This 12 months’s IEM Cologne is sort of at an finish! We acquired the prospect to talk to Freya Spiers throughout the NAVI vs. MOUZ semi closing recreation. We talk about a 12 months of occasions on Counter-Strike 2, avoiding burnout and her time as some of the prolific CS abilities on the market.
Sophie: So thanks a lot for the interview.
How are you discovering Cologne to date?
Freya: I imply, Cologne’s wonderful. I’ve been coming right here, I imply, I began coming right here as a fan in 2014, I wish to say after we have been again at Colness for Video games Farm, stumbled into Counter-Strike there. It was the most important and I used to be truly queuing up the Halo on the time however the queue was too lengthy. So that they stated, “oh, go across the nook, there’s some Counter-Strike on” and yeah, why not?
After which got here again in 2015 in Lanxess. 2016 as nicely. So it’s been sort of like an annual pilgrimage for me. I really feel like that’s why lots of people are, like, right here, proper?
Sophie: Completely. I imply, that is my second Cologne and I don’t assume I’m going to cease anytime quickly as a result of I wished to ask, since you’re clearly a little bit of a veteran of IEM. You’ve completed Dallas, Chengdu, Katowice.
Credit score: ESL
How does that have examine with Cologne?
Freya: I feel there’s such a novel id to all of the IEM occasions. It was truly my first time in China at Chengdu, in order that was a totally totally different expertise.
And the fandom stage there’s insane. Like, followers exterior the resort 24/7, they have been at all times asking for autographs from the gamers. Clearly, they don’t watching the English stream, in order that they’d be very dissatisfied each time I walked out the resort with Mathieu or Pimp and be like. Who’re these guys? They’re not gamers.
However no, no, they have been extremely welcoming. It was a extremely distinctive perception into a totally totally different area and why they love Counter-Strike. I feel Katowice, once more, is, I sort of put it on the identical pedestal as Cologne, proper?
Clearly, we’ve been going to every metropolis for about the identical period of time and also you sort of see totally different fan teams coming from throughout Europe. It’s fairly simple to get to Katowice, equally so is Cologne. So there’s a variety of, yeah, like tight knit teams of followers that can ensure that they’re both going to Katowice or Cologne each single 12 months.
Dallas is insane. Simply by way of, I feel the US crowds are sort of just like a UK crowd by way of they sadly don’t actually have, like, a hometown workforce to assist. They’re truly going to legitimately win the trophy, however then Stewie turns up and is like, okay, I assume I’m profitable this as a stand in. Nevertheless it’s that like uncooked ardour of, I don’t care if there’s nobody from my nation up on stage, I’m gonna come for each single recreation.
I’m right here for Counter-Strike, which truly now I’m fascinated by it, it’s sort of what all these locations sort of share alike, proper? Like, you do have some illustration in Poland, clearly, Germany solely MOUZ enjoying proper now on stage as a German group and persons are simply turning up for good Counter-Strike. And I feel we’re actually fortunate that we get to go to so many alternative areas, significantly put up Covid, as a result of it took us so, such a very long time to get again to the US. Actually grateful that we get to return to Dallas, like so typically.
Sophie: Yeah, it’s so good to listen to as a result of I used to be questioning, we’ve acquired a extremely packed schedule of Counter-Strike as of late. There’s BLAST, there’s the Esports World Cup now.
In order expertise, how does that have an effect on you? Are you apprehensive about burnout in any respect?
Freya: I feel it’s sort of solely constructive after we look in the direction of subsequent 12 months and everybody has sort of deemed it as just like the Wild West. We’re going again to, , no companion leagues anymore. Groups get to choose and select which occasions they wish to go to. And I feel for expertise, it’s solely a superb factor.
It’s simply going to open up far more alternatives for some individuals who could get alternatives on the B stream facet of issues. I feel extra goes to be sort of widening their remit of expertise and giving among the up and coming commentators or hosts or interviewers extra alternatives.
However I feel additionally what you’re saying is burnout is a tough factor to speak about. I bear in mind talking to Anders, of all folks, 4 years in the past, and he stated to me, “I’m actually apprehensive that if I skip an occasion, folks will neglect who I’m”. I’m like, you’re the voice of counter strike. No person’s going to neglect who you might be.
Sophie: Completely.
Freya: So I feel it’s such an necessary factor that we sort of remind one another, like, hey, , you’re established. You’re right here for a cause. So long as you’re doing good work, you’re going to hold coming again.
And it’s good to have the ability to take that point off as exhausting as it’s generally as a result of all of us love Counter-Strike and that’s why we’re doing it. And I feel for me specifically, I used to come back to those occasions as a fan. So I don’t really feel, I don’t essentially really feel the burnout from it as a result of it’s sort of being surrounded by the those who I’d select to be round anyway.
I’m very fortunate. I’ve acquired a extremely good friendship group. My companion additionally works in esports as nicely, so it’s sort of like a house away from house. Fairly a novel perspective to have on it.
Credit score: ESL
Sophie: Oh, yeah. I imply, it’s hardly work if you happen to’re simply hanging out with somebody you’re keen on. That’s nice. Yeah. Since you’ve been concerned in Counter-Strike for therefore a few years, you’ve seen how we’ve modified from CS go to CS2.
Is there any distinction which you could inform between occasions now we’re virtually a 12 months into CS2?
Freya: It’s a extremely good query. Yeah. As a result of that is the primary Cologne, weirdly sufficient, that we’ve had in CS2.
We’re sort of going across the calendar and going, okay, we’re doing a full 12 months of Counter-Strike 2. I don’t know whether or not there’s a marked distinction.. Clearly, MR12 might be the largest distinction, I feel. Like, it makes the video games rather a lot faster. I assume the comeback alternatives are much less doubtless simply because you’ve got fewer rounds, however on the similar time, you don’t essentially see those self same blowouts.
