FURIA beat MIBR straight into the Legends group, giving them an extra week to adjust to their form before major's official match starts. After the match with MIBR, HLTV's reporter approached FURIA sniper saffee and talked to him about the current state of the team and the recent changes they had made on the offensive side of the "more willing to play AKs".
Q: FURIA has just returned to the pure South American team and won the position in the Legend group, how important is this for you?
Saffee: It's pivotal, we put a lot of work into it at the beginning of the year, at first we lost to Wisla, people started to doubt our change of lineup, and then we slowly improved and worked hard to get what we have now. We know that Major is different, there will be a lot of good teams in the challenger group, the water is very deep, so it is important to go directly to the Legend group.
Q: You'll have an extra week to prepare, right?
Saffee: Exactly. The extra week has allowed us a lot of extra time, we've been too busy for the last few weeks, coming straight here from the EPL, we're racing every day, had a day off yesterday, but it's still a lot of pressure. Now we finally have some time to prepare for major, which feels good.
Q: Is it good for you to go from EPL S15 directly to RMR? You guys played pretty good games in the EPL, so how did you transition from the EPL to RMR?
Saffee: The EPL is one of the hardest games to play, and it's all about the strong teams. We came out of the death squad and it meant a lot to us to be number one in the group, beating Astralis, but it was a little bit of a drag on FaZe to not be able to win the game. But we knew that as long as we stayed in the EPL, it would be smooth to play RMR, and that's what we did.
Q: You said that the defeat against FaZe made you sad because you saw them win all the way and finally win the championship?
Saffee: Yeah, they've been in hot form lately, karrigan is a legend. His achievements over the years are in everyone's eyes. ENCE also did a good job, so we were happy to beat them in the group stage.
Q: What are your personal views on the change in FURIA? What is it like to snipe in such a team?
Saffee: Hahaha, a little crazy, really a little crazy. FURIA's tactical system is much faster than pain, and I have to make a lot of adjustments to my game operations. It was tough at first, but now we're trying to figure things out and not only am I trying to adapt to them, they're also trying to fit in with me. It's a mutual thing, but I need to change more. It's nice to have these people around, and I learn something new every day.
Q: Snipers are more inclined to harvest endgame, but FURIA is a very aggressive team. How did you adapt to this? This seems to be the reason why Junior has not adjusted before.
Saffee: I can only be more passive, give my teammates more freedom, like arT, let him do what he wants to do, which is what I need to adapt to. Because when I was at paiN before, my style was more radical. Now I still have to take the AK on the offensive side because they play so fast that sometimes you can't use the sniper. It's all about what we're trying to adapt to, but I think we've done really well lately.
Q: Do you think you'll get along better when you're in Major?
Saffee: Yes, we grew up slowly when we were in the EPL. I'm getting more and more comfortable playing, and I have to keep working on it. We have a lot to discuss where we can do better, and now we just have to work together to find the best solution.
Q: You've now proven you're invincible in the Americas, but where will you be in Major?
Saffee: We can only go one step at a time, and being able to get to the EPL semi-finals was a big success for us, and there are two maps that really play back and forth with FaZe, and we know there's a chance to win.
So, we're a top team, but there's still a lot to improve, so keep working hard is what we have to do. Step by step, down-to-earth, good, now we are TOP 8, but we can't be proud, we must work hard!
Q: When you first joined FURIA, how did you predict how things would go? Is it now in line with your expectations?
Saffee: When I first joined, I felt like I was going to have quite a bit of work to do. It's also true that when I was at paiN, I only had a few games to play against the first team, and most of the time I played against the second team and the North American opponents. At FURIA, I have to face the best team in the world, and from T2 to T1 I have to solve some problems.
I remember when I first came to Serbia for training, we had to work 12-14 hours a day. But I'm happy because I like to work hard and improve myself, which is the most important thing. My teammates don't want to go downhill either, they want to improve, and guerri has been helping us, watching replays and discussing with us. It's a good feeling to work hard.
Q: You have exaggerated stats against lower-level teams, how is it now? Is it really as hard as you think it is to play against the top opponents?
Saffee: First of all, I have to get familiar with the opponent, and when I'm in North America, I don't have to think about dealing with the first team. oSee said it well in response to this question you interviewed, and that's the truth. You have to find confidence, but also be careful, because one mistake can ruin the whole team.
If I'm going to operate, or play more passively, I have to pick a favorable position. I think at the T2 level, you don't need to think too much about it, just show your own operation and you're done. I think that's the hardest part, in the first-line game, there are a lot of awesome snipers who can sanction you, not only snipers, but also some perverted breakers will also make you dizzy, often shouting "Is he in the smoke?" "Doubts, so you have to be more cautious.
Q: What was the most memorable moment in the RMR competition?
Saffee: Or the moment you qualified for the Legends. We came here with the confidence to get this position, not to be arrogant, but because we really did well in the EPL, so when we came here, we thought we had to qualify. It's going to be my first time racing in the Legends, so it's also my highlight moment.