roeJ: "We definitely came a lot closer to how we want to play"

Not long after fnatic's loss to Outsiders in the quarterfinals of IEM Rio, Fredrik "roeJ" Jørgensen sat down with Dust2.us' Ryan Friend to discuss a range of topics, including the team's performance at the Major, fnatic's plans for the remainder of the year, and roeJ's thoughts on teammate Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson.

I spoke with KRIMZ after the loss against Outsiders, and he said it sucks but the team has improved so much since coming together. Do you feel the same way?

100%. I think during this event we improved a lot. Coming out from the get-go in the Challengers Stage we didn't really play the way we played in practice beforehand and how we expected ourselves to play. We talked about it and changed a few things up, and towards the end, especially against BIG and the teams we faced in the Legends Stage, I think we definitely came a lot closer to how we want to play and how good we think we can be. Unfortunately, we didn't really meet that expectation for ourselves in the quarterfinal against Outsiders, but it is what it is. I think there was some pressure, and they also played really good, they definitely showed up and it was pretty hard for us.

You came from a team that had great success as a unit to fnatic, where you're basically starting from a clean slate. Has that been a challenge going from that well-structured team to figuring it all out again?

It was definitely really exciting for me personally. I got a lot of room in the team, a lot of space, and they wanted me to fit in how I was on Flames. mezii is actually calling it a little bit similar to HooXi, and we think about the game in the same way, so it wasn't that much of a difference. We kinda play the same way, we approach things the same way, I can kinda do what I used to do in Flames and do what I like and what I think is best. I think in general we fit really well together and we share the same philosophy that we had in Flames, and that was really nice for me. That's also why I've been so happy on this team because it just feels like, it's a little bit different of course because it's international but in-game it's a little bit the same.

You guys went all the way from open qualifiers to the playoffs. Do you feel like it's been a slog or a challenge to get to this point in the event?

In [the PGL Antwerp RMR] it was really nice because we went 3-0 and went straight to Legends. Coming into fnatic, there was a little bit of pressure because we didn't have the RMR spot, and we had the opportunity because we had the team with Flames, and we kinda had to say no to that and go with fnatic and lose the spot, knowing we would have to go through open qualifiers. It can be kinda risky sometimes, [with] open qualifiers I think everyone knows how brutal it can be sometimes, and also it was super stressful playing those because you have those four qualifiers and it's so important that if you don't make it there's so much pressure, especially because we all expect to go through. We just went to the bootcamp with fnatic in London back when we did the open qualifiers, and I think we were just in the beginning of the team, and we had great chemistry and great work ethic. I think we busted out in one of the first qualifiers, I don't think we made it in the second or the third, so that was really great for us because after you lose one you start to... (groans). It was rough, but I'm really happy that we made it through, and I'm definitely really happy with how far we came doing that.

Your next event is Elisa Masters Espoo in Finland. It's a bit of a challenge going from the highs of the Major to going to just another event. Do you have any concerns about switching so fast?

I don't really agree, because last time that happened with Flames we went from the Major and played a really lower online tournament and that was a big contrast, and I definitely felt like going in we had no motivation to play and that was really a new thing for me. I think this time it's a little bit different because it's at LAN and there's really good teams at the tournament. There's also a spot at Katowice for first place, a big prize pool, a LAN tournament, and there's really good teams there, so I think it's gonna be a little bit different. There's definitely gonna be hunger for us and motivation to play. It's going to be rough for the travel days. We're leaving tomorrow, and then we have one day at home, and then we have to go straight to Finland. It's gonna be a bit rough, it's also one of the last tournaments of the year, so you can give all you have left in the tank and then know you can relax afterward. I think it will be fun for us, especially coming in with a little bit of confidence, and feeling that we're getting closer to how we want to play.

Is there motivation to get to the player break, reset, and then come back and look back on the last six months so you can improve for next year?

Yeah, 100%. I think there's a lot to learn from this event especially, and there's a lot of things to take away. We showed both our sides, and now we just need to figure out a way to get closer to the good side and do it consistently. We learned so much from this event, even through the Challengers Stage, we changed our approach to different things, we changed how we want to do things, we changed some maps in the map pool. We can take so much away from this, and I definitely think we're going to have a good showing in Elisa as well.

A lot of people didn't have you guys going through, especially in the Legends Stage. Does it feel good to prove the doubters wrong?

After the Challengers Stage, we went 3-2 and didn't show up, that was kinda when people thought we were a bit sketchy, being a new team, not having the most experienced players, having a lot of new up-and-coming players. I definitely felt like people lost a little bit of hope after that stage and didn't really believe us coming through to the Legends Stage, so definitely going 3-1 in the Legends Stage felt really really good. A lot of people didn't really expect us to go there, especially when you look at people's Pick'Ems and stuff, we were nowhere near anyone's. In the quarterfinals, we felt the same because we didn't really get the feeling that people expected us to beat Outsiders, so I think most of us really wanted to be them just to keep proving people wrong, that actually we deserve to be here and we can play really good CS. I think we're just overall happy, and it feels bad losing, we definitely would have wanted to play tomorrow as well, but I mean we'll take it step by step.

You're now playing with KRIMZ, who has been on fnatic for years. What's it like playing with one of the legends of the game?

It's amazing. You can definitely feel his experience when we're playing on stage, and he's always going, "Just get me to the stage and I'll carry you guys" and I think he just loves being on stage. He's so calm, he has no pressure and stress, and you can definitely feel it. I think it's nice to have that on the team so when we feel stressful in big games and things start going a bit rough you can always count on him to go "Just relax guys, just chill, just play our game". He's a real nice guy, he fits in the team really well. You can also feel that he has been through a lot, especially hearing from our manager Samuelsson, who has been with him for a long time and can share some insight of what he used to be and what he learned and all those kinds of things. It's really nice to feel that evolution of where he's come to. I think he has a great mindset, and I think that's why he's been staying in fnatic for so long because he's really skilled, he has a really smart brain for the game, and I think he's evolved a lot in terms of being in a team and outside of the game.

Do you think he brings an extra tactical or emotional edge to the team?

I don't think he's the kind of player who takes control or talks a lot and guides, he's more like he wants to do his thing and he does it very well. He doesn't need a guide to tell him what to do, he's just always doing the micro stuff really well, he's really good at that. I think having that guy on the team, where he doesn't need a lot of communication or a lot of guidance or a lot of micromanaging in general loosens up the team and makes us able to do it with someone else. I think he's just a guy you can count on to always be there and do what he needs to do and be really good at it, and I think that in general is so nice to have on a team because you don't have to have any focus on him. It brings calmness to the team when we play.

Looking forward to 2023, how do you feel about the changes that have been made to next year's player break?

I haven't looked that much into it, but I just know that for me personally, from what I've talked to everyone else in the European scene [about], what we care about the most is having the vacation, being able to have the vacation with our families and friends and make it fit like that. Usually, the last break, last year, fit pretty well, because when I had vacation it was normal for my friends and my family to also have a vacation on some of those weeks, so I think that's the most important thing. If you have a whole break as a player, and no one else in your environment or your relationships or family has a break either, you can't really do the things you want and it makes it a bit difficult to get the full thing out of your break. I think that's what everyone wants, just to be able to be with friends and family and that's all that matters. The more you can get of that, the better.

fnatic will return to the server soon, as they're set to play in the Elisa Masters event in Espoo, Finland beginning November 16th.