SZPERO: "We want to prove our worth"

Last time the Polish squad participated at a LAN event was at GeForce Cup 2017, where they placed 3rd-4th after losing 0-2 against Red Reserve in the semi-finals. Before that, Kinguin had managed to prevail in the Europe Minor Closed Qualifier after beating Space Soldiers, Outlaws and Tricked.

One month after the addition of Hyper, SZPERO considers that Kinguin "has stabilized"

We sat down with Grzegorz "⁠SZPERO⁠" Dziamałek to get to know, among other things, his view on Kinguin's preparation, the expectations for the Minor, and even the current state of the Polish scene.

For a while, it seemed like Kinguin were growing at a steady pace, peaking at WESG. What do you think that went wrong and made the team regress?

Frankly, we were not exactly sure what happened. After WESG we started training even more, because we felt we were able to be permanently in tier 1. However, we started losing, and that made us lose our self-confidence. We also had a big problem with our CT side. And then some internal problems happened. We tried to fix them, but nothing worked and we had a deeper crisis. Now we're getting back on track!

What made you replace Furlan with Hyper, a player who had been inactive for some time? What have you adjusted since then? 

We needed someone experienced and with new ideas for the game. Bartosz "⁠Hyper⁠" Wolny had been the brain of his previous teams, so we reckoned he would be a good choice. I don't think the time off made any difference for him as he plays very well and he has quickly adjusted to our play style. As for Damian "⁠Furlan⁠" Kislowski, he is a good player and I hope he will resurface in another team because he has what it takes.

You failed to qualify for ESL One Cologne and placed 3rd-4th at the GeForce Cup after losing 0-2 against Red Reserve. How did you feel about it? What do you think went wrong?

These tournaments happened not long after Hyper joined us. We weren't as tight as a team then, we weren't ready, and we weren't in shape either. It was a time when we were changing our game completely, testing many things, so we don't care too much about it. Our primary goal was to advance to the Minor, and we did it. Also, I think now our game has stabilized.

How are you preparing for the Minor?

We train long and we train hard. We want to prove ourselves and our worth in this tournament. If we play as well as we've been playing in recent practice matches, I will be optimistic.

The Minor will be Hyper's first event abroad with Kinguin

What are your expectations for Bucharest?

We all dream of playing at the Krakow Major, so our primary objective is, of course, to secure a slot in the Major's qualifier, which means reaching top three. It won't be an easy road as all teams have the same goal.

Which teams do you think have bigger chances to win the Minor?

I think any team can win such a tournament. But of course, the favourites are Envy.

You have recently been relegated from the Pro League after placing last, with only six wins. What are your thoughts on it? Do you think this will bring more pressure to perform at the Minor?

We had a good start in the Pro League, then the crisis came and it became hard to win against the world's best teams. I think every one of us has already forgotten our setbacks. Obviously, we want to give the best account of ourselves, and, for us, it is an important tournament, but we do not feel additional pressure. We know our goal.

Besides your team, Virtus.pro have been relegated to the Premier League. Does this mean that the Polish scene is going through some difficulties?

Yes, definitely. There is a crisis, but we, the Polish people, never give up. I am sure that, sooner or later, both we and Virtus.pro will get back in shape.

Unlike VP, you have decided to compete in ESEA Premier 25, which will not have move-ups to the Pro League. What made you decide to play there, and what are your goals for it?

After the Minor, we won't have any tournaments or leagues in our schedule, so we wanted to join ESEA Premier to keep fighting other good teams, just so we keep the rhythm of official matches going. Of course, we want to advance to LAN finals and win the league!

Why do you think that Polish teams are going through a rough patch? Do you see any young talents who could have an impact at a high level?

It's hard to tell what has caused these harsh times. Besides us and Virtus.pro, PRIDE have been doing well recently. We have participated in a couple of Polish tournaments lately, and I think there are many young talents who may shake the world scene. They just need to get more experience.