Jyo: Behind every victory, there’s a lot of work

Forge of Masters. WePlay! League is rapidly approaching. Right before the start of the tournament, we’ve talked to several teams that are participating in the event. Rasim “Jyo” Valiev, the player from the Belarusian team Nemiga Gaming, has shared his vision of the current Counter-Strike competitive scene and has commented on the recent changes to the CS:GO rules.

1. WePlay!: You’ve recently changed your IGL. Did you feel any differences after boX occupied the role of the captain?

   Nemiga.Jyo: Well, boX is a good leader. With his arrival, the team now has a clear inner structure, and we’ve started to play quite differently.

2. WePlay!: Nemiga Gaming is constantly taking participation in CIS Minors. How has the level of skilled changed in the region during recent years?

   Nemiga.Jyo: The most obvious – the competition is increasing. There’re plenty of new teams that join the action every year. This results in the Minors getting increasingly difficult – each subsequent tourney becomes harder than the previous one. For us, it means that it’s not easy to get in.

3. WePlay!: Could you share a few thoughts regarding the popularity of Counter-Strike in Belarus? Are there any interesting local facts?

   Nemiga.Jyo: Unfortunately, Counter-Strike isn’t as popular in Belarus as we would’ve wanted it to be. There’s almost no competition between the teams since there’re very few ones. However, we have enough talented players in Belarus who only need additional time to unlock their potential. Twice a year (once every six months) there’s a dedicated tournament called GOAL for Belarusian teams and players. That’s a great opportunity for new players to show themselves.

4. WePlay!: Are there any particular teams in our Forge of Masters league that you’d like to play against most of all?

   Nemiga.Jyo: Well, I wouldn’t pick anyone specifically. All I could say is that we are ready to face the strongest teams at Forge of Masters.

5. WePlay!: Not all tournaments offer prizes upon the results of each specific match of the regular season. Does this fact affect your motivation for our tournament?

   Nemiga.Jyo: I suppose, each team will try to show the best they can do regardless of whether this would be a match for the prize pool or not. Personally, I like the idea, as well as the overall format of the tournament. Surely, competitions like this are needed.

6. WePlay!: It’s been some time since Valve introduced the changes to the CS:GO economy. What’s your personal attitude towards them?

   Nemiga.Jyo: What I felt after the changes had been added to the game is that it became more dynamic. The teams try to play more rounds focusing on obtaining the weapons, which is a great thing in my opinion.

7. WePlay!: Have you tasted Vertigo yet? What do you think of this replacement when you got an old-favourite instead of Cache?

   Nemiga.Jyo: Yeah, we’ve already played Vertigo, and I honestly think that it’s going to greatly add to the competitive Counter-Strike scene in terms of freshness and originality. Good teams will be able to surprise everyone with their plays on that map a lot more than we usually see. To me, Valve’s choice was pretty obvious since they needed to replace the map that hasn’t seen any changes for a long time. It was either Cache or Mirage.

8. WePlay!: Do you see any issues in the competitive esports scene in the CIS region?

   Nemiga.Jyo: If you compare the current level of the CIS esports scene with the one we had a couple of years ago, then it’s rather clear that there’s been a lot of progress. I’d say that the main problem for the CIS scene is the issue of unreasonably highly raised expectations from the early stage of the teams’ existence. The players want to win, that’s understandable, but behind every victory, there’s a lot of work and improving your skill.

9. WePlay!: Should we pay attention to any specific young talented players? Who do you think has the potential to be the new star of the CS:GO scene?

   Nemiga.Jyo: It’s hard to pick particular young players, so I wouldn’t do that trying to foresee the future. However, I’d like to wish all the new talents – and those ones who want to play at a high professional level – to train as hard as they can. You should NEVER give up and only move forward towards your goal.

The first season of Forge of Masters. WePlay! League starts on Monday, April 8. If you want to witness our attempt to bring the CIS esports scene back to its former glory, don’t hesitate to take a look at the detailed schedule for Day 1 of the tournament.

Once again, we’d like to remind you that all the relevant information along with the latest articles and interviews can be reached through the special Forge of Masters tag via this link. For instance, you can view the detailed dossiers for each participant.

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