m0NESY Interview: s1mple was toughest to play against in the past, now torzsi is strong too

In an interview at the ESL Pro League (EPL) Season 19 in Malta, m0NESY spoke to a foreign media outlet about his experience in Malta, flying directly from Chengdu, China, to Malta, facing s1mple, and the team’s preparations during the Major with Natus Vincere. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Q: How do you feel being in Malta right now?

A: It’s good, Malta is warm, and everyone’s in a good mood. Everything’s fine, we just arrived yesterday. It’s like the previous EPL, no difference.

Q: Flying from Chengdu to Malta isn’t a short trip. Did G2 players feel fatigued?

A: Chinese CS fans are crazy, they scream and shout at you as if you’ve already won. The guys didn’t get enough rest due to the jet lag. When I got home, I still went to bed early like I was in China, around midnight, waking up early. There’s a bit of jet lag, but everything else in Malta is okay. We adapted before coming here, had two days of practice, and played quite a few scrims.

Q: Let’s talk about G2. You’ve reached the semifinals in two consecutive big events (Copenhagen Major and IEM Chengdu), but it seems like something’s missing. What’s the team’s atmosphere like?

A: The team’s atmosphere is pretty good. In my opinion, G2 lacks that extra 10-15%. We lost in the semis twice, against NaVi and MOUZ. If we could fill that gap, we’d make it to the finals, but the vibe in the team is good.

Q: Tell us about your map picks against NaVi in the Major? Rasmus Nielsen | HooXi received criticism from the community.

A: Map picks are HooXi and Wiktor Wojtas | TaZ’s responsibility. But choosing Ancient was actually TaZ’s decision, and it was a team call. We all thought we could play Ancient against NaVi. If we could score more on the attack, it would have been easier. jL got a pentakill, which affected our offense significantly. Then our economy collapsed, and such rounds can change the game; we must be ready for them.

But in my view, if you’re not prepared on all seven maps, even not great on Ancient, how can you win? We need to play our maps well, even if not at our best, but with confidence.

Q: Many analysts consider you and Danil Kryshkovets | donk as the top players right now. What’s your take on that?

A: donk is playing really well, but unfortunately, he hasn’t played for two months. After the Major, they missed IEM Chengdu and EPL. It’s not ideal; he needs to participate in as many tournaments as possible because he’s in top form, and so is Spirit. As for competing with him, I don’t think about it. When I’m in a match, I just want to destroy every opponent.

Q: Who, in your opinion, is the hardest opponent sniper to face?

A: Nowadays, nothing specific… In the past, it was s1mple. He’s a difficult player to deal with because you can’t predict his movements. He pops up everywhere like a ghost. Playing against him was uncomfortable, but over time, I got better at reading his actions. Nowadays, torzsi is tough, he’s become very aggressive. Sometimes, though, he gets a bit too aggressive.

Q: How’s your relationship with Nikola Kovač | NiKo? You enjoy being teammates and have learned a lot from him. If you could choose your next mentor, who would it be?

A: Honestly, I don’t know, I can’t answer that. When I joined G2, I was only 16, and NiKo helped me a lot. It feels great.