biguzera: "We have to think the same way all the time, because that's what Counter-Strike means"

"I don't think it's about time, it's about mindset," he added about paiN returning to their best.

paiN endured a rough start to 2025 before Franco "⁠dgt⁠" Garcia's signing completely flipped the script and allowed them to place top-four at the BLAST Austin Major.

Since the summer break, however, the Brazilian outfit hasn't gotten going yet and has recorded only 10 official games in two months, something Rodrigo "⁠biguzera⁠" Bittencourt says has cost his team.

"We are a team that used to play a lot of tournaments, so when we stay like one month without them, of course it's not good for our confidence," he shared after his team got their first win of FISSURE Playground 2 over HEROIC.

He also spoke about the marathon game against Linus "⁠LNZ⁠" Holtäng's troops, their expectations for the Serbian tournament, and what paiN need to get back to their best.

Listen to the audio here.

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That was a long and tough game against HEROIC. Was it as stressful on the server as it seemed to us watching?

Yeah, it was a lot of stress all the time. Not all the time, but actually when we were losing some rounds that we shouldn't. I think we played a lot of good rounds, but at the same time a lot of very bad rounds. So yeah, it's difficult to win like that actually, but it would be worse to lose like that.

You're 1-1 now in the Swiss system. How happy are you with what you showed overall? Because yesterday even though you lost, it was against FaZe who are a very strong team.

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that we can show a lot more [of our] Counter-Strike. Yesterday I felt the team was a little bit slow, in terms of aim and all this stuff, talking about me also. And today I felt the team was strong in these kinds of stuff. I just felt some mistakes, like the fact that we were playing mid-rounds so slowly sometimes, and this kind of thing. But overall, I think we did a good job overall.

Is that maybe because I think you have played only 10 officials since the summer break. Could that be a factor, that you just don't have the reps yet?

Of course. Of course it is. We are a team that used to play a lot of tournaments, so when we stay like one month without any tournament, of course it's not good for our confidence. We have to use this kind of schedule, I think it's like a new life for us.

You finished the last season at the Major with a top 4, and then this season you kind of didn't get going yet. Do you think it's just a matter of time before you guys get back to that level?

I don't think it's about time, it's about mindset. If everyone stays on the same page, with the same mindset, we'll be good at the server. So I think we just have to adapt a couple things and think the same way all the time, because I think that's what Counter-Strike means. I think the same way as all the five players and the coach, of course, I think that's the way.

Is confidence also a part of that? Do you think that if you get a couple wins going, like let's say here you go 3-1, you go to the playoffs, do you think you would return to form? Because it feels like, as you said, it's kind of slow in the mid-round sometimes, with people not taking initiative as much.

Yes, kind of. But at the same time, I'm pretty sure that they can make these [decisions]. We just have to be confident all the time, like we are at home and practicing. In Brazil right now, we did a great job practicing. We were amazing, and I think we just have to repeat what we were doing.

What would you be happy with as a result at FISSURE Playground 2?

To be honest, I'm just thinking about the trophy, the first place. But at the same time, I know that we have a lot of good teams here, so I don't care about placement. I just care about how well we are playing. If we lose, but we play well, I'm not sad. It's about not just winning, but about playing well.