I am confident. Every time I play, I am always confident.

The whole process of winning titles is something that FURIA has struggled to achieve, to overcome that barrier. What has been the struggle for you, and what are the last hurdles to overcome?

As an example, I’ll use what Ayrton said when he became a major driver. He said that it is always hard for Brazilian drivers or players to maintain a social life with their families because they have to leave Brazil to go to Europe. They don’t even have girlfriends or a family. It’s much harder to stay focused on CS if you have no other activities to do.

It was harder during the pandemic because we were afraid for our family. I think that’s what NAVI is doing right now. They are scared for their families and I find it hard. I think that we should set up a place where our girlfriends and families can stay so they can have a normal life. It’s what the Brazilian players must have.

Do you mean that your family and you are moving to Europe?

It’s not the whole family but it’s better than being stuck in a hotel for a week. You want to be able to relax and unwind in your own home. Our process is difficult because of this.

You’ve been very supportive of FURIA, have you already talked to them? Would it be possible?

Yes, I believe it is possible. There is a Malta office, and I believe we plan to have more bootcamps in Malta. After many years, I will finally take my passport. I would rather have a house in Europe than a lot hotels.

Does that mean that FURIA would play more in Europe instead of America?

It’s not the same. I don’t mean that we are moving to Europe. I was just saying that we could be a better team if we moved to Europe. It’s difficult because we’re Brazilians and getting visas to Europe is not easy.

You claim that having your family in Brazil and having to travel so much has been difficult, but you have played really well individually. Since October, you’ve been ranked among the top riflers of the world. Do you think the struggle you describe is something that has affected your entire team or something more personal?

It’s hard for me to travel all the time, because I’ve played CS for over 14 years and we’ve traveled around the globe for more than 5-6 years. It’s difficult to travel constantly, especially on long flights. It’s easy to travel in Europe, but it’s hard when you go to the USA, Brazil, or Hong Kong. We feel like we have no home. It’s the same when you compare how we play when we are in Europe and Brazil. We have our families with us.

As I mentioned, you were one of the top players in the entire world. The team struggled to match that level, and to support you. Has this made you feel isolated on the server at all?

On the server, I don’t think we care about anything, we only want to win. We just have to do what we are used to. There’s no problem on the server, it’s just like feeling comfortable, or practicing something. On the server, we just play our best.

You think I am the best rifler in the world?

I’d say that you are top-two in your country.

Who is the first?

If I were to guess, it would be between you and Ax1Le

Ax1Le! Ax1Le rocks! I use his configuration [laughs]. Black bars.

Because his performance is a little less than stellar, I would put you higher, but it will be interesting to see what happens at the Major.

Yeah, exactly.

He’s not here, but you are.

Let’s see. Let’s see. They’re playing against each other [laughs]. One of them is the Ballon d’Or Winner.

Let’s discuss the changes in FURIA’s style and position. guerri made a tweet about it before he spoke at the Americas RMR. Who made that change?

We changed a ton man. I think that our pace on every map was different before [the defeat by] EG Black. EG Black, I believe, gave us some light. I feel confident. I play this way because I don’t go aggressive a lot. It’s a good fit for my style, but I also think it fits yuurih, drop, and saffee. ArT’s is too fast for me [laughs] but I do think he’s doing well. I believe that our team has become much more sharper, and I am confident.

It is rare to see arT with a clutch-

Yeah, yeah! [laughing] Yeah, man, I am also surprised. I believe it was Vertigo. He won a 1v4. I was like ‘what the hell man, this is the first time that I’ve ever seen a man win such a round’. It’s crazy.

Has arT found it difficult to adapt his leadership in-game, given that he has changed style?

He has a good pace, I believe. We don’t actually play slowly every round. It’s just that we do it more often. He’s an excellent player.

When I read online comments about people complaining about FURIA’s inability to win titles, I keep seeing that guerri is the problem. What do you think?

Everybody asks me if Guerri is the issue. He doesn’t even play. I say that while he may be able to say, “Guys, do this… do this…,” but when we play, our brain simply stops and we make mistakes. It’s normal. Guerri is not the problem. He is actually the best solution that we have. He is an essential coach for us and a good friend. He’s the one who works the hardest in the team. I’m sure of it. It’s more about the mentality of us. In games, micro-decisions. That sounds like he is a problem. But those who speak like this are not familiar with CS, because coaches do not play. It’s not about him, it’s all about us.

Do you believe that the style change you mentioned was overdue for your game? FURIA’s aggressive style was so prevalent for so many years, but you had a period where it didn’t work for you.

We find that the other side has no clue what we are doing when we move at a mid-slow speed. And we can accomplish a lot. We do things on the map like Heroic when we’re on T. They always try to get other sides to give them information. We’re there too. We need to be able to handle this pace, but we also have to speak more about it. We need individual decisions that make the rounds easy. CS is a fucking hard man [laughs].

Since the Major, I’ve heard a lot about how much work teams are doing in theory on the server. How much time have you spent on that?

It’s a LOT, man. We try to avoid losing the round by finding the best time. It’s as hard as fuck, it’s as hard as fuck. It gives me a headache but that’s part of the game.

Editor’s Note: KSCERATO said that she had a headache when she came into the interview.

In the Major, there are a lot strong teams. This is especially true in this stage. Do you feel confident with your style going into the Major against these teams?

Man… I was able to play against coldzera at the start, so I am not scared of anyone. I feel confident. Confident in my team. Confident in my playstyle. Confident in my aim. Confident in my decisions. I believe CS is about the game. I can say a lot here, but it’s the game that matters. I am as confident as ever, I have confidence in all tournaments, and I can say that I am the best rifler, as you put it.

[laughs] That’s funny.

You need the best AWPer. ZywOo s1mple — watch out for CS2. KSCERATO AWP? Just kidding.

A man of many talents.

My Deagle is a mess. I’m probably the worst Deagle.

360Hz!

360Hz, let’s see! Let’s check if it works.

Finally, the match will be against Monte. The team started out a bit shaky, but played well in the final stages. You’ve had to deal with a huge number of officials. How do you feel about the match?

We know how to play them. We studied a great deal and we know how to play with everyone. We need to put into practice the theory we know. As I said, we just need to concentrate on our micro-decisions, play our best and I think that is it. We want revenge for our friends who were beaten by paiN.

Your last major ended with heartbreak, so what is your motivation to win this one?

I always have the next match as my goal. I don’t set a goal of being in the final. I just follow the mentality I’ve been following for a long time. My focus is now that my final will be against Monte.