After winning the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, Heroic’s in-game leader Casper ‘cadiaN‘ Møller sat down for an interview with foreign media. During the interview, cadiaN discussed various topics, from the disappointment of the Major semifinals to the current state of the team.
Q: Let’s start with the BLAST Paris Major. You were the favorites against GamerLegion, what happened there?
A: You could see that in the first half of Ancient, we didn’t play our game, and our resilience was lacking a bit. Then, our T-side was excellent, and we managed to come back. Moving on to Inferno, we were already leading 1-0. I remember as CT, when the score was 12-10, their T-side exploded. Mihai ‘iM’ Ivan made a series of standout plays, and we were clearly not up to the task. As for Mirage, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact issues. iM said they had been studying us for months, so they knew our tendencies. But overall, we lost to ourselves. It’s difficult to explain exactly what happened at that time.
Q: Before the Fall Groups, many top teams made roster changes. Why did Heroic stick with the same lineup? How does it feel to have such a worry-free vacation?
A: I believe that as long as everyone gives their all in and out of the game, we can continue to perform more consistently, and there is no reason for roster changes. Regardless of winning or losing, we are a united team. We have always been looking for ways to perform better in the latter part of tournaments. As you said, it feels a bit strange to watch the transfer market “cloud over” during the vacation, but it’s also great not to have to worry about roster changes and enjoy the vacation.
Q: Among the teams that made roster changes recently, you have already faced BIG and Natus Vincere. Which other teams are you looking forward to playing against?
A: We have played a lot of practice games against Cloud9, and they look promising. They are somewhat similar to Heroic, where all five players can decide the outcome of the game. However, in my opinion, Cloud9 lacks a leader like Heroic, and I think that’s their main issue recently. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that Cloud9 has strong firepower, and all five players in their lineup are talented.
Q: Recently, you experienced the departure of Kasper Straube, who joined Astralis. Did it have any impact on you? How is his successor Oliver doing?
A: There is indeed a noticeable difference, but it doesn’t mean that the successor is doing a bad job. I feel that the chemistry within the team is still strong, as the players remain unchanged, and the coach is the same. Oliver is doing very well, and we are having fun in the matches. We still do things like eating ice cream, taking walks, watching movies, and so on, just like before. We are Heroic, and we always spend quality time together.
Q: Speaking of this tournament, your team’s form is excellent. Even against NaVi, they couldn’t give you much trouble. How do you feel about the team’s current state? How does it feel to defeat teams like NaVi with ease?
A: I think it’s a good start to the new season. However, it’s not entirely fair as the teams we faced also underwent roster changes. But I am happy to see the team’s performance and that Heroic can take control of the situation.
Q: Facing a team like NaVi, who have only played one official match since the roster changes, how do you prepare before the match?
A: I didn’t prepare anything specifically, I just focused on myself.
Q: Have you discussed the goals for this season? Since there is no Major in the second half of this year, do you have any specific goals?
A: We haven’t stood out in every tournament, and we haven’t shown the players their true value. I think we still need to make ourselves a team worth remembering in the history of CSGO, not just in the BLAST group stage, but more importantly in IEM Cologne and other major tournaments. We want to end CSGO with the perfect ending. After the release of CS2, we will set new goals for ourselves.
Q: You mentioned the new game CS2. Valve previously said it will be released in late summer, but there is no specific date. Does this have any impact on your plans? Have you discussed corresponding strategies?
A: We have discussed it internally. We already had some plans for when we feel that CSGO is coming to an end. But CSGO is still full of joy at the moment, so we will go with the flow. We have plans for both CSGO and CS2, thinking about how to try and benefit from the changes in the new game. But I think it’s still too early to prepare extensively. Right now, the focus is on which tournaments we will participate in and how to preserve our energy, etc.
Q: Last question. The CS2 Major is confirmed to be held in Denmark. When you were in Paris, you mentioned that it’s easy to be upset by weaker teams, especially in the elimination stage. Do you hope to resolve these issues as soon as possible?
A: We have been working hard. Therefore, after each match, we openly discuss the reasons for our mistakes and learn from them. It’s a trend, and we will strive to improve ourselves.
