Before the VALORANT Red Bull Home Ground began, Sheep Esports caught up with ENVY Evan "Eggsterr" Grady for an interview. He discussed the team’s rapid rise through Ascension NA, the current state of Yoru following the latest patch, the origins of ENVY’s high-pressure identity, and what he hopes to achieve at an international level.

Your rise from ranked grinder to Ascension champions was rapid. How did it feel to lift the trophy with ENVY and secure a spot in VCT Americas?

Evan "Eggster" Grady: "It feels amazing. We had our eyes on the prize all year, so, honestly, it was almost anticlimactic. We expected to win; the real feeling was relief that we met our own standards. Since then, it’s been celebration mode. I literally thought, "I’m in Ascension". I’m dyeing my hair blue, then buzzing it off after the New York Red Bull event. I’m just having fun with it.

You’ve become known for the blue hair and for being a Yoru specialist, producing dominant performances in the Ascension finals and elsewhere. Do you plan to stick with Yoru at tier-one competitions, and what makes that agent work so well for you?

Eggsterr: We haven’t had much time on the new patch, and the new Yoru doesn’t feel great. I can’t tell if it’s a post-Ascension slump, the travel, or just not getting real rest, but I’m not playing my best right now. With this patch, there’s room to explore other agents. On the previous patch, I would’ve said “never switch,” but at the moment, Yoru’s in the worst state he’s ever been. Back when he had two footsteps, he felt better than now.

ENVY’s playstyle has been labeled “Paper Rex 2.0” for its fearless aggression. How would you describe your team identity, and what’s your role in setting that tempo?

Eggsterr: Our style is suffocating to play against. When most teams retake, they set up utility and coordinate; against us, you’re mid-setup and canzerra (Alex Banyasz) already pushing through spawn, killing you. You never get to breathe, so you’re glued to your crosshair and can’t think clearly. I contribute with the flashes and the pressure, but even as a Duelist, I’m one of the safer players on the team. Everyone loves taking fights. They tease me for “baiting,” but in my head, I have to; otherwise, we’d lose every round. Next year our style will change a lot. We’re looking for players who fill roles similar to Ion2x (Ayan Rastogi) and canzerra, but I don’t think we’ll play anywhere near the same way.

Red Bull Home Ground will be* one of your first events against top international teams. Do you feel you have something to prove on this stage? What are you looking forward to?

Eggsterr: Personally, I just want to play well. It’s our last event with canezerra and Ion2x, so I’m less focused on the team result and more on my individual performance. Can I dominate these lobbies? Realistically, I’m not in prime form. One or two really strong maps against top teams would be a good event for me. Who knows, maybe we can win the whole thing. I do think we have a chance

[The interview has been conducted before the Red Bull Home Ground]

Do you have any team or player you’re especially excited to face in this tournament?

Eggsterr: I keep telling my chat I want to beat Boaster (Jake Howlett) really badly. Something about the antics and the dancing, beating him would be fun.

Who inspired you while you were climbing VALORANT ranks, and now that you’re here, which top players are you eager to test yourself against? You mentioned Boaster, what about VCT Americas in particular?

Eggsterr: The players I most want to beat are people I duo with in ranked. I duo with guys like Oxy (Francis Hoang) a lot, so beating C9 was fun. I like duoing with Oxy and Zellsis (Jordan Montemurro); I’m looking forward to playing Jawgemo (Alexander Mor) and beating him badly, he’s another fun duo. Internationally, since I haven’t played ranked with those guys, it’s basically any star Duelist. Now that we've won Ascension, I want to keep our eyes on the prize and win Champs or a Masters next year. These reps help me learn their tendencies early and prepare mentally.

Your Ascension grand-final performance was clutch. Walk us through that moment. How did you handle the pressure?

Eggsterr: On finals day, I felt very confident. Something I started doing during the event was looking at the enemy players during matches, just glancing over to read their body language. The TSM guys looked nervous; that gave me confidence. During the grand final, I kept catching those nervous vibes, and it settled me for the whole series.

Stepping up from tier two to facing teams like C9 and Sentinels, what’s been the biggest difference?

Eggsterr: Hard to say because these off-season events aren’t as serious, but our aggression gets punished more. I don’t know if that’s because we’re a bit sloppy right now or because opponents are more aware of our tendencies. In Ascension, teams knew what we’d do, but we were in such good form it didn’t matter.

You and several teammates were ranked grinders not long ago. How has the transition to a professional environment with ENVY been for you?

Eggsterr: It’s been strange. I went from streaming 300 hours a month to about 180, and that’s tough because I love streaming. Long-term, going pro and then eventually retiring will be the best thing for the stream, but the journey has ups and downs. When the team struggles, part of me thinks, I could just be streaming. It’s grueling: turning your brain off and queuing ranked for ten hours is easier than four scrims a day and then streaming. But that’s what makes it worth it most players won’t do the hard things I’m doing.

As a new player now on the international radar, how are you handling the spotlight and media attention heading into this event and VCT Americas?

Eggsterr: It’s fun. Doing media at Ascension was awesome. Right before a match, when someone asks how we’ll do, I get to be as cocky as I want because I’m confident in my team. And if I’m wrong, like when I said we’d 2-0 TSM and then lost the first time, it doesn’t matter. I get to have fun and give goofy answers. Talking to the media feels like a game to me.

As the offseason progresses, rosters are taking shape and players have to build synergy. Do you think ENVY has an advantage at the start of VCT Americas because your core remains unchanged?

Eggsterr: Our identity is going to change a lot. Compared to other teams, it’s hard to say, we haven’t even practiced with our two new players yet. I’ve seen a lot online about one of the signings, but we haven’t done trials for the second. Honestly, because of how Ascension works and the time other teams have had to prep for us, I think we’re actually a bit behind going into next year."