BIG’s biguzera praises AWPer Saffee after IEM Cologne

BIG captain Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt praised new AWPer Saffee after the team finished Stage 2 of IEM Cologne with a 2-1 record, and criticized a veto glitch that left paiN starting on the Terrorist side. The results included a win on Anubis over FlyQuest and a victory against Legacy.

BIG named Saffee as the team’s AWPer for the event in place of nqz. Biguzera said the decision had been planned and pointed to the player’s team-first approach and in-game communication as reasons for the change. “It was saffee for a long time. We chose him to be the AWPer here… He plays for the team. He’s more proactive. He speaks more during the game,” he explained after the match.

Teammate Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras praised Saffee’s in-game leadership and composure, noting the rookie takes calls and shows confidence. Bymas described those traits as signs of potential for leadership within the squad.

Biguzera reflected on inconsistent moments during the group, saying the team sometimes entered matches cold or did not play at their best and paid for those lapses. He also emphasized the team’s goal to advance further in the event and to win as many matches as possible.

Expectations is so high. I just want to go through and win as many matches as possible.

A technical issue in the veto process before the match with paiN led to criticism from BIG. The glitch resulted in paiN starting on the Terrorist side, which biguzera said affected BIG mentally and disrupted their match preparation; he noted that, had sides been different, BIG would not have played Overpass, a map strong for paiN.

Tournament organizers responded that the veto system used at the event is the same as in previous editions and that the setup is rigorously tested before championships. Organizers added that teams are responsible for completing the veto and that, in this instance, sides were determined randomly after the side choice was not completed.

Biguzera also pointed to earlier wins over paiN and MIBR on the road to Cologne when addressing questions about the quality of BIG’s opponents. He said those results demonstrate the team can compete with established Brazilian sides and other strong teams. The squad’s performance in Cologne and Saffee’s role in the lineup will be monitored as BIG seeks to progress further in the tournament.