Kuben: I want to form a team that plays in top tournaments on a regular basis

Patryk Stec: Are you up?

Jakub “kuben” Gurczyski: When I heard this (about the resignation of MAD Lions from CS: GO – ed.) It is natural – I was angry. We were at the stabilization stage. After the changes made at the beginning of 2022, with a slight delay, but the slimes are as planned. The war in Ukraine slightly spoiled our plans and we played stand-in three times for the RMR tournament. We went to the 18-day bootcamp in an incomplete package – with a stand-in from Denmark. We also had a team building trip planned, which, due to the war, did not come to fruition. In the assumption of the coaching staff, such a trip was our priority, so that new players would acclimatize to the new environment, which automatically improves relations during the game. Chopaks in the band, however, all the time in the back of their heads had the thought that we are not playing in full squad. They didn’t know what I was standing on. They couldn’t concentrate because they knew that Wiktor would be back in a moment or that someone new would come. They were afraid that what we created with the new player would soon be wasted.

When we returned home, after three or four seasons in ESEA Advanced, we were promoted to the ESL Challenger. In BO3 matches in other tournaments, we already showed character, which translated into five wins in a row. I did not expect such information to come at this point. I was angry at the beginning, but during the holidays I had time to think about it and know the business model of the team, I fully understand why such a decision was made.

What would this business model be then?

Maybe it was not made clear to me at the beginning of the team formation, because MAD Lions was convinced that Flashpoint would exist. In 2019, they returned to CS: GO with the thought that Flashpoint would work and make money from it, just like in other titles.

If I remember correctly, this slot costs $ 2 million.

They spent as much as Dignitas, Cloud9, Envy, MiBR, c0ntact, which contributed to the league according to the American model, known for example by the NBA. Only this model suits them. MAD Lions has a policy that they only enter leagues when they are created with a game publisher such as Riot or Blizzard, or as with CSGO from Valve. They did not want to buy out the slot and join the leagues from ESL or BLAST, because they felt that the shares in them were not divided properly. Their business model works well in other games and their financial reports prove it. S open partnership. The team is owned by the OverActive Media group, which includes people who were former NHL and NBA sports club directors, and the economists and their income must be up to date. It cannot be a negative investment all the time. Currently, CS: GO according to their business model is unprofitable. The players have the opportunity to earn good money, but the organization is not entirely.

So it was a business decision?

Exactly, they said, it was by no means our present performance. Believe them, as the coaching staff we had regular contact with a decision maker at OAM (OverActiveMedia) and MAD Lions. We had good contact on a regular basis and I received such signals about the possibility of closing Flashpoint already last year and I have heard many rumors that our team may not last until the end of 2022, depending on how it goes. Last year, I received information that Flashpoint will have meetings about its future. In early 2022, the Saudis bought the ESL. ESL and FACEIT were also merged, which was simultaneous with the fact that Flashpoint was in ruins because they were operated by FACEIT. They were left without a project partner, and it all collapsed. From a financial point of view, it was uneconomic for MAD Lions for the team to maintain that. They were approached by organizations that wanted to resell slots for other competitions, but as I mentioned before, MAD Lions did not want to participate.

Looks like you have plenty of time to build your team. Now it turned out otherwise. Do you have a grudge against MAD Lions that ultimately it is not so?

I cannot speak wrong about MAD Lions because the situation is very understandable to me. The only thing I can fault, not so much as to them, is that my inquisitiveness about Flashpoint was not very great. I regret that I did not understand this business model before. It seems to me that if during the previous RMR we were promoted to the Major or now promoted to RMR in Romania and participated in the tournament like Anonymo now, I think that the perspective of the organization could change a bit. I asked at the time of our order: if we were in Major, would the team still exist? I got a nice answer that the tournament and Major structure in CS: GO do not guarantee you will be at Major on a regular basis. You can get one Major, make a few million dollars with stickers, but you won’t get the next one, and you can get another chance, round and round anyway. We have the fnatic for example – they haven’t been to three Majoras in a row, which means a few million dollars lost. This is a huge loss. You invest in the team, you pay for the players. Cost all the resources you give to the team, and you don’t have a Major. The only money the team receives in this case is also from participation in the ESL leagues. At the moment, it is supposedly not too high an amount compared to the price of the slot in the league. It is understandable to me that you cannot rely on Majors and stickers, because they can only be shots. Getting into Major once, being a complete average, is often a one-time action.

Are you happy with this year’s MAD Lions adventure? I remember telling me last spring when there will be changes in the team and then it actually happened. From the side, it looked as if you were consistently carrying out your plan and everything was going your way

Many times, even in a recent interview with the entire team, the person who looked after us said that when signing the contract I had no point about what our place was in the ranking. There was no requirement whether we should be TOP10 or TOP20. I did not receive any rankings bonuses. My goal was to build a team and it seems to me that I achieved most of the goals set in the contract. Of course, no one is perfect and there is something to be done better with 100 percent. At the end of the year, my superiors did research with the players, my team and other people with whom we spent time, and verified my contract. They received replies that I was fulfilling my responsibilities and was doing what MAD Lions expected me to do. I was supposed to build a team, develop players individually, tactically as well, of course. The physical preparation trainer was supposed to take care of the players’ health. That they would not have any injuries, back pain, wrist shadows, headache. The psychologist conducts conversations in a group and individually. I believe that most of them are fulfilling their assumptions.

