Just over two years in competitive gaming but very experienced, learn more about the Brazilian revelation of 2021
The beginning of his passion for games
It all started early, around the age of 12, on the Xbox 360 and the game Black Ops II, learning to handle first-person shooter games early. But one thing in common with legendary Rainbow Six: Siege players, such as the current world champion João "Jv92" Vitor, is that he is a console player. Today, we see great names in the game's competitive scene coming directly from consoles and later transitioning to playing on PC.
Diogo "Fntzy" Lima's friends encouraged him to play Rainbow Six, but unlike the others, they didn't stick around for long. Diogo says, "They stopped playing, and then I switched to PC. I really liked the game, found it very dynamic, tactical, with various different characters, I found it interesting." And so began the relationship between the player and the game.
But what about the nickname? What's the story behind it? He explains: "My nickname came from a friend who told me to use 'fantasy,' so I removed the vowels to make it clean, and it turned out like this."
Career Start and FURIA
Born on March 10, 2003, "Fntzy" had to wait until he reached the required age to compete professionally (as the current minimum age for official competitions is 18). Based on this information, the player would be eligible to play from March 11, 2021, and FURIA wasted no time. On that day, the team announced its new lineup, with "Fntzy" as the center of attention. He was already a standout in smaller tournaments like Liga Six. It's worth mentioning his previous team, Kids Team, where he played alongside Felipe "nade" Sá Ferreira (currently in W7M), Thiago "Handyy" Sá Ferreira (currently in FaZe), Wagner "wag" Alfaro (former Ninjas in Pyjamas), and Pablo "resetz" Oliveira (currently in Team Liquid).
The invitation to join the team came through player Thiago "LENDA" Torres, and according to him, "Fntzy" underwent three days of trials before being called to finalize the lineup. Thus, the relationship between FURIA and "Fntzy" began.
Within a few months of joining the team, the player had to compete in the Six Invitational. He admits feeling initial pressure but quickly became more comfortable playing: "There was a lot of pressure playing in the tournament, I was really nervous at first, and I ended up performing well against G2, but it was tough to maintain that performance until the end of the championship. However, it was an unforgettable experience, my first LAN outside Brazil, so I was nervous because it was the first one, but mostly during the first match, it was smooth for the rest." In that particular tournament, FURIA finished 9th-12th, losing to Team BDS.
The player became known worldwide for his aggressive playing style, and he explains what motivated this approach: "Since the beginning of the game, I liked to play faster, and I believe it makes the attack much easier, dominating areas quickly, and I feel very comfortable doing so."
![Fntzy wins the Rookie and Player of the Year 2021 awards at the Brazil Awards (Image Credits: Instagram/fntzyzillaa)](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/dmtcrhxp/production/5fe0f9e5870201a6e88bbe1c03cb17f684303e77-1440x960.jpg?q=30&auto=format)
One of the main challenges for FURIA was the Six Charlotte Major, a tournament in which the Brazilian team, along with Team oNe and W7M, had to compete from Mexico, playing with 70 ping. According to the player, this "greatly reduces the chances of winning." Despite the difficult situation, he believes that the experience strengthened the Brazilian scene: "We (W7M and Team oNe) exchanged ideas and became good friends. I confess that I became close to the W7M guys, and I think it was good for the scene."
The player also explains what the team lacked: "We needed to not be affected by pressure. We often succumbed to pressure in some tournaments. Although we performed well in the group stages and made the playoffs, we often stumbled in the important games. I don't know what happened, but I still think about it."
Diogo has many good memories of the organization, of how they treated the team and the players. However, in early 2023, the organization leaves Rainbow Six: Siege, and the players find themselves without teams, leading to the disbandment of the lineup. He says, "It was very difficult when they gave us the news. We wanted to stick together, and tried our best, but it didn't work out. We believed a lot in the lineup's potential and wanted to remain together, but unfortunately, we had to part ways. But we move forward.
LFO Period
After leaving FURIA, the player sought new paths, and that's how he and two friends came together to form Looking for Org BR. "Fntzy" explains that the project started with Gabriel "Cameram4n" Hespanhol: "We put this project together, and then we talked to 'Kizi' (coach), and then 'Daffodil' and 'Swag' joined, and finally, we brought in 'Rappz,' and that completed the full lineup along with 'Panda' as an analyst. But it was basically me and 'Cameram4n'; we were talking without a team, and when we saw the opportunity, everything fell into place."
Diogo comments that he enjoyed working with "Cameram4n," one of the prominent captains in Brazilian competitive history: "It was great to work with Cameram4n; he's a very dedicated guy, puts a lot of effort into the game, and we lived close to each other, so I would often go to his house, or he would come to mine. We were always together, Rappz, too. There's nothing negative to say; he's an amazing, very good guy, and it was great working with him during that time."
Despite this, the team's performance wasn't at its best, as they were eliminated in the group stage of the Brazil League and in the first match of the Last Chance Qualify.
A new player for MiBR
However, the time without a team didn't last longer than one season. Through an invitation from Tassus "reduct" Issi, "Fntzy" joins MiBR, and besides the financial aspect, the player explains what led him to accept the offer: "The lineup is very strong. In my view of the game, I think the team is very good and has a lot of potential."
![Media day for the introduction of MiBR's new lineup (Image Credits: Instagram/fntzyzillaa)](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/dmtcrhxp/production/8b05e838233d9c19f5c3afd0538fe13adca8a836-1440x1440.jpg?q=30&auto=format)
In addition to the talented players around him, "Fntzy" also praised the new coach, Cesar "Dxrk" Adriano: "Dark also has a very good coaching plan. I think he's one of the best I've seen. He talks to us before and after every map we practice, so I have nothing negative to say."
Moreover, there will be a reunion between Rennan "R4re" Vitor and "Fntzy," a duo that joined FURIA and stayed together until they left the organization. He reminisces about the good times and even warns about excessive criticism towards his teammate: "Working with R4re again is very good for me because I didn't want to stop working with him. He's a guy who always helped me both in and outside the game. He's incredible and has a lot of potential, too. During his time at FURIA, I feel that people didn't talk much about him due to his role as a support player. He carried a lot of weight and always sacrificed himself for the team, so it's great to work with him again."
Now, with more experience, the player advocates for caution regarding the team's goals and expectations for the next season: "The team's goal, in my opinion, is not to focus too much on the final result, but more on the process, because I know it's a team with great potential, which is showing in our practice sessions. We shouldn't be nervous during tournaments. I think it doesn't work that way after putting a lot of pressure on themselves to qualify. You can't add too much pressure; you have to be more relaxed, trust the process, and it will happen the way you want it to during the tournament."
As of this writing, the team doesn't have a date and opponent for the debut in Stage 2 of the Brazil League, but we know that the tournament will return on September 9 on the official Rainbow6 channels on YouTube and Twitch.