Kvem: "I had the choice to not play and be on the transfer list, but no point sitting on the bench"

Kvem is embracing the new experience of playing on an international lineup.

Passion UA pulled off one of the more intruiging transfers in recent memory when they signed Complexity's core in August, bringing the foursome in to compliment the one remaining member of their previous roster, Vladyslav "⁠Kvem⁠" Korol.

Whilst it was initially a difficult marriage, Passion UA failing to even pick up a map against Monte and 9INE at DraculaN, things took a turn for the better in the team's StarLadder StarSeries Fall campaign in the form of a comfortable 2-0 opening win over Gentle Mates.

"After DraculaN we started practicing a lot," Kvem told HLTV after saying the team only had "five or six days" leading up to their first outing. "We had a bootcamp, and now I feel like that we have some structure. I am feeling good that we are playing together as a team."

The Ukrainian rifler sat down with HLTV following his team's win over Gentle Mates to discuss the series, how he came to be playing with the current core, and the process of adjusting to his new teammates.

Listen to the full interview here.

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Editor's note: This interview was conducted after Passion UA's opening victory at StarLadder StarSeries Fall over Gentle Mates.

Congratulations, what are your thoughts after that series?

After DraculaN we started practicing a lot, we had a bootcamp, and now I feel like that we have some structure. I am feeling good that we are playing together as a team.

Is that why you had a tough start as a team, because you didn't get a lot of time to practice?

Yeah for sure. First of all, for me it was hard because I still need to adapt to communicating in English, especially with American guys, they have really hard accents for me (laughs). When it's going crazy on the server I can't understand what they want from me, so that was the main problem. Maybe they feel the same, that I am a new guy. And yeah, we didn't practice, it was like five or six days we were playing pracs.

How has it been for you in general joining a core of American players?

I didn't have a choice, you know (laughs). It was just something new and I was ready for this. I understand that it was hard to play in Ukrainian rosters at the end, and then we disband and they told me that we have a chance to sign the Complexity core, and I'm like "okay, let's go."

Has there been any differences in the way they play Counter-Strike compared to Europeans, or other teams you played with?

I didn't play with tier-one players who are playing on LANs for 10 years already, so yeah it's for sure a difference. Especially about communication. Some structure, it doesn't matter what structure you have, you just need to believe in it, and that structure is also different, the playstyle.

How did it happen then, playing with your new teammates? Did Passion UA just tell you that they were going to sign them, and you had to play with them, or did you have a choice?

Yes, I had a choice (laughs)… I think. I think I had the choice to not play and be on the transfer list, but there was no point to sitting on the bench if I have the chance to play.

How is it in terms of roles and positions for you?

It depends which map. For me, the Complexity guys have a really different map pool. So for me it's like Mirage, Dust2 and Ancient, for them it's Nuke, Overpass and Train, so it's fully different. I didn't play Nuke at all in my previous team, and now our two best maps are Nuke, where I'm playing ramp, and Train, where I am playing a different position compared to my previous team. On Overpass I am also playing a different position. Overall, I need time to adapt.

This core of players has been ranked top-five in the world before. How far do you think you can go with this team?

Even more.

Even higher than top-five?

Yeah, why not? It's about the time, with time we will see if we can threaten at tier-one tournaments or not. For now we are just starting.