jks on winning Cologne: "It's something that I've thought about for many years"

After laying claim to IEM Katowice early this year, G2 have secured another prestigious non-Major victory, hoisting the trophy in IEM Cologne following a 3-1 victory over ENCE in the grand finals. Shortly after this monumental occasion, Dust2.us' Jeffrey "Mnmzzz" Moore spoke with Justin "jks" Savage to discuss his feelings after the win, the transition from playing in Australian teams to international sides, and if the team feels relief from the pressure of potential roster changes.

You've probably been asked this a million times already, but how are you feeling right now?

I'm feeling pretty good as you would expect. Nothing else to say really. It's amazing that we won the tournament and it's something that I've thought about for many years now playing CS:GO. Now that it's happened, I don't really know what to do or what to say. So yeah, it's just a really good feeling.

We can start by looking back on your career; you went through a couple of bumpy years after your stint on 100 Thieves. Do you finally feel vindicated in your decision to move internationally?

In a way. I think my years with Renegades and 100 Thieves were really good, and I don't really care too much that we didn't do as good as we wanted to. We come from such a small region, and the fact that we won a tournament and made playoffs at the Major twice and we had a bunch of other finals placings is really amazing for a team like that. Of course, the Complexity team didn't go too well; it's something that I had to do at the time and I don't regret doing it. Of course, it could have worked out better, but it is what it is. In a way, it's great that I felt like a got a second chance for something which I feel like I deserve in a way. Getting caught up by FaZe, I will be forever grateful to those guys for pulling me up because without them I don't think I would be here right now. I owe a lot to those guys, and of course, getting picked up by G2 I also owe them a lot because they trusted me after just one tournament showing with FaZe.To be here now is really something special, and I feel like in a way, like you said, it has been vindicated a little bit, but at the same time, I feel like it's something I also deserve in a way. I have put in a lot of hard work, and I'm just really proud of this finally showing off and having the team to do it with.

It's no secret that people have talked about changing this roster or reevaluating people's spots on the team. Does this provide you guys relief, and for HooXi in particular?

I feel like the team, all the players in general wanted to stick together, and if the management did make a chance it is what it is, it's up to them ultimately. I wouldn't be mad at them if something were to happen. It never really crossed my mind that I would get replaced or anything on G2 either, but if I did then there's probably a good reason for it. It's ultimately up to the team and the management. If I did, it'd suck, but it's fine because it's their decision. I'm just really grateful that we showed that we still came into tournaments and, not necessarily proved that we made the correct decision, but proved to ourselves that we started talking about our feelings and knew what we were doing and we did put in the work to get better. Even if it was going too well, we have been putting in work the last few months even before the player break and we're just glad the work is finally showing off. Everyone played really amazing in the tournament but I don't think anyone had roster changes or anything on their mind. I don't think anyone thinks like that at all. It's just we're really happy playing together, and if something were to happen we'll adjust it at that point.

You are now definitively the most successful Australian player to ever play CS:GO. What does that mean for you coming from such a small region like that?

It means a lot. I've been playing the game for so long, and a lot of my real-life friends used to play CS and that's how I met them, and I grew up playing CS, and I owe a lot to this game. I've been playing forever, so just to finally actually do something that is meaningful in the game and something which is going to put my name in CS:GO for a long time is really special. Without my ex-teammates like Grastisfaction, Liazz, and all those guys, I wouldn't be here right now, so I owe a lot to them as well. I don't really think too much about being the best Australian CS:GO player. Honestly, I actually just want the scene overall to do well and for us to get a really good team that can compete with top ten and top five teams, that's the thing I want the most.

G2 will return to action in less than two weeks, with the team set to compete in the single-elimination brawl of Gamers8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia beginning on August 16th.