MAJ3R interview: "On T-side, the meta now is everyone playing the same way"

Aurora have been one of the most dangerous teams at IEM Cologne Major so far. All three of their wins in Stage 3 were sweeps, and their only loss came at the hands of a red hot Spirit side.

Even in that loss, Aurora Gaming showed their quality, being the first to make Spirit sweat and drop a map.

That’s why we’re excited to have had an opportunity to talk to Engin "MAJ3R" Küpeli about their run so far, what it’s going to take to keep it going, and the plague of poor T-sides.

First of all MAJ3R, welcome and congratulations for making it to the playoff. You've now had time to look at the bracket, how are you feeling about the way it's been seeded?

I think we have some chance, we got lucky. Generally, we always get Vitality in the first game, or a very big opener. But this time we have BetBoom, that is a very good opener for us. Hopefully, we can do good and just focus on the match.

You've now also had a day or two since the group stage ended, you've maybe had time to debrief. What is something you think went well, and something you guys should improve on for the playoffs?

We have the experience that games in the studio and in the arena can be different. I think the most important thing as a group, is just to play the same Counter-Strike and to communicate the same way that we did in the studio. I think this is goal number one for us; to be like in the Stage 3 format in the arena. For me, that is the most important.

Things can change, our environment can change. We already faced that in the past. This is what is important for us.

You say communicate in the same way, what changes in that communication when it starts going wrong?

Yeah. It's not going wrong, it's just overall when we play in the arena people are maybe not talking as fast or the same way or as much. Maybe because of the stress it brings to be playing in the arena and in front of the crowd.

I think as a leader, I've been trying to tell my guys for some months that maybe the main issue we face playing in the arena in front of 10-20k people is that we have to communicate fast and play the Counter-Strike we're used, like on stage. Sometimes we're not doing that, I feel that personally.

So I think this is the main objective for us.

Wicadia this tournament has been playing really really well. Even as an already great player he's hit an extra level. How much does that make your job as a leader, and how much does that maybe even help XANTARES at this event?

Yeah, as an in-game leader nowadays it's not just calling good, it's also putting up numbers, playing good individually, and also making your teammates confident, play good Counter-Strike. So, I try my best to help my guys give a good performance because we are in the same team, the same boat. I try my best for that, but sometimes on the day it depends on them also.

I try my best on my side, in a passive way, and hopefully they can play good yeah.

Last question, not just about you but also Counter-Strike. This event we've seen a lot of T-side have issues, and very CT-sided halves. What do you think is causing that right now, why is it so hard to get a T-side going?

I think it's after the update of the CT-economy, the CT-economy is way better. I also think on T-side, the meta now is everyone playing the same way. People know how to counter it as a CT. So I don't know. Sometimes the meta changes, sometimes it's T, sometimes it's CT.

But like you say, a lot of teams have a similar problem on the T-side. What is important in a game is just starting well and winning the pistol. Not losing the force buy, and then I think T-side is okay.