SH4DY on teams signing international players : "It raises the bar"

Medal Esports, the sixth franchised team of the Skyesports Masters tournament, convened with Dust2 India to talk about the upcoming event. With their sights set on vying for a prize pool of INR 2 crore, the team's manager Eggsy, their IGL cara, alongside Rossi, and their latest pickup SH4DY came together for an exclusive interview to discuss their preparations, thoughts, and goals for the tournament.

“When we started planning the Skyesports Masters, one of the first topics of discussion was how to bring in the old Counter Strike audience back into the game. There was only way to do that and that was through the café qualifiers.

We organised them in 20 cities across India and to increase the stakes mandated all 8 franchises to pick up 2 players from the café qualifiers. I am thrilled to see Medal has successfully scouted a player from the qualifier and wish them the best in the tournament.”

-Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO, Skyesports

With this being the first-ever franchise CS league in India, how important was it to select a team to lay a proper foundation?

cara : Well, I think in terms of foundation, one of the things I felt important was mindset. The willingness to give up your daily life for this league is a big thing. I scouted players. The most important part here was finding someone who was willing to give their all. It’s also a big step towards CS2. I have seen how long the tournaments will go on. I think having a core that is together, who teach each other, enjoy being teammates with each other is important. I think that’s the main mindset about having a proper foundation.

A lot of teams also have signed international players, how will that impact the league?

cara: I think it’s good. The pool of known CSGO players is small. The introduction of international players will invite some interests from the local scene as well.

SH4DY : It also raises the bar. It adds more diversity. Outside players come with their own experience. They have played different leagues of their own. So they bring a different change to the game. And when you know it is not region limited, the stakes get higher.

That is one side of the coin. But if we look at the challenges of accommodating international players into the roster, has Medal Esports faced any?

cara : Logistically, I am not sure yet because we haven’t faced them yet. Fundamentally, in terms of teams or comms or just playing the game. There is no difficulty. There is no language barrier. Most Indians know how to speak English. And the orgs in India are pretty legit as well.

Rossi : Until now we haven’t faced any language barrier. If our foreign players are alive in-game, we speak in English and even if Indian players are alive, we continue speaking in English. So we don’t lose the form of talking the same language.

How is the practice going on for the event?

Rossi : The practice is going great. We practice everyday, except weekends. We invest 6 to 7 hours everyday. I am kind of the captain who brings strats and defaults, whatever is required. cara alternates that if there needs to be any changes. He is the IGL for us. So he will change that accordingly when he starts calling in-game.

Can you elaborate on the scouting process that led to the selection of SH4DY?

Rossi : On recruiting SH4DY, it was a small scouting that we were doing individually. Since we had an issue with our 5th player, where he couldn't continue gaming. So I was always watching the café qualifiers to see what the player’s strength and everything. So I saw SH4DY and he was pretty solid. So I asked him for a tryout and he came for the tryout one day. When we practiced, we felt really good. Communication wise he is really good. And in terms of game, in terms of game-sense, in terms of individual skills he is at a high level.

cara : For me, I don't like when a team is all players trying to play the high level CS. I always prefer a guy who is young and hungry and just wants to shoot. He brings a lot to the team and it’s good to have a more challenging guy with a completely different mindset. I think these days it’s hard to find players with pure personalities. Someone who likes to take initiatives and take charge. It’s hard to find a player like that. And when I tried out SH4DY, I instantly saw that. So it was a no brainer for me.

So SH4DY, how was it for you leaving your own team and coming to Medal Esports?

SH4DY : It was actually a big decision. I think both teams are really good. It was difficult to leave behind the players I had played for some time now. But to play this league, I had to make that decision because there was really no other way I could play. And its a good opportunity to play with people more experienced than me. And I felt I would have more freedom here as everyone else can provide stability and discipline and I can be the one taking risks.

How was your experience at the Café Qualifiers?

SH4DY : It was a good experience meeting my teammates from all parts of India, the LAN overall was very close as we almost lost map 2 but managed to close it out at 2-0. It was also nice to meet people who have been playing the game for longer than me

Did you need to change any roles after coming to Medal Esports?

SH4DY : Not really. I had to adjust a few roles. But the key gameplay where I would go for entries, go for the risky plays, go for things that might not be the book. I still have the freedom to do that. And that is something I like about this team.

In the two weeks since you tried out for the team, what have been some major learning experiences?

SH4DY : We have practiced a lot. I could see that in some of the roles where I was given the anchor role, or somewhere where I had to learn or something. I had to learn a new playstyle and adapt. We play 3 and have two lurks on either side. I have always been the part of the three. And now sometimes I have to be the primary lurker who needs to hold back the pushes.

Do you watch the demos of a specific pro player?

SH4DY : I don’t really follow one specific pro player. It’s better to have an average of what most people do. So it’s better to see what kind of plays work and not what one player does. Because that will make your game very static and focused on copying someone else. So I prefer to learn from games as a whole and not a specific player.

How does the future look for you from here?

SH4DY : I was really fortunate to be picked up. But hasn’t been like that for everyone. So I hope I can help others. I will try to do my best. I will try to perform in all the matches. I don’t feel pressure. There’s really no nervousness. There’s just excitement.

So Rossi, how is the 7 man roster going to play out?

Rossi : At the start we will let them watch our scrims and we will give them our demos if they are not present in our scrims. We want them to learn first. And get some tier-2 experience. At least get to know the knowledge of tier-2. And then we will give them the chance.

Eggsy: I would like to add something. I think everyone knows Sameer “Godvexy” Sharma. We have picked him as our 6th for now. So we will be looking at one more guy from the café qualifiers who will be playing with us. If we have any issues, Godvexy will be filling in. He will be at the bootcamp with the guys. And then we will have a 7th man as well if we need him.