mezii was the hometown hero at BLAST Premier Spring Final presented by Revolut but unfortunately, the UK crowd didn’t get to see him lift the trophy as Vitality were defeated in the semi-finals by eventual winners, Spirit.
With the event marking the end of his first full season on Vitality, we caught up with mezii after his elimination to discuss his progress with the team, playing in front of the crowd, and his hopes to return and lift the trophy at BLAST Open London next year.
Are the members of Vitality tilting more than they were previously? Is that just the implication of a long season?
We're a team with a lot of people, like apEX, who are going to show their emotions. Even for me, it was tough at times on the stage and playing in front of the crowd because you just want to get further and further.
Like you say, we've been travelling for so long this season and it's been really hectic. It's one of those things when you want something so much it can make you tilt a bit more.
But I think that's one of the special things about Vitality, we're a family and nobody wants to do anything for themselves but here they wanted to do it for me so we could have gone further and won the tournament, it's just unfortunate that it wasn't meant to be.
It's now the end of your first full season with the team, how are you looking back on it both in a team sense and individually?
As a team, I wouldn't say that we're disappointed, because we're happy with the progression we've made.
But, we're Vitality, we have the best player in the world and one of, if not the best IGL in the world. It's tough to look back and say that we didn't win one of the events, especially since we made it to back-to-back finals and here we had a chance to go to another.
When we look back on the season, going from Katowice where we bombed out to semis at the Major and back-to-back finals before another semi here, we've shown progression and that was one of our goals as a team. We wanted to make sure we showed improvement and didn't take any steps back.
Individually, it's unfortunate that I was starting to get some form towards the end of the season and it would have been nice to have it from the start. It's taken more time than I would want.
I'm happy that I've made some improvements in my game and gotten more comfortable with the team because that's what I wanted. I wish it was earlier, but I can't click a switch and just make it happen.
apEX said it took time for Magisk to get going on Vitality and that it will be the same for you, so where do you think the areas are in which you need to improve?
I think it's just a different type of CS that Vitality play to what I was used to in the past. On T sides especially it took me a little while even if I didn't have that many new roles. It comes down to knowing the reactions and how they like to play.
CT side is somewhere where I want to make sure I'm more consistent as an anchor.
Of course, they're tough positions and I'll have some off-games, that happens to everyone, but I definitely feel like I could be more consistent. I'm getting there and finding my way, so I'm excited to keep growing in that sense.
You got to play in front of a packed UK crowd, what was that like?
It was definitely fun. Coming out and having people chanting your name is like 'yeah.'
It had never happened to me before and when you're playing CS growing up, trying to become a pro and you see the big crowds and everyone chanting a star player's name and then come here and have the same thing, it's a great experience.
It's disappointing we couldn't go further, but I'm really happy that I had the chance because it wasn't looking so great in the groups. I'm just looking forward to getting to do it again.
BLAST will be back in London next year for BLAST Open in Fall, are you looking forward to that event? Will you be back and hoping to take home the trophy?
Hopefully winning it, yeah. It has to be the goal to come back and do better than we did this time.
It's nice to have the UK come back for events, we haven't seen them for a good few years now so hopefully I'll be able to experience it again.
It's only going to do good things for the UK scene as well, people will get to see more stages here and it will give them extra motivation.
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