It's been a year and a half since your last major championship at SEC, how does it feel to win at all now?

walle: It truly feels great, I think all the guys on the team are overdue for a win. It was frustrating not to be able to get to this point in recent times. Before this tournament we were able to get in a lot of practice with zet as our new player, and it paid off.

zet: We've probably played more than every team here so it feels really good to see that our practice did the job.

What was the strategy going in against MiBR in the final, did you expect to blow them out in the first map?

zet: I wasn't expecting that at all really. I've heard of names like "made in Inferno" before, so I was catious entering the match. I was really hoping for a big victory on the first map because that would keep their motivation down leading into map two. I only wanted to let them get a couple rounds and we did that so I was quite happy with how we played.

Was it tense going into the final map of the entire event?

zet: I felt really confident since we had such a big win on Inferno. As the game went on I could smell the scent of victory looming ever so closely, I knew we had it.

walle: We knew we had a really good chance on Train since we were playing so well on the map throughout the event. We had 15-9, 15-10 without the gun round and a loss of an eco round so I knew we were playing really well.

What was thought behind taking the timeout at 15-12?

walle: It was just to try and break the momentum that they had built off the last couple of rounds and to calm ourselves down as well. We didn't really talk any specific tactics, but it's not good to lose round after round so we just wanted a stoppage.

Did winning three straight overtimes on Train previously make the final easier?

zet: It did for me, I wasn't worried at all at any point. I was just like 'damn, they got the tie, now we're just gonna go get them anyways'. We started off winning the first three rounds and I knew we had it from there, was just a matter of time.

Where does this victory rank with the other titles that SK has won over the years?

walle: It ranks up at the very top because it's been so overdue, we really needed it for ourselves. We needed to show ourselves that we can still be at the very top of the competitive scene and not always have to look from down below.

What do you think you did differently that got you here that you weren't able to do before?

walle: I think that zet's arrival got everyone motivated, we started making new tactics and everyone started playing more. He fulfilled the team more than our other players have. He's got everyone pumped up to become the best and I hope this isn't the last title we'll see this fall.

Was there something about SpawN that kept you from winning an event?

walle: In the old team with spawn, none of us were motivated to play more than we had to. We were all really tired with the game and didn't want to come up with new tactics. I don't think it would have mattered if we changed SpawN with zet or anyone else for zet, we just needed a fresh new start, for everyone to have the motivation to come up with new things. It was nothing to do with Abdi in particular, just a clean slate.

zet: New blood.

Did the lack of motivation resonate throughout the entire team?

walle: It was a collective at the time, none of us had the energy to change things that we needed to. We were playing badly over the internet, and only played bootcamps for a week or so. With zet on the team we were able to play an entire month from home without any bootcamps needed and it worked.

How is the team chemistry with the new lineup?

walle: We feel more comfortable with our game, everyone trusts each other and knows that someone has your back. We work more as a cohesive unit and our minds are more at rest because of this.

Zet, how does it feel to win a major event after just coming back to the scene?

zet: Wonderful, this whole thing could not have been better, it's a dream come true. I wasn't able to really win with NiP at the end, so this is confirmation that we can win and that we are still good players.

walle: Good to know that we're not too old for CS. *laughs* We were feeling that we might be too old nowadays.

zet: No way, comin to getcha!

Is there a feeling that the new players would be taking over the scene?

zet: Nah, but they're relatively new to the game so they just probably have a little more motivation in the back of their mind.Players that have been playing for a long while might be fed up unconsiously because they've been playing so much for so long. New players want to play all the time by themselves while old players will only want to play at certain times with certain people.

walle: I think fnatic is a good example of that, they're not as hungry as they used to be. They seem to be a bit jaded, not having as big of a will to win as they used to.

Zet, you've been playing Source for the past two season of the Championship Gaming Series, how has the transition from Source back to 1.6 gone?

zet: Not that hard, I've been able to get back into the flow. I know exactly how the game works and what to do, I just needed to remember what I used to do. I felt a lot more confident in my gameplay towards the end of the tournament after I was able to get used to it. I'm really excited for the next tournament to see how much better I can do.

walle: Zet played for two months before we asked him to join us, and then we played one month together as a team. He's had enough time to get back into the game and his skills are pretty close to where they used to be.

