device: "It is really important for us to win here"

Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz and Andreas "⁠Xyp9x⁠" Højsleth took part in a media conference call set up by ELEAGUE to talk about Astralis' campaign in Atlanta so far, the team's success in recent months and what lies ahead.

Astralis are one of the four semi-finalists at ELEAGUE Premier after cruising their group following clean 2-0 victories over North American duo Cloud9 and Liquid.

Ahead of the team's decisive match against MOUZ, device and Xyp9x agreed to answer questions from members of the media about the upcoming semi-final encounter, the Danish AWPer's current form, the possibility of meeting Natus Vincere in the final, and more.

You are going up against mousesports next. How has the team been preparing for that match-up?

Xyp9x: We have had off four days now, which is obviously a new thing for us. The first day, we took a day off, we relaxed, went to the Coca Cola Museum and stuff like that, but, other than that, we have been practicing, we practiced yesterday, and we will do it today [Thursday]. I do not think we have ever had two days to prepare for a match-up like this during a tournament. It is going to be fun to see how that plays out in the game, if there are any mind games and things like that.

The last timed you faced mousesports was at IEM Sydney. You faced and beat them twice. What are your thoughts on the team right now, the differences between STYKO and Snax, and how do you think that change has influenced the team?

device: When we faced them in Sydney, it was a different team, so they have changed some things, they are having quite a bit of success at this tournament. It is hard to compare Snax and STYKO, but it seems they have a good cohesion with Snax. Going into the match-ups for us it’s all about preparation, we have a lot of time to prepare for it, I hope that benefits us in some way. It’s hard to say if the team is looking stronger, but they are looking more like a team right now.

How do you feel about the team’s morale right now?

device: Our morale is great, we did not have the best preparation going into the tournament since this has been a very stressful period, I think it has been the same for every other team. Other than that, we are enjoying our time here, It is the last tournament of the season, we are having a lot of fun. The team spirit is high, there is not anything negative. It is just a grind, and we are enjoying our time together.

What exactly about this period is really stressful, considering the break is coming up?

Xyp9x: I think what makes this really stressful is all the tournaments we have gone to, people are really worn out and looking forward to the break. There is that, and we are also spending so much time away from our families, friends, girlfriends, etc, and that has been hard on some people. We have like 160 travel days a year, so it is not like we are seeing them a lot. I also think we are one of the hardest grinding teams, also practice-wise and professional-wise, doing workouts and stuff like that.

There has been a lot of talk in the last few weeks about whether this is the Astralis era. After finishing in 3rd-4th place in Cologne, how important is it for you to get back to winning ways, to win a trophy again, especially since the player break is coming up and you can have that mental edge over Na`Vi before DreamHack Masters and the Major?

device: We got knocked out pretty early, I’d say, in Cologne, at least according to our expectations. We had gone into the tournament expecting to win, we had had a really good preparation, so we were a bit rattled by the loss. We always attend tournaments with the goal to win, and it is really important for us to win here. We have had final losses here before, we feel really confident here, and it would be really great going into the break still being the best team in the world, and having that edge going into Stockholm and the Major. It is going to be a really tough period after the break, so the result here matters a lot.

Regarding the era, is not up to us to state whether there is an era going on. But we are going to keep grinding for that top spot.

Do you think that there is a lot of pressure from fans to keep up that performance? If you were to fall off, do you think there would be some backlash?

Xyp9x: Of course there is pressure from some fans. I think that, right now, many expect us to win this tournament, maybe some expect Na`Vi to win or at least to put up a good fight. It is all about listening to yourself and also seeing how the team is working and how the dynamics are going. Obviously it is great when fans are cheering for you and there is a good side to it, but you should not feel pressured by fans to perform. If you feel the pressure you will not perform.

Has the team thought about having a rematch against Na`Vi in the final?

device: Obviously it would be really great for us to face them in the final, but are not thinking that far ahead, the focus is on the match against mousesports. They are looking great in this tournament, we have to be prepared and to play really well on the day. We are not thinking too much about the final.

