We spoke to luchov ahead of the media day right before TWC 2026 started.
So how’s the team been feeling?
We are feeling good. The last tournament for us it was better than the last. So we are feeling good and we are getting back our confidence.
You haven’t quite found the consistency we’re looking for. Do you think there’s been like a specific roadblock that’s been in the way?
Yeah, I think it’s because we are some games that we are giving our 100 or more and sometimes we showing the server like sleep and that is a really bad thing to compete in tier one. So.
Is there anything that you guys do to try and like manage burnout?
We are manage that taking some day off sometimes but not taking too much because you lose the width, the width of the tournaments and I think that’s what happened after the break of the middle of the year. So yeah, we are good.
Last year 9z got to compete in the closed qualifier but weren’t able to make it all the way to Malta. What’s it like to get a direct invite this year?
I didn’t, wasn’t 9z last year. I don’t know but it’s really good to don’t have to play the qualifier because they are really hard sometimes. There are, I don’t know, 8 or 16 teams and only one or two quality qualify. So it’s really good to come play here without playing qualifier.
Your opening match is against Aurora who last time you guys faced up they were able to take you down 2-0. Is there anything that you guys are bringing this time that might help swing that in your favor?
Yeah, we think they are a really good team and hard to play against because they are always trying to do things and taking the initiative. So they are really good and we are looking the way to beat them.
Is there anything about like fresh rosters like that that are hard to prepare for?
Yeah, I think yeah. Because sometimes they don’t have all the things stuck and they made some decisions that maybe they are more able to take. So sometimes you don’t expect some. Some things.
You guys are pretty well positioned to go into the Singapore major. Is there something that you think would help you make a deep run there?
Yeah, last major we did really great. So we are looking for do the same. But we also know that we have to do different things that we are doing now because we need to improve to get deep.
Besides Legacy, yourselves and FURIA, are there other specific Brazilian teams that people should be keeping an eye on going forward?
Yeah, I would say MIBR then delay, have some good tournaments. They were sharks and yeah, both teams.
And between your group and the other group, which group do you think is the harder at TWC this year?
I think it’s really similar, but I would say our set is a bit more difficult.
Okay. And which team do you think is going to come first? And which team do you think is.
Going to come last in the tournament? Yeah, first I would say 9z.
And last? Falcons.
Do you think a studio like Blast that has that kind of heritage makes a difference to kind of what the crowd environment is going to be like?
I have seen some photos. I really like it. The venue. I didn’t. I never was there. I don’t know if I’m saying correctly, but yeah, always people make different. But when the match starts, you are looking in the monitor.
If you were to play with a different player from like another team that’s at the venue, if you could, like poach one of them for a day, who would you want to play with?
It’s a good question. I would like to play with Fallen because he’s fallen. But if I have to say other, I will say Monesy.
Which map do you think we’re gonna see the most of today and like decider maps to like go forward.
The most popular map. The most popular map in the tournament.
I will choose Mirage.
I like to play the maps CT or T side. I prefer CT in every map, I think.
The groups are GSL style; does your team prefer to kind of have longer brackets that play out or do you prefer, high stakes, shorter groups?
I think we prefer the long to play more. Best of three that we can. Sometimes you lose two and you’re out. That’s difficult. So we prefer to play more.