r1nkle: "I don't care about winning I just want to improve"
There were many people scratching their heads when G2 announced they were benching SunPayus for r1nkle, but the Ukrainian has so far been really impressive during his short time with the team.
He’s a big reason as to why the team made the playoffs at BLAST Open Porto, and we sat down with him to discuss his time with the team, his own individual goals, and why his time on NIP came to an early end.
“Usually you have days where you start the day and you think it will be shit”
You've had some time on G2 now. How has it been with the guys so far?
It's amazing. They're such good people and very experienced, so it feels good to be here.
How is the chemistry within G2? It wasn't that long ago that NertZ came into the team either.
The atmosphere is really good here; usually, you have days when you have little fights or arguments, where you start the day and you think it will be shit because everyone is silent. We haven't had that, though, not a single day yet, and at first I thought it was like a big honeymoon, but now I see that everyone is funny and kind to each other.
The end of the time on NIP didn't go the way you would have wanted it to, but you seem to have put it all behind you. Was that something you did before joining G2, or did you need to rebuild your confidence after you signed?
I did it before, for sure. Ever since I got benched, I did a lot of work, and I'm still doing it now. It's in the past, so I don't want it to bother me; I just want to look forward to being in the present.
You seem to have elevated your game from that time on NIP; you seem a lot more confident in clutches now. Is that something you worked on since coming into G2, or did you work on it at NIP too?
We worked on it in NIP, but it didn't really help; we weren't good in clutches or post-plants. In G2, people help me with how to play the situations better and understand them more, to not just peek, and know how to fight with the team. It comes down to experience and understanding, and not just being an animal and going for every fight.
That 1v4 against Aurora was the perfect example of this. How were you feeling during it and after the round?
I felt amazing after winning it, but during the round I knew I was going to win it after calling Jimpphat on B. You just know it sometimes, and that's how it happened; it wasn't very hard.
In terms of the mentor figures in the team, everyone always talks about sAw in that way, but is huNter- the same?
Yeah, he's very experienced, and with both of them, when you do some bullshit they tell you without it being in a bad way at all. They're nice to have helping me.
You play Falcons in the quarter-finals. They've been a little inconsistent recently, so how are you feeling about taking them on?
I don't really care who I play against. I think we should just focus on ourselves, because if we're going to play well, we're going to play well and we will win.
People look at Falcons, Vitality, and Spirit as this untouchable top three; do you think you guys can quickly break into that?
I don't know; I'm not really thinking about it. I'm just thinking about working hard and playing well, because we'll get there at some point. I'm not thinking about how or when, just about doing the basic stuff, and then if we deserve it, we'll do it.
What are you thinking about then? Are there any goals you've set?
For me, it's just about improving with each game. Of course, everyone wants to win, but I'm not even thinking about that, just about improving my game. Even if we win 2-0 against any team, if we improve as a team, that is better.