Initially, in the HLTV Confirmed podcast, I said that we are now building the core of the team and changes will come over time. We did them in December. People expected others. The environment always sees a player with nice stats and thinks that he is the best player on the team. In fact, this is often not the case, and it is the relationship between players that is important, as to whether they are enjoyable. The present generation must have a good team atmosphere. This is a generation difference from what happened when I was still playing with Loord, LUq, Taz, NEO or Pash. We had a common goal and no matter what kind of relationship we had, we strive to win. we live in a different environment. Now the times are completely different. Gamers need to be more comfortable and leave their comfort zone less often.

To create a team you have to be really careful who you choose and how you create this team. You may have nice aimers, good players, but you often made mistakes in Poland – you wanted players, not people. It is important which people you take, who they are. Once a week we grind the so-called Performance Day, where we talked to your psychologist. We had sessions which we called “CFS”, that is communication for success, where we taught fashion the right conversation between ourselves. If someone is complaining to whom, the other person automatically responds the same and no agreement can be reached. Or go, but after many attempts. More mistakes must be made to get out of it. We have devoted a lot of time to teaching them a certain team culture, and young people often prefer to talk to each other aggressively. At one point, when there are no results and you know they are going to fail in a match, and who asks you that tone, you explode. When you learn a culture of conversation and communication it changes things completely. It more unites because you know you will get support from the rest, not an attack. You are not afraid to talk even though you have failed.

You were building a squad with a psychologist. How do you rate this idea in retrospect? Was it a successful project in terms of people selection?

First, we built a coaching staff, and then we selected and developed players. We took a bit of an example from the LEC MAD Lions LoLa team. I would also compare it to what is happening in the top teams. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. Players go to a higher level, thanks to which there is more money, more opportunities. There is a coach, assistant, manager, personal trainer who performs exercises with players, there is a psychologist. This only happens when players reach a higher level. We wanted to do it from the other side. At the beginning, we had three or four players with no experience in the team game. We have reached the TOP20 with these people, so it can be done and I will always believe it. When a plan is consistently followed, you have a goal and a staff. You know we argued in our closed staff meetings as well, but in the end we tried to set an example for the young people to form this team. If one of us doubts and shows it, we will notice these doubts in the ranks of the players. Absolutely, I think it was a good way. You can’t just count on the names of the players. You need a good staff and that should be the basis. This year helped me to become even more convinced that what I wanted to do for several years has been working. I think that is how you have to build teams.

Do you think that in the near future you will be able to build a team?

I dream about it. There is just such a stage that I can slow down a bit, think carefully, be orderly. I think it will be given to me. Zdyem thought about some things for our conversation. I think I have too much CS knowledge to be, for example, General Manager of some team. I always felt most comfortable at tournaments. We were a great team of tournaments with VP. At important moments, we fired. I want to be a coach, I want to develop and help others, I want to continue creating and implementing my vision of creating a team. I don’t want to step into you and make room for others. I want to create a team that will play in top tournaments on a regular basis.

Do you feel that there are not so many of these trainers, which gives you a good chance of joining one of the well-known organizations?

How many trainers do not scare me. I have learned in my life that if you do what you do well, despite the fact that the competition is fierce, I will take you anyway, if I get to know you. I try to talk to people like this and encourage them to meet me so that they can get to know me. I know MAD Lions considered three or four coaches, but I was chosen. Mike from Envy or my boss from MAD Lions know the business, I think they’ve got to know people and speak well of me. Honestly, she bites her tongue sometimes, but don’t try to play who I am not. Before joining the MAD Lions, we all did tests to assess our qualifications. It turns out that I have the leadership skills to manage the project, manage people, and make decisions. He can take consequences on the chest, admit mistakes. I think I have a good chance. If I didn’t believe it, I still wouldn’t be pissing on it. I will try. I have a few months to find my place and take steps to talk to the right people.

Are you waiting for a break like before Envy, when you give yourself time and calmly wait for the right offers?

Now I am a different person. It was two years ago, after a five-year adventure with Virtus.pro, when I didn’t really know if I would be able to work abroad. Then several offers scrolled through. The first offer that came after Envy was right away from MAD Lions. It would be a bull’s eye for me and them, because as far as I know they were looking for such a person.

Will you continue playing Friday with MAD Lions? You have recently won a slot for ESL Challenger, among others

I am asking everyone to think if I feel the need to continue playing in this squad, due to the fact that for the next 3 months they are on the transfer list in MAD Lions, and such a long vacation is not necessary for everyone. We’ve already had this game and agreed that we would ask ourselves the same question in 2-3 weeks’ time, because we have three online tournaments to play, including the ESL Challenger, which is the gateway to the EPL Conference. We are not going to train at the moment.