F4Q Zunba: “With F4Q, we have really good teamwork and a brotherly bond and it motivates me even more”

After qualifying for VCT Masters Berlin, F4Q were placed into a group alongside G2 and Sentinels. Going into the event and group as underdogs, F4Q made it a mission to treat this event as a learning experience to grow as a team. As a team comprised mostly of popular streamers, F4Q are beginning to become one of Korea's top teams, all while having fun as a team.

F4Q are now out of VCT Masters Berlin, but the team is now ready to move forward into the Last Chance Qualifier and show what they learned from this event. In this interview we speak to F4Q's Kim "Zunba" Joon-hyuk to talk about his previous career as an Overwatch player, his growth on F4Q and what team plans on doing moving forward.

First, I want to talk about your time as an Overwatch pro when you were at the top with Lunatic Hai in 2016 and 2017. What was that experience like? 

F4Q Zunba: Back then, it was my very first experience as a pro player.and  It is also my very first time being on a big stage at a global level. It is really fun to look back at it all and it is an exciting part of my life.

After my time at Seoul Dynasty, I was mostly streaming. There, I started to really invest myself into Apex Legends before switching over to VALORANT. The rest is history.

Talk to me about the differences between your everyday as a VALORANT pro for F4Q compared to when you were on Lunatic Hai?

F4Q Zunba: In Overwatch, I would practice more than 12 hours a day every single day. With F4Q, we usually just stream and practice together. It is a lot more laid back and I feel happier. It is a different story in Berlin however.

Being in Berlin, we are practicing at that same 12 hour range like in Overwatch. So even though we do not practice as much in the everyday, it is more manageable and when big events like this come up, that is when we go past our limits. 

Is there an experience you recall in Overwatch where you experience burnout?

F4Q Zunba: Yeah, it is during Season Two of Overwatch. At the time, we had two teams split between Team A and Team B. There was a moment where Team B actually became the main roster. As the main team, we won two tournaments which was an amazing feeling for myself. However, just after one loss, we were immediately rotated out and became the backup team once again. I would say, this is a period in my career where I did experience that burnout and rough patch.

How did you get past that?

F4Q Zunba: I wouldn't really call it a recovery from burnout or a rough patch. What I would say is that experience in Overwatch taught me that balance and playing with teammates who make me happy are what I desire in pro play. With F4Q, we have really good teamwork and a brotherly bond and it motivates me even more.

Let’s look at Berlin, you guys were placed in a group with Sentinels and G2. What were your initial reactions to getting drawn into that group?

F4Q Zunba: To be honest, our initial goal was to just get second and beat G2. Laughs We wanted to qualify for the quarterfinals with a 2-2 score and worry about Sentinels later. Then G2 beat us. laughs

When I spoke to F4Q Locomotive, he talked about how his personal goal is to see this team grow. Does this align with your goals for VCT Berlin?

F4Q Zunba: Definitely now. Laughs Having lost to both G2 and Sentinels, we realize more of what we need to improve on as a team moving forward. 

Speaking of Locomotive, how does he help your team specifically?

F4Q Zunba: He honestly does so much for us. His impact on F4Q is the main reason we are even at Berlin in the first place. Without him, we likely do not even qualify for Berlin so he means a lot to us. In terms of what he helped us with, he helped us develop fundamentals. Locomotive taught us a lot about how to paly as a team and he also gives us more confidence when we play our matches now.

Do you have any final words?

F4Q Zunba: I just want to say to my friends that we will come back with a better performance against Sentinels and in the Last Chance Qualifier. We hope you look forward to seeing us in the future.

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