nexa: "Not being an IGL has lifted all the pressure off my shoulders"

The Serbian rifler is enjoying less on-server responsibility.

G2 replaced Justin "⁠jks⁠" Savage with Nemanja "⁠nexa⁠" Isaković in what was one of the more polarising roster moves in recent times. The Australian was regarded as a fantastic anchor but still found himself benched in November.

nexa returned to the team he had reached a Major final with at PGL Major Stockholm 2021, but this time not as the IGL. He was brought to the team as a supportive element and secondary caller, something that he says helps him feel much less pressure.

After their dominant win against Ninjas in Pyjamas at BLAST Spring Groups, nexa joined HLTV to talk about the community pressure, his role in the realm, and Wiktor "⁠TaZ⁠" Wojtas' impact.

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How does it feel to start the year with a victory?

It always feels great to start off with a win. The guys before me were really a momentum- and confidence-based team. So coming in here and playing some good Counter-Strike, I think it helps us to start the season.

It didn't exactly start in the best way. In classic G2 fashion, you got aced in the pistol, but you bounced back. What do you think helped you do that?

We just stayed calm, we knew all the tools were at our disposal. We knew how to play the map and what we needed to do. And of course, it always helps when m0NESY is having one of those games.

You've been back in G2 now for two months. How does it feel to be back in this organization?

I always liked G2 as an organization. I'm happy to be back, but I'm happier to play with players such as the ones in G2.

You've been pretty vocal about not wanting to be an IGL, but you always landed back in this role. So are you happy to be without that burden?

I would not say it's not a new experience, but it's something that I haven't done in about six years, and I'm really happy to have this weight off my shoulders, focus on myself, and try to help the team in different ways.

You replaced jks on the team. The community reaction was a bit mixed. Your teammates talked a lot about what you bring to the team, but what is your opinion about that?

I understand why the community is not a fan of the move itself. I was obviously not on the team, so I don't know what happened there, but I know I'm pretty confident that I can do a good enough job on the CT sides to not hold the team back.

And as for the T sides, I think I know what I bring. I know that I can help HooXi a lot in adapting and figuring out what we need to do when things don't go as planned. Overall, I'm pretty confident in this role, and I know what the team expects of me. I'm confident I can deliver.

Do you think the community reaction put some more pressure on you?

No, there definitely isn't any pressure. I never really had pressure to begin with. Not being an IGL has lifted all the pressure off my shoulders. All I have to do now is make sure that I do my job and that's something I'm pretty confident in.

Talking about pressure, you spent a bit of time in OG before, but is there a difference in expectations as an OG player and a G2 player?

I would say one of the biggest differences between OG and G2 is the expectations. In OG they were not that high, we were playing every tournament and seeing how deep we could go. But when you're in G2, the expectation is to win every single tournament. In that aspect, I much prefer being in G2 and competing for every title.

You also have a new coach here, TaZ. I saw he gave you guys a few shoulder rubs and massages throughout the game. But how has it been working with him?

He has pleasantly surprised me, he brings a lot to the team. One of the things the guys were saying previously is that they were missing a lot of authority in the team, and that's exactly what he brings. I think he can unite us and put us all on the same page, in the same direction. I think that this is really important for this team, and he's doing a great job.