FL4MUS: "If my teammates are afraid, I will come to them and smash that fear from them"

FL4MUS wants to impart his self-belief onto his teammates as GamerLegion look to recover from their 0-2 start in the Shanghai RMR.

Timur "⁠FL4MUS⁠" Marev joined GamerLegion in May, departing Nemiga for an international project after he was scouted by Ashley "⁠ash⁠" Battye.

The change of scene and culture took him a "few months" to adjust to, FL4MUS admits to HLTV, but he is bringing a spark to GamerLegion European teams sometimes lack.

"I think this is really good, in a European team, to have a Russian player, that explosive mentality. I believe that my mentality is so strong, that nothing can really break it."

Date	Matches
Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 Europe RMR A
19/11/2024	Falcons 09:00 GamerLegion	Match
17/11/2024	Vitality Finished 13:8 GamerLegion	Match
17/11/2024	GamerLegion Finished 11:13 ECLOT	Match
18/11/2024	GamerLegion Finished 2:1 UNiTY	Match

GamerLegion are a young team, with an average age of just 20.8, and mentality is the key word as FL4MUS talks about what they need to turn their RMR around after day one losses to Vitality and ECLOT.

"If you believe that you will win," he says. "You can take five different players from all the different teams, and if they have an idea they believe in they can beat everybody. I'm trying to be strong mentally and also bring that into my team."

Their next test will be another tough one, against their polar opposites in the form of the ultra-experienced Falcons (average age 29.2), with the loser set to be eliminated. But FL4MUS isn't scared, far from it: "I saw how they were playing, they are on the same 1-2 score as us. There is nothing to be afraid of."

If you cannot see the Soundcloud embed above, listen to the interview here.

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You survived today, tell me your initial thoughts after that one.

We were expecting to win, and I personally expected us to win 2-0. We did not expect Anubis after how they played versus BetBoom, and we weren't ready for it. But after Anubis, we had Vertigo which we were pretty sure we could easily win and Ancient, even though we've not played it for a really long time, it's our good map. We just showed how we play Counter-Strike.

Were you ever scared? At one point, I think Vertigo's first half was 1-11 in opening duels. Were you ever a bit worried the game was getting away from you?

Not really, we knew they were bad on Vertigo. We've been confident in ourselves, even though I wasn't seeing a single person in this game. I was not killing anyone [laughs]. I was pushing myself to be sure that we were winning this game.

You definitely pushed it on Ancient as well, some great form from you, how are you seeing your own form in this event? How are you growing into it?

It's hard to tell. In this game, I was probably able to play better on the first map, Anubis, but we already went through that. Against Vitality, for example, it just depends on my positions. I think I played my role pretty well, in the same game as well, as a lurker I think I played well. And on this Ancient [vs Unity] I showed what I can do when I'm not lurking.

Is it ever hard, in a young team full of quite naturally aggressive players, to divide positions?

Not really, I think I'm the most aggressive player in this roster. I would not say that everyone is aggressive, I think there's a really good balance. Our only problem is that we lack experience, or patience maybe, controlling emotions. When we play on LAN, RMR, it's sometimes hard to control emotions especially when the whole team is young. volt is the eldest, and he's 22 or something.

What is it like playing at the RMR? You are one of these teams that's stuck in tier-two, online tournament after online tournament, how are you finding it here being such a young team?

For myself, I'm feeling good. It's not my first big LAN [having played IEM Chengdu with Nemiga]. It doesn't matter how young we are. We've been working a lot on our mentality with a sports psychologist as well, we've been preparing for this tournament, with 100%, to be completely ready mentally and in every possible way. Right now, for us, we need to show our warrior mentality.

I wanted to ask about leaving Nemiga as well, as a Russian speaker that scene is so strong, right? What was behind the decision to leave?

I saw the perspective, I will say. It's a bigger organization. GamerLegion were not the only team that invited me, I got some from teams that are playing here at this tournament, and I chose GamerLegion.

What's it like working with ztr and ash, how different is the style to what Nemiga were doing, and Russian teams more generally?

Russian teams are more explosive, and overall in Europe people are more calm. That's why it's been hard for me in the first few months, I would say, because I come from a team where I was calling, running, killing, screaming 'Woo, let's go,' and right now it's like 'Chill, chill, chill.' They've been chilling me down for a few months.

Two months ago, I started finding that balance and I think this is really good, in a European team, to have a Russian player with that explosive mentality. I believe that my mentality is so strong, that nothing can really break it, and that I can give my energy to the team.

We see it on the facecams too, the cheering and hypeman side of you. I remember speaking to ash and he didn't expect you to be so loud and vibrant, what do you bring to the team in that sense?

I think I bring positive energy. I am also the kind of guy to make a stupid joke, I will just start saying some funny shit and bring positivity to TeamSpeak. Also, as I said, any round we get I'm instantly screaming. Mentality is so important in CS, it's not always about tactics, or aim, it's just about your mentality. If you believe that you will win, you can take five different players from all the different teams, put them together, and if they have an idea they believe in they can beat everybody. I'm trying to... be strong mentally myself and also bring that into my team.

How is the team mentally going into tomorrow? I think it's Falcons, so how do you feel about that matchup? Some big names.

We already played Falcons at BLAST Fall Groups. They smacked us, but it was with SunPayus. We've been practicing against Falcons, I will not say the results of course. I will just say, if you're at an RMR you need to be ready to beat everyone. There is no team that you cannot be able to beat. For example our game against Vitality, two stupid rounds caused that score, if we look overall, what we've been doing and what they were doing, it was a close game. I'm not afraid of [Falcons], I saw how they were playing, they are on the same 1-2 score as us. There is nothing to be afraid of.

That's definitely how you think, but is that how your teammates think? Online you were in four CCT finals in a row, playing some really clean CS, but sometimes, it wasn't always as clean today and this event. Are your team feeling the pressure more than you are?

I mean, if they will feel pressure I will smash this pressure off them. If they are afraid, I will come to them and smash that fear from them. No, I will not let anyone be scared. Let's be honest, we are playing a computer game. We cannot be afraid playing a computer game, it's impossible. But even saying that, I am getting afraid, I am getting stressed. This is about pushing yourself, your mentality to that level.

After today's win, it will be easier tomorrow. Falcons lost to get to 1-2, they are coming as a team that just lost and we are coming as a team that just won. It's an advantage as well in that case, I believe. Maybe even I can say, maybe, that it's not going to be a really hard game. But we will see tomorrow.

Obviously very different team, all five players different, but GamerLegion have come back from 0-2 before in Paris of course. Will history repeat? Will you be at the Major?

At Paris, they started 0-2 after two Infernos, just like us. So if it's going to be like this, then yeah, we are trying to make history.