TaiLung interview: “I just want people to learn that in Peru, there is talent and nothing else”

BLAST Slam VI marks the debut on a Tier 1 LAN stage for Santiago "TaiLung" Agüero Gustavo. He is just 16 years old and has already caught everyone’s attention in the competitive scene.

TaiLung made waves even before joining his first big organisation, HEROIC, by grinding to the top of the ranks on the European leader board from Peru, with 180 ping. We had the opportunity to talk to TaiLung just as he is about to step onto a tournament main stage for the first time in his competitive career. It will happen in the BLAST Slam VI playoffs where he and HEROIC have already secured a top 6 finish.

It wouldn't have been possible to get this interview done without HEROIC’s coach, Igor "kaffs" Estevão, who this time around was also TaiLung’s personal translator.

Entering Tier 1 competitions at such a young age is rare. What has been the biggest adjustment for you, the gameplay level, the pressure, or the professional environment?

Getting used to the pressure of performing for sure.

Many young players rely heavily on mechanics early in their careers. Which aspects of decision-making or communication are you currently working hardest to develop?

I don’t think there is a difference in how much I put into developing both these aspects because they are equally important. Maybe communication is more important right now, but overall I am trying to improve both aspects.

Did you expect to play a Tier 1 LAN so soon?

The moment I joined HEROIC, I set a goal to qualify for tournaments and play LANs, but I did not expect we would qualify for a LAN and play on a stage so quickly. But once we started to play the group stage matches, I started thinking we could even get first place. Even in some of the games we lost in the group stage, like against Tundra, for example, I felt like we could have won.

What is your favourite hero?

I can’t say that I have an absolute favourite hero. I have a few that I prefer to play or enjoy to play more through different metas. Or seasonal flavours, if you want.

Historically, I’ve been enjoying Sniper a lot. Right now, my top three are Huskar, Viper, and Sniper.

You reached rank 20 in Europe by playing from Peru with 180 ping. How?

When I started the MMR grind, it was really hard because the ping was really high. But with time, I started getting used to it, and it gradually became better. I think I only managed to get to around 80–90 on the ladder by playing from SA. When I got to my first bootcamp in Europe, for DreamLeague Season 27, I managed to grind a lot, and then, going back to Peru, I just managed to maintain the rank. Now, during our bootcamp in Europe for BLAST Slam VI, I actually managed to get to the top 20.

Why did you pick TaiLung for your nickname?

I just like the character from Kung Fu Panda. I think he’s cool.

What did coach kaffs say to you on your first day at HEROIC?

One of the first things he said to me was that I don’t need to feel pressured and that I don’t have to feel like an obligation to the rest of the team to perform right from the very start. That everyone on the team is here to help me on this new journey. He told me not to worry too much about the results and to trust that, no matter what I do, it will be good enough.

kaffs: I can give you one extra thing on this topic. Before the ESL Birmingham qualifiers, he didn't play Razer. It simply wasn’t a hero in his pool.

And on the night that we lost the Birmingham qualifiers, we were talking before going to sleep, and I told him, "They ban all your heroes, but there is an easy way out of this. Just learn to play Razer for the next qualifiers, and I'll first pick you Razer, and you will win." And that's exactly what happened.

We went to the finals of PGL Wallachia qualifiers vs Peru Rejects again, and they banned all his heroes. I first picked Razer; he won, and we qualified.

What do you want people to know about TaiLung?

Nothing in particular. I just want people to learn that in Peru, there is talent and nothing else

HEROIC will be in action on the main stage of BLAST Slam VI on Friday, February 13th at 19:00 CET. They will play againt Team Yandex with elimination on the line. If the SA representatives come out victorious in this one, they will secure a top 4 finish and a shot at a spot into the grand finals.