After a stunning 13:10 victory over Falcons, we spoke with B8’s in-game leader alex666 about why the team chose to face Falcons on Ancient, how he is adapting to the captain role, what changed since their last meeting, and the key mistakes that prevented an even bigger win. He also discussed the upcoming match against MOUZ, the team’s emotional state, and his outlook on reaching the playoffs.
Why did you decide to play Ancient against Falcons instead of Train, despite their 100% win rate?
We felt comfortable on Ancient. Even though Falcons had a 100% win rate, we believed the map matched our ideas better for this match.
How is your adaptation to the in-game leader role going? Does the team help you, or does the coach support you more?
The coach helps me a lot during the game. The team also supports me — I’m not doing everything alone. They help with calls when needed.
You already played Falcons earlier this year at Austin Major. What is the main difference between the Falcons then and now?
Back then they were a bit more unstable. Now they are much stronger — their firepower, teamplay, and overall structure improved a lot.
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What went wrong on your side that prevented you from closing the game with a bigger score?
I think everything was mostly fine, but there was one moment where two of our players died fighting on A site. They couldn’t finish the round, and that made the score closer.
What is the biggest difference between your IGL style and NPL’s?
When NPL was IGL, he called a lot but many players also added small calls and ideas. Now most of the responsibility is on me — I give the main mid-round ideas and structure.
Did your roles change after you became IGL?
Yes. On T side I started playing more active positions, and on CT side I moved into more supportive spots.
Your next match is against MOUZ. What can you say about this matchup?
We played them before, and we also beat them once unexpectedly at BLAST in 2023. We will see how it goes — it will definitely be a tough match.
What can you say about their playstyle?
We saw how structured and confident they looked. MOUZ are very strong mechanically and tactically.
How do you rate your chances to reach the playoffs after such a strong start?
It’s hard to say now. We need to see how we play the next matches. The most important thing is our practice — we can see what we are capable of.
What is the emotional state of the team right now? Any feeling of burnout after such a long path?
No, not at all. We just play game by game. We don’t have any special expectations or pressure.
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SkinClub Pick’em
The SkinClub Pick’em for Stage 3 is already underway, giving fans a chance to predict which teams will advance, who might surprise the field, and which favorites could fall early. Analyze the matchups, trust your instincts — or go bold with unexpected picks — and submit your own Pick’em for a chance to win the main prize.
