molodoy: BLAST Rivals exposed FURIA’s pre-Major issues

FURIA opened BLAST Rivals Season 2 with a 2-0 win over Legacy, using its final tournament before the Singapore Major to identify areas for improvement.

FURIA won Inferno and Mirage, although it made a slow start in the opening match. Golubenko described the early game as difficult and explained that the team lost energy during the series. The players spoke after Inferno before improving on the second map.

“It was kind of a slow start for us,” Golubenko said. “After Inferno, we just talked a little bit, and we know we kind of lose energy a little bit in the game.”

The 20-year-old linked the team’s problems to a demanding schedule that has included several tournaments and travel between regions. FURIA had recently competed in Beijing before traveling to Hong Kong, with Golubenko describing the effects of jet lag and physical and mental fatigue.

“When you have a lot of tournaments, it’s hard to find… it’s not about motivation, it’s more about maybe mental or maybe kind of physical, something, a problem,” he said. “And yeah, it’s hard, but we are trying to play, enjoy this game.”

Golubenko described BLAST Rivals as useful preparation for the Major because it gave FURIA time to identify and address problems. The team plans to review its map play and determine what needs to change during the tournament.

“I think if we would cancel this tournament, it would maybe be bad for us, because we can see now the problems we have before Major,” he said. “We’re trying to fix these problems.”

FURIA expects to have about seven to 10 days away from competition after BLAST Rivals. Golubenko plans to return to Kazakhstan to visit his family, while the rest of the team also intends to spend time with relatives before resuming training.

Golubenko does not expect one team to enter the Major as a clear favorite. He described the tournament as open and linked FURIA’s prospects to how well it addresses the problems found in Hong Kong.

The Major will be FURIA captain Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s final event in competitive Counter-Strike. FalleN has announced his retirement after the tournament. Golubenko acknowledged that the situation could create pressure for the team and provide additional motivation to win with its captain.

“We understand it was kind of the last tournament with FalleN, and better to chill and after that stay locked in after the break,” he said. “It’s kind of motivation for us to win with him, at this Major.”

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Reviewed and fact-checked by Alex Panasenko on November 11.