saffee: "I can dictate more of the game and do my own things in MIBR"

The Brazilian AWPer has broken into the top 20 at his new home.

Rafael "⁠saffee⁠" Costa is five months into his time at MIBR, a spell in which the organization have risen to 18th in the world rankings — their highest since August 2020.

Top four finishes at PARI Please and ESL Challenger Jönköping followed victory at Portuguese LAN MEO XL Cup as the Brazilian side began a steady uptick following the signing of saffee and André "⁠drop⁠" Abreu.

BetBoom Dacha is their sternest test yet, but saffee and company rose to the challenge in their opener with a convincing win over BetBoom.

We sat down with the sniper to discuss life after FURIA, what it meant to bring drop along for the ride, and the impact of Raphael "⁠exit⁠" Lacerda as the in-game leader.

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Congrats on the win. What do you think made the difference?

We prepared really well, we had a really good bootcamp after we came back from Sweden. We worked on things, Ancient especially.

Tell me a bit about the result at Sweden. Top 4, quite solid. Is there a goal in mind at these kinds of tier 1.5 tournaments? Is the ambition to win?

Of course. We are humble enough to take it step by step, and in Sweden we felt like we could have beaten Eternal Fire. It was a really close game, they played really well, and we could have won it. The final would have been a tough game but we are looking for the win of course. We are taking it step by step, but winning those kinds of tournaments is the next step.

About you more personally, do you feel more comfortable at MIBR than at FURIA?

FURIA have their own playstyle, it was more me trying to fit into that. Here is more what I had in paiN, I can dictate more of the game and do my own things. So of course, I'm more comfortable here.

How much of that is down to exit as the IGL?

He's great, he gives us a lot of freedom as well. With me and drop coming in, he was open-minded of having us, and for us to show him new things as well. Trying to find that sweet spot between new things and what we already had. He's really good.

And on drop, as the sort of stereotypical anchor player, gives a lot up for you guys. What was it like to bring him with you?

When we were in talks with MIBR, I gave drop's name — they were looking for him as well. He is a great player, even in FURIA he was really talkative, you know, trying to help on mid-rounds with information and things like this. He's not a guy that's quiet in-game. Even though he's anchor, he talks a lot. And that helps us, back in FURIA he helped us and here in MIBR it's the same.

More generally, you're top 20 ranking-wise, second in Brazil. Where do you see yourselves ending, at the end of the year or over the next three months, if all goes well? Have you set goals?

Not really. I think that, now we are in the top 20 maintaining that, keeping that spot, always looking forward and looking up. That's the main point, staying here, and then taking it step by step to the next level.

I've got to ask about insani as well, what's it like playing with him? A little bit of the FURIA mindset in there, he likes to peek. What do you make of him?

He's a great player. He and brnz4n are a lot alike from that perspective. They like to go for fights and peek people. Me and drop as well, giving a bit of experience like 'you shouldn't peek that,' but we can't stop them being natural. They have to play their own game.

Finally on Cloud9, what do you make of them for the group's winners game

It's going to be a good game, we're really looking forward. Cloud9 have been doing well for many years now, brought in a lot of good players with Boombl4 and Perfecto.

Will you be able to make the most out of them not having that primary AWPer?

Yes and no. The meta in-game is changing, because of MR12 and because of CS2 in general, peeker's advantage and so on. It depends on how it goes in the game.

Date	Matches
BetBoom Dacha 2023
07/12/2023	Cloud9 14:00 MIBR	Match