One of the breakout stars of the RMR, UK prodigy Cai ‘CYPHER’ Watson, pulled off an immense performance as Into the Breach became the first UK core to qualify for a Major in CS:GO.
Before they debut at the BLAST.tv Paris Major, BLIX.GG’s Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie got the chance to talk to CYPHER about the RMR, debuting at the Major, who he’d like to face while he’s there and much more.
Sam ‘AN1MO’ McKenzie, BLIX.GG: You begin the Major in the Legends stage; how do you feel about it?
CYPHER: I feel pretty amazing about it, to be honest. We can get extra days of practice in and see how teams are playing at the event, so I feel quite good about it
BLIX: Does it make it more special knowing that your team has the first and only UK core that will play at a Major in CS:GO?
CYPHER: Yeah, it feels pretty surreal, to be honest. When I first started, I never thought I would be here, but I’m happy the hard work has paid off.
BLIX: No one expected anything from you at the RMR, do you think that worked to your advantage?
CYPHER: Yeah, of course. I think when you are the underdog, you don’t have any pressure, so you just play with full confidence and it for sure helps.
BLIX: You were one of the stars of the RMR, a sort of breakout event for you, did your performances surprise even you?
CYPHER: Yes and no; I’ve always been a LAN player, and even though it’s been UK LANS, I’ve always played well, so I knew I could do it. It was more a case of adapting to the event, and I was proud of myself for doing that.
BLIX: Take me through the game vs. Virtus.pro, did you expect to win that match when you went into it?
CYPHER: Yeah, I think everyone in our team had full confidence to win. To me, our individuals were better than theirs at the time, and our playstyle is good against theirs, so I think we went into it knowing we were going to win.
BLIX: They were the only true tier one team you faced at the RMR. How did it compare to playing against tier two teams?
CYPHER: Playing against NAVI was a learning curve for me, I got heavily punished on Banana, so it kinda set me up for the next games and got me into the swing of it. You can tell why they are the best of the best. The other teams, I think, let me get away with stuff that I shouldn’t have, and gave me chances where I could rely on my aim. These plays wouldn’t have worked against NAVI but did against the others.
BLIX: Looking ahead to the Major, there are some very good teams in the Challengers Stage. Are there any you’d like to avoid in your opening game?
CYPHER: I’d be happy to face any of the teams, but overall I think FaZe would be the hardest opponent.
BLIX: On the flip side, is there any you’d like to face?
CYPHER: Apeks. I think some things were said before the RMR in a podcast, so I think it would be a fun game.
BLIX: What are your expectations for the event?
CYPHER: I would love to be able to play in front of a crowd. That’s my goal, obviously ‘ other than winning it that is.
