Cover-Credits:
This time around I had a fantastic time interviewing Malaysian Powerhouse Team FrostFire, who has recently qualified for ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2018, IeSF 2018 and WESG 2018 – SEA Qualifier.
Arguably the best Malaysian team, who have been dominating over the national circuit by winning multiple qualifiers for international tournaments. They have time and again proved their worth by retaining the top spot for a long time now.
I got in touch with the entire FrostFire team a couple of days back through the help of Mr Clement ‘Bleed’ Hui, Director of Esports at FrostFire. We had a blast discussing a lot of CS:GO while having a good balance between personal and professional things to chat about to keep the conversation light and interesting.
Talking to the team’s manager Mr Andrew ‘AurOra’ Chen we got a little insight on FrostFire as a team.
What is the daily schedule of a FrostFire player?
Everyone wakes up in the morning which is followed by a heavy breakfast, then the entire team sets down for their regular training session which can involve some practice matches, scrims, etc. Till the time everyone is done training, it is time to eat again after which it is lights out for the day. We also plan weekly exercise for the team to participate in.
How would you best describe the current FrostFire team as? What is that X-factor that you guys possess?
FrostFire can definitely be described by the bond between them. Everyone is vibrating at the same frequency; the teamwork is extraordinary. That is our X-factor.
Moving on to the players, I asked every player a set of two questions and this is how it went.
d4v41
What was the drive behind taking up CS:GO professionally?
I want to be the best and show the world what I’ve got.
Your favourite superhero character and why?
The Flash probably, as I won't be late every time.
acAp
What is the toughest decision that you have ever taken personally or professionally?
Leaving Malaysia to join the Indonesian team, Aerowolf.
The best thing you have ever eaten and where?
I’m not sure where it might be served the best but I love Sup Daging.
Chapman
Which is the most memorable moment in CS for you?
I had just joined a new team in 2009 and we placed 2nd in a particular tournament, it was my first respectable finish in an event with a proper team.
What is your dream travel destination and why?
The USA, because it has a lot of interesting historical places to visit.
Subbey
What keeps you motivated to continue playing?
Learning new things every day and with each new thing you learn, you motivate yourself to push further.
Which player in your opinion has the best major sticker?
Boston Major: Boombl4 cl, because it had an explosive graphic sticker on it.
aimaNNN
Which is tougher, becoming the best in Malaysia or maintaining that spot?
Maintaining that spot, of course, it is never easy to stay a champion.
What according to you is a perfect weekend or holiday?
A weekend with no Alarm clock and Pizza for Lunch.
We played a quick game of rapid-fire with the team,
Celebrates the loudest?
- D4v41 & acAp
Laziest of the lot?
- acAp
Ever ready to eat food?
- D4v41
Mr. Pessimist?
- aimaNNN
Anime Addict?
- D4v41
Metal Head?
- acAp & Chapman
The most creative?
- aimaNNN
Adventure Junkie?
- Subbey
Best dance moves?
- Subbey
The silent observer?
- Chapman
We ended our conversation with a short discussion on esports in Malaysia and their ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2018 preparation,
How would you describe your journey through the eXTREMESLAND qualifiers?
It was quite hard because of our roster shuffles but we managed to pull it through while fighting Kaze and Mox1e (both Major players).
Do you guys feel that the competitive scene in Malaysia is very stagnant?
Yes, kind of. The tournaments here are stagnant during the start of the year but they tend to differ in the second half of the year.
Is any special preparation being implemented for the Shanghai showdown?
Yeah, we have our coach and management team to support us with advanced preparation. We had a plan set up after we qualified through the eXTREMESLAND qualifiers and have been sticking to it since then.
How do you guys rank yourself against the Chinese or the Korean teams? Are scrims held against other international teams?
We are definitely still behind in terms of experience and exposure when compared to the Chinese and Korean teams. They are ahead of us in terms of firepower and strategies and that is exactly where we need to work on.