I’m saying this, we simply come off the again of the Vitality recreation, which…
Soph: Was a little bit of a blowout.
Freya: Yeah, it’s not essentially taking place as often as you see these sort of 16-2s, 16-1s. I feel that’s most likely the largest distinction is we’re truly in a position to only a bit extra in a day now, we went again to the 4 better of threes at the start of this event as nicely. I feel at the start I used to be sort of like. I used to be a bit sceptical of, okay, is that this the altering of the guard? Are all of the veterans going to depart? Are we going to see your Karrigans, your Apexes exiting and going, okay, CS:GO is finished. My time’s completed, however I’m actually glad we haven’t.
I feel it’s been sort of on them to go, okay, we’ve had this transformation. They skilled, clearly, the change from supply and 1.6 into CS:GO anyway. They wish to do it for a 3rd time. They wish to present that it’s not only a legacy dwelling in CS:GO, however can keep it up CS2 as nicely.
Soph: Yeah, precisely. Which I assume is necessary for expertise as nicely, to have the ability to have that transition. I assume it’s fairly tough as an analyst to vary that. So I assume that form of segues me fairly properly into the very last thing I wished to speak about, which was, clearly, you began off as a reporter and an interviewer and also you’ve actually transitioned into desk host.
So how was that transition for you? And which function do you favor?
Freya: It was completed very well from on the time I used to be working at FaceIt. Clearly, we’ve now merged into EFG, however I began again with FaceIt as a freelancer in 2018, got here on sort of as a full time worker in 2019, and so they have been very sensible about the best way they built-in me into the scene.
To start with, it was like, hey, you’re going to do, you’re not going to do something stay as a result of that’s fucking scary. You’re going to do pre recorded interviews on-line, you’re going to do voiceovers for us, you’re going to get used, , simply speaking on digital camera. Then we’ll combine into the stay facet of issues.
And finally, the purpose was to finish up as a desk put up, which I didn’t know on the time. The producer was like, I can see this taking place. That is my imaginative and prescient. Took a pair years to make it there, however I feel I’m very fortunate the place I wasn’t essentially thrown in on the deep finish or thrown in at, like, the center finish, . Like, it was a problem, however I nonetheless knew I had a lot belief within the producers, and I feel that’s such an necessary a part of being, , expertise from any spectrum is having the ability to depend on the individual that’s in your ear and understanding they’re not going to set you as much as fail, which is one thing that, I imply, how we’ve merged with ESL and EFG, a variety of the Fb producers are nonetheless right here, nonetheless working, which is wonderful for me as a result of I’ve been in a position to nurture these relationships for six years.
Soph: Yeah, it’s a very long time now.
Freya: It’s some time. Yeah, six years, yeah. So I feel it was sort of a. I don’t wish to say it was a gradual development, however it was a tempered development. It was having anyone look out for me and go, hey, she’s able to take the following step, which I actually respect.
As to which function I choose. I did interviews again at EWC just some weeks in the past, simply so I may do the total factor as a result of they didn’t want two desk hosts for the entire time. And it was actually refreshing to be again. I beloved being again with the gamers. I imply, they’re beautiful to speak with, and it additionally provides me a bit extra perception as a desk pose, since you get the occasional interview on the desk, however you don’t get to talk to them beforehand. You don’t get to talk to them afterwards. It’s like, hey, we’re stay. You’re approaching. Okay, so long. We’ve acquired to maneuver on with the present, and you then don’t actually get to see them once more.
So I like having the combination of each, however I feel desk posting was. I’d by no means felt fulfilment till I’d completed that. And it was actually bizarre. I didn’t know that there was sort of that stage of satisfaction with work, and. Yeah. Went into there was like, okay, I’ve acquired the bag now. That is what I wish to be doing. Yeah. Fortunate for the previous. How lengthy has it been? 4 years, I assume.
It’s psychological once I say it like that.
Credit score: BLAST
Sophie: Yeah, I’ve assume you’ve been a desk host for so long as I’ve been into Counter-Strike!
Freya: How did you get into CS, if I could ask?
Sophie: Yeah, yeah. So I acquired into esports rather a lot later than lots of people do, and I began off in Dota. So Dota is actually my recreation. I began out as a author, and I used to be like, okay, I would like to jot down about one thing that isn’t Dota. And I simply was like, what different video games do Valve do? And right here we’re.
Freya: So what was cool, I did one Dota occasion. Oh, my God. I’ve by no means felt so silly in my life. It’s so exhausting.
Sophie: It’s so exhausting.
Freya: I used to be on the desk like yeah, I can’t break this down. Like, it’s simply usually it’s like, shoot and kill. That’s it. However, no, there’s all the skills, every little thing. Nevertheless it’s nice. I can respect it from the surface. I’ll go away it to Sheever and the specialists.
Sophie: In order we’re speaking proper now, NAVI are enjoying MOUZ.
If I may get your grand closing prediction, who do you assume’s gonna get there? Who do you assume’s gonna win?
Freya: I feel NAVI will find yourself taking up Vitality. I’ve acquired a little bit bit, I think about you do as nicely, as a result of mezii, lastly, we’re getting a British participant for the primary time since, I feel, 2018. 2019.
I hope Vitality can do it. Like, clearly, NAVI have had a lot success with EWC, with the Main win as nicely, however I imply, Apex was a loopy entry fragger the final time. That or the primary time, relatively, that I got here to Lanxess on the facet of envy. So I’d like to lastly get to see him.