You keep playing Liquid in tournaments. Why is it that you consistently beat them, or what do you have to say about the fact that you always match up against them?

Xyp9x: I think we play them at almost every tournament and it is a close match-up every time. I think it is just a good match for the fans, with a lot of excitement. I do not know why we meet them every time. I guess it is just luck or bad luck. I think they are a great team, and at least we always have close Mirage games against them.

Xyp9x, right now you have a 0.98 rating at ELEAGUE. Was it just you playing two matches that did not go your way, or are you just not comfortable with the way you have been playing?

Xyp9x: I think we are in a team dynamic in which I really don’t have to do that. I think device is playing out of his mind right now, and obviously when someone is doing that there are not enough frags on the server. I am not in my zone right now, but I am looking to improve that for the next games.

device, you have the highest rating so far at the event. Is it a matter of you playing confidently or just having good days?

device: I have not thought that much about it, I think it is hard to measure if a player is doing really well or really poorly, there is also stuff in between that is hard to measure in some way. Of course I am having a really great tournament, I’d say that the preparation is always good against any team, I am sure that I have a good rating against Cloud9 and Liquid overall, those have been some good match-ups for me, playing against nitr0 and Skadoodle, they are two AWPers that I like to face, so to speak. I have been in the zone, and I am looking forward to continuing that way.

You are really well known for your utility usage and for being able to do damage without being seen. How have you been practicing this, and why has this been so effective for the team?

Xyp9x: It has been a part of zonic’s plan from the start. We just did it in a practice at some point, and we were like, ‘why don’t we do this more often and focus on this?’ We saw it working in a match, casters were talking about it, and we try to do it as much as possible. But it also comes with a risk, if you are thinking too much about it and if your whole game is focused too much on it then you will not focus on setups or other things, so you have to be careful about that. But it is definitely something we have been focusing on.

It is no surprise to see other teams copying you in the meta. How does the team intend to shift the meta?

Xyp9x: I think for us setting a new meta we kind of need to not be the No1. team because in that case you really can’t change much in between tournaments because everyone will know what you’re changing. It is really hard to change the meta when you’re the No1. team, you mostly see it from the up-and-coming teams like MIBR or mousesports. Maybe we can do it after the break if we put in a lot of work and time into it and also come up with a whole new thing, but I do not know if that is the right way to do it. We will see in Stockholm and at the Major.

A lot of teams have been criticized for not getting enough practice because they are going to too many events. How has skipping events helped your performance?

device: I always wondered how teams could go directly from event to event and expect different results. You are coming in with the same package and your energy levels are low, so I always wondered what the thought process of some of the other teams was when they were going from event to event. I do not understand the point in that, even though there is money up for grabs, but the chance to win is kind of low if you are not doing anything new. It seems kind of a silly move, from my perspective. For our team, it has helped to revitalize our energy, we get to see our family, practice in-game and do new stuff, and make adjustments from tournament to tournament that we could not make if we were constantly on the road. Personally, I have struggled a lot with stress-related stomach diseases, and not going from event to event has helped me a lot. It has helped us a whole to be better as a team and to have that energy when you need it.

You will have to compete in the New Challengers Stage. Obviously, you expect to advance to the main stage, but what is your opinion on the teams you will face?

Xyp9x: Being in the Challenger Stage is a new thing for device, dupreeh and myself, so I think it is a new level of pressure we will be getting because we will be thinking, ‘what if we do not make it?’. We have always made it to the Major stage. For us, I think if we do not put pressure on ourselves, if we stop thinking about the consequences of not going through, we will make it. I think it will be exciting, there are many great teams there, and I am looking forward to it.

Astralis and MOUZ will open up the playoffs on Saturday at 20:00 . You can follow the match live on ELEAGUE's official English stream.