After a strong showing at the Budapest Major, KSCERATO discussed FURIA’s preparation, the challenges of adapting to English communication, the team’s structure on Nuke, and the emotional balance needed to stay consistent throughout the event. He also reflected on facing Brazilian rivals, the importance of small details in tight matches, and FURIA’s mindset heading into the next stage.
How did your preparation for major? Did you have a bootcamp?
It was tough. The bootcamp and practice these days are hard because everyone has a lot of confidence in practice, so sometimes you get frustrated, but it happens. Our main issue was just coming here and doing things together at 100%. We know how to play — we just needed to commit fully as a team.
What emotional state were you in coming into this match? More confident or a bit burned out?
Not burned out at all, because I’m traveling with my girlfriend and my dog, and my mom and brother are coming tomorrow. So I never feel burned out in this atmosphere.
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The game looked very easy for you. What do you think happened on Nuke?
I think they gave us a lot of free kills outside, A pops, or standing behind the smoke when we had AKs. The game plan was good, and everything went well because we were simply on point.
Did you expect the map to be Nuke?
We checked everything because we had passed against them and played a big fight before, so it was hard to predict the Falcons. We knew it could be three maps — Inferno, Nuke, and probably Dust2 or Train. So we just went with what we felt. We said, “Let’s play Nuke,” but their pick was a surprise for us.
Did you watch NAVI at the start of Stage 2? They dominated, but now they look shaky. What happened?
I have no idea, actually. It’s hard to play many matches without time to practice or bring new stuff. You just recycle what you already have. It’s tough, but I think they’ll bounce back.
Your next opponent is Imperial. What can you say about facing them?
It’s our best map as well. We have a lot of strong maps. I think we can manage to win against any team in the world.
Is it emotionally harder to play against another Brazilian team?
I have a lot of friends there — people I’ve known since childhood like chelo. But we’ve faced each other so many times already, so for me it’s normal. We just need to focus.
You had a big winstreak before the Major. Did you feel pressure to keep it going?
You have to go step by step. In tournaments like Taiwan or this one, the streak means nothing. Anyone can beat anyone. One eco round or one weapon makes the difference. Small details win these games.
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What makes this team successful? Could other teams copy your approach?
I don’t know. It’s hard because we switched to English communication. It was not easy to adapt, but we’re managing it very well. It’s just a matter of time.
Are YEKINDAR and molodoy fully adapted to the team now?
We’re fully adapting to each other. We became friends fast, we understand each other, we talk a lot. We’re basically a family.
If FalleN retired one day, who could replace him as IGL?
No one.
How did you feel playing in front of the crowd today?
It was amazing. It will get louder and louder as more people come. I’m used to it because I played the Rio Major — that was hell. So for me this is nice; it’s great to see familiar faces.
In the qualifying match for the playoffs, you will face G2. What can you say about them?
We practiced against them. They’re a really good team with many star players who can get multi-kills in a second. We just have to do our best. We don’t choose opponents — we just need to play our game.
What will you change before tomorrow’s match? Or was today’s performance enough?
Of course we’ll check some details that could cost us rounds, but for now we’re going to rest. We’ll probably play the last game again, so we need to keep going.
SkinClub Pick’em
The SkinClub Pick’em for Stage 3 is now live, giving fans the chance to predict which teams will advance, who might deliver surprise upsets, and which favorites could face early danger. Evaluate the matchups, trust your intuition, and submit your own Pick’em for a chance to win the main prize.