How does it feel to be the one to motivate the team when it needs a boost?

zet: It's just my personality to be the one to lift the team up. I just want to get into people's heads when we're playing, being a bit of an ass, I think it helps. I'm screaming all the time, taking all the oxygen out of the room and getting my team to victory.

walle: It really does help a lot. There are a few players on other teams that do that and if you're down when you're playing them, they get into your head and it's part of the game. It's good to have someone that does that. LUq from MYM and hostile from EG do the same thing where they get in your face no matter what the score says. It's a huge boost to have on your own team, and you have to be able to block it if you're facing off against someone like that.

zet: I love to win the mental game.

When you're screaming at each other, what types of things are you saying?

walle: We don't shit talk the other team, we're only trying to motivate each other more. We're just saying to keep up the good work, lets get this round, keep the momentum up, etc.

zet: Hopefully other teams will think we're talking about them and have it get into their heads. Whatever works.

Can you continue your momentum going into Montreal?

zet: I really hope so, I don't see anything other than first place anyway.

walle: It was a really unexpected top 3 I think, even with MiBR. MiBR is always good but they've still been playing Source for a while. A lot of the top teams will want to redeem themselves and I think a lot of people will be aiming for us in Montreal. We're on top now so we have an advantage in that way, teams might be a little more scared when they face us.

How does it feel after all this time of clawing to the top, to finally be the team everyone will claw to get to?

zet: I like to be the team that everyone is going after. You're on top and other teams know it, it gets into their heads.

walle: In the next few tournaments, if we start out well I think we can hut the confidence of other teams early on. There's a lot of events coming up and it's going to be really interesting to see who will come back fighting and who will flop again. The competition in CS is at the highest that it has ever been.

If you had to compare the competition now to the 2000, 2001, 2002 era, which is stronger?

zet: There's a lot more tournaments now. When it was 2001, 2002, there was only a few tournaments to play. Now there's events going on all year round and a lot more dedication from player's and team's as a whole.

walle: I think the CS scene is at its peak now, because of the summer events, there's a lot of matches going on, lots of good teams attending. It's great to see for 1.6, the game that we love to play.

So you still love to play 1.6, the game hasn't gotten old or stale?

zet: It's changing all the time, that's why it's fun. People are optimizing everything now. They know almost all the best flashes, the best strategies, everyone has come a long way from the 'golden' years.

Do you see all the teams having to change to a slower strategy?

walle: Things started changing only as recently as this past summer. That's what's amazing about CS, been around for a decade and its still changing. Teams used to rush all the time on Train and win that way, and now teams beat those same teams while playing slow. That's how CS changes from fast to slow, more flashes and more peaking. It's really fun to see as a player, I never get tired of it, there's always new challenges all the time.

zet: It's interesting to see how teams change their entire gameplay to suit the style of others and landscape of the game in general.

Are these just old tactics that have been left in the dark that are popping up again, or is there something different?

walle: Comparing the slow rounds now to the old days, all the rushes in the slow rounds as more advanced now than they used to be. There's been an evolution to them, more advanced tactics, a more comprehensive understanding of the game on all aspects.

Looking into the future, have you given any thought to the next evolution of Counter-Strike, possibly a Counter-Strike 2? What would you want to see?

zet: The gameplay feels so good playing 1.6, compared to the feeling when you're playing Source. I'd want it to be very similar to 1.6 in terms of gameplay.

walle: I dont want any updates at all, the best games are already out there for competitive gaming. CS 1.6, Quake 3, StarCraft, they're already here. I'd love for the big companies to just realize this is what fans want to watch and competitors want to play, and all the other single player games can stay that way.

What did you think of ESL's second event in America?

zet: I liked the event, don't have too many complaints. The monitors were a little laggy and there was too much noise from the expo but I'm kind of used to it by now. The plastic chairs also hurt my ass :D

walle: Overall it was a good tournament, for sure. ESL has shown they can run events well and I think they've done a good job.

What would you like to say to all the SK fans all over the world?

walle: Thanks for the support, I hope you guys stay with us. I know CS fans, and I'd like to thank all the loyal fans that have kept up with us when we weren't winning tournaments. Those that cheer for us through the good times and the bad times, you mean a lot to us.

zet: Thanks to everyone who has supported and accepted me into the team. This wouldn't be possible without the support of everyone watching at home through their HLTV's and streams, staying up until 4 in the morning just to see us. I will do my best to keep the ball rolling and bring home more victories to the fans.

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photos by ESL