“I just try and kill whoever is in front of me,” Gen.G t3xture on his approach at VCT Masters Shanghai

Gen.G seemingly came out of nowhere to become a dominant team across all of VALORANT in 2024. They have consistently performed well in the Pacific and at international tournaments. Some of that is thanks to their star Duelist, Kim "t3xture" Na-ra.

He has been on fire, especially at VCT Masters Shanghai. A huge opening round victory came Gen.G's way against LEV. This was followed by cementing a playoff appearance by beating FPX. Following that latter contest, we spoke with t3xture to discuss the match and what's to come.

Note: The questions and answers of this interview were relayed by an on-site translator.

"Let’s just start with the series. What a battle. How exhausting was that first map, bringing it all the way back to overtime, but still losing it to FPX?"

t3xture: "I don't think we were exhausted after map one, I think it was just a little bit disappointing, but that's about it."

"With it being your team’s map pick, were you surprised Lotus was so close?"

t3xture: "We didn't expect such a difficult match on Lotus. There were a lot of mistakes we made. So, we struggled on defense a lot more than we expected."

"It looked like a much easier time on Sunset. With you proving yourself as a top Raze player, can you tell me why Jett was your Duelist pick on that map?"

t3xture: "Honestly, I'm not sure about our team comp on Sunset. Because our coaching staff came up with it. They told me, 'Hey, you should play Jett on this map.' And so I'm playing Jett."

"More on Raze, as she is clearly one of the more meta picks these days. Why do you think Raze has taken up so much of the spotlight recently?"

t3xture: "In the past, I think the only reason that Raze didn't see as much play, is because Duelist players were not as proficient on her as they are now. A lot of time has passed,and I think a lot of players have been practicing their Raze a lot more.

"At this point, I think everyone knows how good Raze is. She's potentially a better Agent than Jett. So, with the level of proficiency that we see on Raze among these Duelist players, I think that's just why we see more of Raze now."

"Do you have any concerns about Raze’s place on Gen.G now, with the reported nerfs to her satchels coming soon?"

t3xture: "I mean, Raze is a very strong, very explosive character. So ,even if the satchel, or the mobility on her satchel, gets a little bit nerfed, I don't think that will stop teams from using Raze. I think the strengths of Raze will still be there."

"Okay, well, the last map, Ascent. FPX, and BerLIN in particular, were making some incredible plays to try and come back. When a player starts popping off like that, as the Duelist, do you make it a goal to try and find them and take them out early on in the round?"

t3xture: "No, actually. I think trying to go after a particular player, just because he seems to be on a hot streak, is approaching the game from a way too emotional perspective. I think, especially when the enemy team seems to be mounting a comeback, to be gaining momentum, that's when you have to be more rational, more calm and collected.

"So, I don't necessarily approach the game that way as an entry. I think I only really need to make an unexpected play when the situation calls for it. Honestly, I just try and kill whoever is in front of me. I'm not necessarily going out there trying to target a specific person. No matter the circumstance."

"At the end of the day, no matter how close the games are, Gen.G still manages to win. In your opinion, how does the team keep pulling out these victories?"

t3xture: "I don't think there's a particular secret to how we are able to pull off these wins. I think it's just that every player on our team is able to keep up their focus until the very end of the match, and makes sure we get over the finish line."

"Alright, well, Gen.G is onto the playoffs now. We heard Karon, on stage after the match, say he wants 100 Thieves to pick you for their opponent. Do you share that thought, or which team would you like to see choose you?"

t3xture: "I don't really care too much who we end up playing in the Quarterfinals. But because we've played against PRX and EDG before, I would like to play against an Americas or EMEA team. So, I hope one of them picks us, because I think it'll just make for a more interesting match for me."

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