Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen gives his honest opinion after
BBL Esports' loss to
GIANTX in the
VCT EMEA lower-bracket final (0-3). The Finnish IGL talks about taking personal responsibility, how the team has grown during the
VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA season, the lessons he learned during his time with
Team Liquid, and what motivates him as a competitor.
How would you describe your state of mind?
Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen: "I’m very disappointed, sad. We didn’t give ourselves a chance to play today, and that’s my biggest regret. On none of the maps did we deserve to win. They were simply better, and it’s frustrating how we played. Everything went wrong. I can’t name a single thing. Everything was off today.
On an individual level, how do you assess your performance? Do you think you played at your best, or are there areas you need to work on?
Jamppi: It’s a bit of both. It was a good experience to see how the team dynamic affected things. Personally, I felt confident, pretty normal. Individually, the bigger question for me is how I can lift my teammates better in tight moments, when everyone is stressed because it’s a high-pressure match.
Do you think the loss against Liquid had a big impact on today’s games?
Jamppi: It’s hard to tell, but I don’t think so. We were actually in decent spirits after yesterday, not happy, but we had a long talk about what happened and why we lost. I don’t think it weighed on us today.
With several VCT EMEA seasons behind you, how do you put this elimination into perspective? Does your experience in the league help you keep things in view?
Jamppi: We were close all year. When the offseason started, I don’t think many believed we could become this good. Kickoff showed it, we finished fifth–sixth. In Stage 1 we made playoffs and were a few rounds from qualifying for Masters Toronto. We knew our level going into Stage 2. We had a bad start, turned it around, beat
Fnatic and
Heretics in playoffs. Yesterday, we pushed Liquid hard. Ending it like this feels off; one match determining the whole year. In my view, we played really good
VALORANT throughout. I’m also relieved to feel I deserve to be in tier one again. Last year was the worst season of my career, and I wasn’t sure where my confidence stood. Maybe in a few months, I’ll see this year as a positive for the whole team.
At Team Liquid you had great wins but also rough patches. What did you learn from that experience that helps you bounce back today?
Jamppi: The way we played this year showed it doesn’t have to be that complicated. With Liquid last year, we struggled the whole season. This year, we didn’t. We’re top three in EMEA. Ninety percent of the time, the top three qualify you for Champs. This time it hurts, we’re top three right now. Last year, we didn’t even reach the playoffs. So yes, it’s a big step forward.
Can you take us back to your early competitive days? What still drives you, and what keeps you motivated after a defeat like this?
Jamppi: I love my life in gaming, playing, and competing. I’ve been competitive since I was a kid. I want to compete for another ten years. This season showed I can still play at a very high level, and that gives me a lot of motivation for the years ahead. It’s just sad because, today, we clearly didn’t deserve to be champions. Looking at the whole year, we could have been the champions.
Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games
Mental management is crucial in difficult times. How do you, as you mentioned earlier, pick yourself up and encourage your teammates after a result like today?
Jamppi: I try to stay positive, find ways to keep perspective in a hard moment. We look back at what we achieved versus what people expected. It’s not the end of the world. It hurts because everyone cares; if it didn’t hurt, we wouldn’t be here. But this year showed that there will be more chances for us.
Have you had to bounce back from a major setback before? What did it teach you about not letting moments like this drag you down?
Jamppi: Exactly, that “never give up” attitude. After last year, I was close to going to tier two. A lot of teams didn’t want me, even after trials. BBL was basically my last trial, and they liked me. I’m forever grateful I could still show my skill set. It hurts now, but I’ve been in much lower positions.
What message would you like to send to BBL fans and the community after the elimination? And how do you see the future for yourself as a team leader, since you were the in-game leader this year?
Jamppi: For BBL fans, I hope you’re still proud of us. Your support all year has been amazing. I think we gave you moments you hadn’t seen with previous rosters, good memories, happy moments, even if yesterday and today hurt. I hope you can still see it as a positive year. Personally, I’ll take time off now. I have a contract with BBL, hopefully see you next year."
Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
