JDC: "Being an anchor was a humbling experience"

JDC and his BIG teammates were ecstatic after going 2-0 on the first day of the Europe RMR in Shanghai.

BIG have gotten a dream start at the Perfect World Shanghai Major Europe RMR B, where they beat Sashi and HEROIC in best-of-ones to reach the Swiss stage's 2-0 pool.

Date	Matches
Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 Europe RMR B
21/11/2024	BIG Finished 13:9 Sashi	Match
21/11/2024	HEROIC Finished 8:13 BIG	Match

The German squad now have a golden chance to make it straight to the Major's Elimination stage as they go up against the Passion UA underdogs who shocked both Virtus.pro and Spirit in the opening day of play.

"You can say we are favorites, but I think they're very good," Jon "⁠JDC⁠" de Castro says. "They won against us in the RMR qualifier to get here, and they won against us very convincingly.

"They are showing a very promising style of CS, and they're very strong, so even if you say we're favorites, I think we need to take the game seriously, respect them, and be fully sharp like we were today."

To listen to the interview press play on the widget above or click here.

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That's 2-0 after day one. How does that feel?

It feels very good. We've worked so much, especially on bootcamp and everything. It feels like we're reaping the rewards, but we're not there yet, so the job is not done. Tomorrow is the most important game.

How does it feel to beat a team like HEROIC, one of the top four seeds? It's a pretty big scalp to take on day one, right?

Yeah, I think it gives us the confidence to realize that the work we're putting in is actually showing some benefits because those teams you need to beat in order to be a competitive Major team, in my eyes.

If we want to go a longer way, a deeper run, which is our goal, we need to win those games. For us it feels like a very big victory and you can see it after the game; we're screaming, we're happy, so a very nice game.

How do you think rigoN is settling in because it's been a few months since the new constellation? How are you trying to merge the way he used to play and the way you guys are playing? Have you found that balance now?

Yeah, we're working on it a lot because, of course, he's a different player in terms of style, but he's really good at learning stuff, and he's trying his best to implement into the system while we try our best to activate his craziness, in that sense, and I think right now he's feeling pretty comfortable in all of the maps and overall he's a good guy and the chemistry fits.

You changed your role after MOUZ. How nice is having a bit more room than you used to?

I love it. I'm very happy that the BIG guys trust me and give me the space I need on certain maps. For me it's just a ride of development now. I just want to become a great player.

I'm in a learning process of playing against top players in my positions and getting better by the day. For me, it's just the long road. I want to be a top 10 player, and I just need to learn every day.

How much do you think it helps you to have played those different roles in the past? Does it make you see the game in a different way, at all?

I think it's very good to understand the roles on the map. You need to have a very good overview in the positions I play now, as well. Like, you need to understand how to move around the pieces and how to coordinate.

For me, being an anchor, that role was a humbling experience, as well, because you just play a different game. You're not in the action a lot, you have a lot of handling situations and you're a bit more passive, I would say. It depends on how you interpret the role, but it's just a humbling experience. Now it feels like I can play the game and go crazy, a little bit. [Laughs]

What is that like, under someone like tabseN? He's such a legend of the German scene. How do you compare that style of calling to someone like siuhy or someone you've previously worked with?

Yeah, I think tabseN and me are sometimes differing on a couple of things, but overall we agree on most parts. I think he's very smart; he looks at the game in a very unique way, which I hadn't experienced until I joined here. I think he's very clever regarding how to handle situations, how to play with utility, and all of that.

But sometimes, I'm just a guy who wants to take a duel. Like yeah, I mean, it's pretty dumb, but I just want to trust my aim here. [Laughs] I think he's a great leader, and he's helping me develop in every aspect of the game.

Do you think there has been a bit of adaptation with you and rigoN being more of those types of players than the traditional German player? Have you moulded those two styles in CS2?

Oh, for sure. I think when I joined, I didn't really get the style they wanted to play. I had my way of thinking, right? But in order to be a good team, I think you need to have both variations.

You need to be able to play a really good handling, passive kind of approach, and you sometimes need to make the play and go crazy. I think that right now, we're trying to synergize both worlds and become a strong BIG.

What's it like going into the game against Passion UA as favorites?

I mean, looking at it that way... You can say we are favorites, but I think they're very good. They won against us in the RMR qualifier to get here, and they won against us very convincingly.

They are showing a very promising style of CS, and they're very strong, so even if you say we're favorites, I think we need to take the game seriously, respect them, and be fully sharp like we were today.