Paytyn “junior” Johnson spoke to Dust2.us after Voca eliminated BESTIA from iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026, discussing the lack of LAN opportunities for his team, the race for PGL Singapore Major 2026 and why North America has struggled to develop new AWPers.
The Voca AWPer believes the region still has talent in the role, but says the bigger problem is the lack of experienced in-game leaders capable of helping young players reach the next level.
junior points to a lack of IGLs in North America
Asked why the region has not produced many new AWPers in recent years, junior pointed to the leadership structure around developing players rather than a lack of mechanical talent.
He referenced his own development alongside Shakezullah and the experience oSee gained while playing under JT, arguing that strong callers can significantly raise the level of an AWPer.
“The common denominator is that there are no IGLs that can help these AWPers develop. oSee and I had Shakezullah, he had JT also. High-level IGLs elevate your level, and we don’t have that. There’s some AWP talent there, but they’re stuck, and there are no IGLs to help them get over the hump.”
junior also discussed his long-running comparison with oSee. While he acknowledged that oSee has the stronger career record, he said he still backs himself whenever the two meet on the server.
“oSee has a better track record, he just doesn’t play. I’m always going to think I’m better, I’m not going to go into a server and think he’s better than me. He’s been my competition for seven years.”
Voca need LAN results in the Major race
Voca entered iBUYPOWER Masters FML 2026 needing additional VRS points after spending much of the season competing online.
junior explained that attending every available LAN is not always the right decision under the current ranking system, as a poor result can damage a team more than simply staying home.
“Online is not what you want to play. If the tournaments don’t align then you can’t force going to LAN because it could hurt you more than it benefits you. It’s good that we can finally go to some LANs and get some VRS.”
Voca are also signed up for ROG Journey in Sweden before heading to Last Chance in Argentina. junior admitted the route to the Major remains difficult, but pointed to the volatility of VRS as a reason to keep pushing.
“Anything can happen. Last season, no one expected Passion UA to miss the Major and then they just lost an insane amount of VRS. You never know what can happen. Play games, hope you win, and hope the odds are in your favor.”
junior prefers playing against European teams
junior also compared playing styles across regions and said he prefers competing in Europe.
According to the AWPer, European teams generally force players to think more because their decisions are easier to understand within a structured system, while some North American teams can be more chaotic.
“I enjoy playing a lot more in Europe. In most games, you have to try harder, think more, and everything they do makes sense. It’s not easier, but it’s simpler.”
He also played down the impact of the recent change that allows AWPers to unscope silently, saying he does not expect it to significantly change how he plays the weapon.
Voca were eliminated in their following match after losing 0:2 to M80 in the group-stage decider.
