After a confident 2–0 victory over NiP, we spoke with Maka in an exclusive interview where he discussed the Dust2 collapse against B8, the crucial team talks that helped 3DMAX reset, Gravity’s standout form, the team’s growing strength on Train, and what still needs improvement ahead of Stage 3. Maka also shared his thoughts on the upcoming matchup with paiN and explained why reaching the arena has become the team’s ultimate goal at this Major.
What happened on Dust2 against B8?
I think Dust2 went pretty south because we lacked tactical solutions to play against them. Ken S went crazy at the start of the game, and since it was a late Game 3, we lost our power on the map. Things go fast in CS when you don’t play the right way.
What did you manage to change today to bounce back so quickly?
I think we bounced back because we had the right discussions we needed as a team — important conversations about how we want to play today and for the next stage if we make it. We needed to respect the work we put in and keep putting in the hours to play as the best team possible.
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Was NiP’s T side bad on Ancient, or did you anti-strat them?
We didn’t do any kind of hard anti-strat against them on Ancient. I think Gravity felt the game really well with bodyy, and they managed to hold perfectly. Gravity was in crazy form today.
Train is becoming one of your best maps. Was it a dark horse for this Major?
I don’t think it’s a dark horse map. Since the Train addition, we’ve been good on the map, but we lacked some small details to become really great. Even though we lost previous Trains in the last months, we weren’t that bad. We worked on the map overall, but we didn’t specifically focus on Train.
Gravity had an amazing performance today. What made him so effective?
It’s good because now I’d say he’s more toxic when he’s not shooting — just calling and doing something. But when your IGL is shooting and calling, it’s amazing, and the game feels easier. You just focus individually. I think on CT side he’s not like the T side IGL, so he has more room to focus. He was in crazy form today, and it’s been a long time since I felt that way on Ancient.
What do you still need to improve before Stage 3?
It’s tough to say what exactly to change, but we have to keep focusing on the good things coach and danger say, keep having discussions, keep putting in the hours, and look at what went wrong on Dust2. It could happen on other maps too, so we have to keep working.
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You will face paiN again. You beat them twice this year — what can you say about this matchup?
I think paiN is a very tough match. They have aggressive players who are really good. Snow is having a good second part of the season, and QZ is a really good AWPer to me. It’s going to be even tougher than usual because it’s a Major and they lost to us, so they’ll want revenge. We have to prepare and work even more to beat them again.
Now that you’ve advanced to Stage 3, what is your goal for the tournament from this moment?
Now that we made it to Stage 3, we all have the same goal — playing in the arena. This is something we all wish to do. The Budapest arena could be one of the greatest for a Major because it’s huge. I’m looking forward to aiming for the playoffs, so hopefully we live up to it.
What is the biggest difference between you and Gravity as IGLs?
He has the positions to IGL and support the middle, making it easier for him to call. He has that young vibe — he’s not scared and he’s not overthinking too much. He follows his instincts and plays with a lot of aggression, and we follow the way he wants to play.
