Wicadia: "When I started playing CS I was dreaming about [playing in Katowice]"

Eternal Fire's upstart averaged a 1.53 rating over three maps in the Turkish team's convincing run to the IEM Katowice group stage.

Eternal Fire became the first team to advance from the IEM Katowice Play-in stage after two convincing matches on Wednesday, demolishing BetBoom (13-1) and Rebels (13-4, 13-9) on the way to the group stage.

The Turks have been in superb form lately, now sitting in the top 15 of the HLTV Ranking following runners-up finishes at PARI Please and ESL Challenger Jönköping as well as a successful run in the PGL Major Europe RMR closed qualifier.

Having already turned heads in his Big Event debut in the ESL Pro League Season 18 last September, 18-year-old Ali "⁠Wicadia⁠" Haydar Yalçın has only continued to impress with a 1.20 rating in the past three months and a 1.53 rating in the qualification bid to the Katowice group stage.

HLTV spoke to the up-and-comer following Eternal Fire's convincing campaign so far in Katowice about the team's and his impressive form as of late, his first time playing at the iconing tournament, and goals for the event, which comes just weeks before the team embarks on another journey with hopes of qualifying for a Major.

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It's your first time in Katowice. It's been an iconic tournament for Counter-Strike for a long time - what does this tournament mean to you, as someone who's only coming in for their first time?

Yeah, it's my first time here in Katowice, and I'm super excited to play. When I started playing CS I was dreaming about it, when I watched first professional games. It feels so great to play here.

What's the first time you remember watching?

I think the 2018 one.

That would have been when fnatic won?

Yeah, I think so. I can't remember who was the champion, but should be.

You've been in great form in the last few months, I think you're now ranked 14th in the world, which is the highest Eternal Fire has been. You had a couple of second-place runs at the end of the year and the playoffs run at ESL Pro League. What has been behind this improvement?

We are working really hard to fix our mistakes and we are learning from our mistakes. We are doing like two hours of theory every day and we are doing a lot of practice, so I think that's why. We listen to each other, we talk to each other, we fix, and we're trying to make our communication better.

How much confidence does this form fill you with? You've qualified for the RMR as well and we're closing in on the Major. Does this feel like you're peaking at the right time?

Yeah, I feel it.

How do you think your individual form has affected this run? You've been a talked-about player since the Pro League run to the playoffs, and in the past couple of months you've only gotten better. What is behind that?

Personally, I'm grinding a lot, I'm playing a lot of games, I'm watching a lot of demos, matches live, and I think that's it. If you grind, you will eventually have this.

Is it just about the hard work?

Yeah, for sure. Only about the hard work. And a bit of brain, maybe, I don't know how to say.

You have some very experienced players around you as well. How much influence do they have on your development?

I entered the scene because of XANTARES. He helped me a lot. I was in FPL-C because of him. They're really great, they are helping me with a lot of things, communication, how to play the game.

Eternal Fire have been confident here so far, 13-1 against BetBoom and a convincing series against Rebels. Are you feeling confident heading into the group stage?

We are playing really good CS I think right now, personally and overall as a team. We are just playing basic CS, our normal game. I hope we will keep doing that and we will be fine. I think we will go to playoffs if we keep playing like this.

Now that you say that, last time when we spoke to woxic during Pro League, he was making similar claims that you can make it to the playoffs [Editor's note: They did], now you're saying the same thing...

(laughs) Yeah, I think we will do it because we are really confident. I hope we will do it.

Is that the goal you have before the RMR, to be able to keep rolling on this high that you've been on for a few months?

Yeah, it's perfect. The atmosphere is perfect here, and I think that's what we are looking for.

You played MOUZ in the Major qualifiers and you've beaten some big teams back at Pro League. Facing some of the bigger teams next in the group stage, does it come as a challenge compared to what you've been up to so far, or do you feel like you've already gotten used to playing these teams?

We didn't play a lot of big teams. MOUZ, Liquid, Cloud9 and I didn't play against the others, but I actually don't care who I'm playing against. I'm just playing my own game and I will try to do my best here and at the RMRs.