drop on playing with KSCERATO: "Just one word; easy"

IEM Katowice marks the first tournament since FURIA's heartbreaking exit in the semi-finals of their home Major in Rio at the end of last year. After walking over opening opponents Permitta, Dust2.us' Liam "Slevo" Slevin caught up with the Brazilian side's 19-year-old rifler André "drop" Abreu to discuss the IEM Rio exit and their goals for 2023.

Can I say a pretty easy first game, would you go as far to say that?

I won't say "easy". We had a game plan and we executed it and it was a good game for us individually for all five players. So that's why we finished it fast.

With a team like Permitta that you wouldn't be playing on a regular basis, did you have a different kind of preparation for them?

Yeah I mean we didn't know them, but we know the Polish guys like to fight and rush a lot. So we just are like guys we are better than them, we think we are better than them. So let's play our game, let's fight with them and if we do this and win our fights we win this game.

You have either BIG or Complexity next, is there a team you would rather face in that situation?

I would not say prefer, but I want to fight BIG. I can't tell you why but I really want to fight BIG, maybe if we win I can tell you why after (laughs).

This is the first big event for the season for everyone, tell me a bit about the pre-season prep you did before you got here?

We just had a one-month boot camp, and it was pretty good. At the end, it was kinda bad because we were just tired and stuff. But we are kind of hype because the last tournament we played was the Major in Rio and we want to play more and show what we are capable of.

One of the players on your team that is in red-hot form is KSCERATO, what's it like playing with a player in that kind of form?

Just one word; easy. I know I just tell him, he is just opening pixels and winning every fight, he thinks fast and reacts fast and it's just so easy to play alongside him.

You and Cloud9 are probably the favorites to go through. Coming into the play-in as a strong favorite do you have your eyes set on the group stage or are you taking it game by game?

No we didn't, because in the past we did it several times and we faded or it was more difficult than it should be. We had one goal, beating Permitta and now we are waiting to see if our next goal is beating BIG or Complexity and we will see what we can do.

One of the last games you played was the Major in Brazil, with IEM Brazil coming up is that a chance of redemption for you to win in Brazil?

Yeah, I cannot say no. We had a good chance to win the Major but we failed to win it. We know that we need this to become better players and better persons and we have a second chance now we are the local heroes for IEM Brazil. This is our biggest goal for the first semester, besides a Major of course.

From getting knocked out in Brazil, and having that as the last moment of your season what was that like from the moment you were knocked out to afterward? Did you guys stay together or was it just straight to the holidays or what was it?

It was in the semi-finals so the tournament was going to end so we spent one or two days just in the hotel together and after we just each go to our homes to spend time with family or whatever. We just come together for the bootcamp.

You said you are taking it one game at a time, but with it being the start of the season and you mentioning the Major and Brazil, what's the ceiling for FURIA in your eyes, how high do you think you can go this year?

I think this year we can win a tournament, that is what we have been looking for for some time. I mean, we reached semi-final in Pro League, semi-final in Dallas, semi-final in the Major so we just need one more thing and I think now we know what is it. So we are looking to win a tournament.

FURIA, unfortunately, found themselves as a loser of the matchup against BIG, but look to advance to the Group Stage on Friday when they play the victor of paiN v. IHC.