After a tough Mirage defeat and a strong Dust2 rebound, M80’s Elias “s1n” Stein opened up about the key moments that slipped away, his own responsibility for the lack of composure, and how the team must reset mentally ahead of the next match. In this exclusive interview, he discusses adjusting under pressure, the impact of HexT’s arrival, and what makes M80’s style both flexible and dangerous when everything clicks.
Mirage started well for you — you won the pistol and the second round, but then you lost eight rounds in a row. Why couldn’t you stabilize the game?
I think Mirage is our best map for sure, but we weren’t as composed as we needed to be to beat what I consider a weaker opponent. For me, this game was my fault. I got a bit too hectic, and in general, I couldn’t keep the guys composed, so we always knew what we were doing as a team. I can definitely take that on myself.
Your CT side looked really good. What did the team lack to push the map into overtime or close it out?
CT was good, lots of close rounds. In the end, the little belief just wasn’t there. Even though we knew what kind of rounds were happening, we doubted it because they repeated things a lot and we couldn’t fully believe it. Small plays also cost us, like the last retake on B. I need to kill the guy on boost every time. It should have been a very easy retake.
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Imperial had a streak of six pistol rounds before this match, but you managed to break it. Did you prepare something special? Anti-strats? Or was it just a good read?
Our coach is doing a really good job with pistols this tournament. Nothing specific for this opponent — just our usual preparation. We look at rounds, find some counters, and find universally good ideas.
On Dust2, your performance looked very strong — ten rounds on defense and a clean finish on T side. What do you think happened to Imperial?
I think they tried to change things up, and in their defaults, they played very fast. But we were very committed. The outside-B fights felt great. We won the important A retakes. These were the rounds they couldn’t convert. We acted as a team — if we decided to retake, we retook strong; if we decided to fight outside B, everyone was ready to fight together.
What do you need to change today to be ready for tomorrow’s match?
We just need to lock in again and get our mental right. I think we need to have a little more fun in these games. There’s so much on the line and obviously everyone wants to win, but we need to be mentally sharp.
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What makes your team’s playstyle unique in your opinion?
Even though we have a good mix of freedom in our team, we also find the right moments to calm down and stay composed. It’s a unique mix — and there’s a lot of firepower. Everyone can step up, and that’s the nice thing about our team.
How is HexT adapting to the team? Is he already fully integrated or is it still a process?
Hex is a very nice player and it’s fun to play with him. He’s doing a great job. His X-factor is amazing — winning important clutches, getting in the groove with the team. Composure and more experience together will help us, but overall it’s amazing to have him.
After HexT joined, did the roles change?
For the most part only Swisher changed a bit. Not much. What helps is that we now have a more vocal player. Hex demands things on his bombsites, he has ideas, he brings new stuff. So we get more new looks on certain parts of the map.
What is the best way to integrate a new player into the team?
You can’t dictate everything he has to play. You need to give him freedom to be himself, while also showing him how the team views maps and positions. You can’t take too much away from the guy joining — he’s under the most pressure to prove himself. Let him be himself. There’s a reason we picked him up — he’s good.
Skin.Club Pick’em Block
Alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Skin.Club is running a special Pick’em Challenge where fans can predict matches, earn points, level up, and unlock exclusive rewards throughout the event. The highlight prize of this Major: a chance to win an AWP | Dragon Lore — along with premium skins, gloves, and other high-tier items. Make your picks, follow M80’s journey, and climb the leaderboard as the tournament unfolds.
