After a heavy 3:13 loss to 3DMAX on Train, Passion UA’s Kvem sat down with us for an exclusive interview to break down what went wrong on their strongest map. He spoke about the unexpected aggression from 3DMAX, the struggles with early-round control, the shift from a Ukrainian to an American core, drastic role changes, and how the team is rebuilding synergy ahead of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.
Train is one of your strongest maps, but one of the weakest for 3DMAX. How shocking was it for you to end up playing it?
We didn’t expect this map. We were waiting for Dust2 or Overpass, so it was both expected and unexpected at the same time. But we understood this could happen, and we knew how they play anyway.
You hadn’t played 3DMAX officially in the past year. Maybe you practiced against them — did you expect their playstyle?
Yes, of course. We played a lot of practice matches against them. We knew how they play. They play very aggressively, always as a pack. I’m not sure what exactly went wrong, but we simply didn’t outplay them.
In many rounds you took control of Main, but they just waited. Was this unexpected from them? Or what exactly went wrong in your game plan?
Nothing unexpected — we just didn’t counter their aggressive moves at the start of the rounds near Main. They ran through three times behind our backs, and we didn’t expect it. And then key rounds with the economy… that’s what happened. They rushed us — and that was it.
What’s the biggest difference between playing with the Ukrainian lineup and the American one?
The vibe. There wasn’t this kind of vibe in the Ukrainian roster — not like now. I don’t even know how to explain it. It just feels completely different.
Did your roles change after joining the English-speaking lineup?
Yes, they changed drastically. We stopped playing my best maps. On the maps I don’t like, I started playing roles I hadn’t played before. So now I’ve become more of a semi-star supportive player.
Has your understanding of the game changed with this lineup?
One hundred percent. New players came in, and I listen to how they discuss things, how they build the system, what they think about certain rounds and tactics. It’s completely different.
What are the advantages of this American core compared to the Ukrainian one?
They’ve played at tier-1 for a long time. And they still are tier-1 right now
And what about the disadvantages compared to the Ukrainian core?
Language, but it nly for me. For the guys, English is normal — they always played in American teams and communicated in English. But as for disadvantages… it’s hard to say right now. For me personally, so far it’s only positive.
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Who supported you the most during your transition to the English-speaking lineup?
The coach [T.c] and the IGL [JT]. They always tried to help me adapt.
