Esports.gg spoke with srN of MIBR after the the team qualified for the GC Champs Grand Final by eliminating G2 Gozen.
In a shocker, but a bit of history repeating itself, MIBR took down G2 Gozen in the Lower Final of the VALORANT Game Changers Championship 2024. Following that series, we spoke with the Brazilian team's star Duelist, Nicolas "srN" Niederauer.
If you remember last year, Team Liquid defeated G2 to eliminate them. Now, that honor belongs to another BR team as they head off to the Grand Final to face Shopify Rebellion. We chatted with srN regarding the win and what to expect during the tournament's finale.
Note: A portion of the responses were relayed through a translator.
MIBR's srN says they're only playing to 50% of their potential
"Team Liquid was on top of Brazil Game Changers for so long. Now MIBR has shown that BR is definitely more than a one team region. Do you think there should be even more slots next year for not just your region, but other regions like APAC who performed well?"
srN: "Yes, of course. We were thinking that for the whole year, because it doesn't make sense. We just have one spot."
"And when it comes to Team Liquid, you struggled against them during the early part of 2024, but turned things around to beat them three times in a row and make it to the Game Changers Championship. What happened within MIBR to turn things around against Team Liquid in order to qualify?"
srN: "That's something we always mention. We believe we should do it step by step. The whole process. And when we lost to them in the first stage, it was actually good, you know. It felt like the loss that we had with G2 here. Because it opened our eyes and started to play our game."
"So, this is you and your team’s first international LAN tournament. Your first Game Changers Championship. What does that mean to you as a player?"
srN: "I'm very proud of myself and proud of my teammates, but I always have the feeling that I want more."
"The first big map win against G2 was on Abyss. Were you nervous at all before the match and did winning that opening map take those nerves away?"
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srN: "Actually, no. I was pretty confident. We talk a lot about how to play with pressure, how to play with anxiety, and we actually know how to get over it."
"Well, the confidence showed, because you stopped the comeback on Bind and absolutely destroyed G2 on Sunset. They’re a team of world champions, so what went right for MIBR to sweep them like that?"
srN: "Like I said, the first time that we played against G2, we were actually not playing our game. This time we managed to play your game and yeah, we could do it."
"Following up on that then, were you guys just trying to counter them? Play against their game rather than playing your own game, as you said?"
srN: "Yeah, exactly. We were trying to predict things that were not happening. And because we actually do a lot of VOD reviews, we were playing with this in our minds. So, this actually made us to play their game."
"You put up 70 kills across the three maps, and 22 of them were first kills.. And quite frankly, you make it look easy. Do you think you can match up with another star duelist, florescent, in the Grand Final?"
srN: "Yes, of course. I'm pretty confident against her, but I actually am a big fan of florescent. I think it will be a really fun match to play against her and against her whole team."
"I think it is safe to say, outside of Brazil, you were relatively unknown before this event. Now, you’re a superstar and have a chance at immortality. Tell me how you feel about your performance here at the championship so far and what MIBR needs to do to win against Shopify Rebellion."
srN: "I think that I didn't show what I can do. Like this is 50% of what I can do. And I'm pretty confident for tomorrow's game, because like I said before, we trust in the whole process and we are all pretty confident."
"One last follow up then. If you're playing at 50%, what does 100% look like?"
srN: "I actually don't know. I have a lot of room to grow. For my personal life and for my pro player life. And I am only 17 years, you know, and I have a whole career ahead."
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