Xant3r: "We couldn’t really rejoice because we were very tired"

Nemiga played three BO3s on Saturday, the last one being the RES Regional Champions final.

Nemiga have won their first international LAN title in the organization's history at RES Regional Champions after defeating UNPAID in the final to lift the trophy and take home the $150,000 grand prize.

The majority-Russian squad did so amid a busy day of Counter-Strike, during which they also played the RES semi-final against Sangal and qualified for ESL Pro League S21 after a win against 3DMAX before the grand final.

The team, which has peaked at No. 31 in the world rankings on two different occasions, has now set its sights on the RMR, and Kirill "⁠Xant3r⁠" Kononov says that the team has a realistic chance of making it through.

The Russian rifler also spoke to HLTV about an exhausting day of action, Anton "⁠boX⁠" Burko's removal during their game, and the team's newest addition, Ivan "⁠zweih⁠" Gogin.

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Xant3r, congratulations on your win. Your first win at a big LAN, how does it feel?

I feel great but really exhausted, because there was a long day. We couldn’t even really rejoice because we were very tired. I’m very happy about the win, and also that we made it to EPL. It’s a great day for all of our careers.

You’ve made it to EPL winning the game right before the final. You’re saying you’re tired now, but could it help that you were really warmed up? Or did you win despite having to play 3 BO3s in a row?

We were winning despite the long day because we’ve run out of energy. We were just trying to take the game as responsibly as we could because we knew that this was the last one. I also want to thank the admins who allowed us to finish the EPL game because it was a very important game.

You've beaten some pretty strong teams along the way. How did you do it?

We were going to this LAN with the understanding that there’s no team that is way better than us, all teams are about the same level, so one way or another we can win against them. But the strongest opponent was Sangal, not sure why. Maybe they adjust well. We couldn’t win against them twice, both at this event and at EPL. But it didn’t prevent us from reaching the final and winning the event.

You played UNPAID in the final. By their own admission, they felt like a mix. Did you feel that on the server when you played, compared to your previous matches against them?

Yes, sure, we knew they had two changes. And we especially felt it on Mirage, because it’s a very puggy map, everyone plays it on FACEIT and in matchmaking. So we knew it would be tough on Mirage, and so we didn’t get upset over losing it there. We just told each other: it’s a mix, it’s a Mirage, it’s okay. Now we’re going to beat them.

Recently you were joined by zweih. He’s a young player, what are your impressions of him?

I call him "maloy" [kid] within the team. He’s very young but very promising as well. He shoots and understands the game very well. He just needs a little more experience which he will get with time. I think he has a great career ahead of him.

There were reports that your coach boX was removed from the game at one point. Can you tell me anything about it?

He was removed from the game since he’s quite a nervous person, he worries a lot during the game, so he could audibly call something out during the game. And since we didn’t have noise-cancelling headphones, we could hear it, and admins didn’t like it at all. So they moved him behind the camera, we laughed a bit and finished the game in our favor.

boX is a veteran of the organization and the Belarusian scene. How much does his experience help you?

I will just say this: he’s a genius.

I wanted to ask about the RMR qualifier. In the deciding match, you played against Insilio, your previous team. Did you feel that it was a dramatic moment, as the Russian-speaking community did?

I’ve played for Insilio for two years. And when I saw the matchup against Insilio, I knew that we would win against them, but I would be very upset that they wouldn’t make it. So after the game, I messaged every one of them to whom I still talk and wished them luck. I’m quite good with the guys, but I’ve had no choice: I had to win and go to the RMR.

You have the RMR ahead of you. Will this result help you gain confidence that you will be able to show a good game and make it to the Major?

Of course it will. This LAN, as well as EPL qualification, give us a lot of confidence, both individually and as a team. So I think it will be great at the RMR and we have all the chances to make it to the Major.