Right after their first victory in VALORANT Champions Paris, eliminating Sentinels, Xi Lai Gaming appeared at a press conference to discuss their victory and what this result means for their confidence, their priorities ahead of GIANTX, communication and composition management, particularly on Lotus, as well as individual adjustments since Masters Toronto. It was a lucid debrief that shed light on the team's state of mind and their immediate roadmap.

Question for Aleksandr "hvoya" Eremin:

After losing the previous series against Sentinels, XLG came out on top this time. How significant is this win for the team in terms of confidence and proving you can finally beat them?

Aleksandr "hvoya" Eremin: At last we were able to show up and display our potential, nowhere near our ceiling. We didn’t even have to push our limits. This game is very important for our confidence going into the next match. Removing the “can’t beat Sentinels” label gives us extra belief that we can be one of the best Chinese teams. I hope we keep that vibe and step up to play even better. It’s our first victory here, it will definitely give us more confidence for what’s ahead. The rest of the “episodes,” so to speak, will look different.

You’ve shown resilience and solid fundamentals. Without revealing specifics, what is the key aspect of preparation you need most for GIANTX something in-game, mental resilience, or otherwise?

hvoya: It’s pretty simple. We don’t have much time to prepare exactly for GIANTX. We’ll do our homework, some anti-strats, but the main thing is to keep the energy and team vibes positive. We want to bring today’s mood onto the stage next time. If we enjoy ourselves out there, it will give us belief and a bit of luck, that’s the key for us to win.

You’re facing your former teammate next. GIANTX are playing with striking confidence for a rookie team; they don’t seem afraid of anyone. Can your team match that confidence?

hvoya: We obviously have more confidence now, and I want the team to believe strongly. I’m happy to meet Cloud(Kirill Nehozhin) again. It’s lucky for him that I’m coaching now, if I were IGL, I’d give him a hard time. It should be a banger. We finally get to play a new opponent; see you in a couple of days.

After the Sentinels match, your triple-Sentinel composition on Lotus shows a 41% defensive win rate. Why do you think that is, and what have you done to address it, especially after a small comeback scare on that map?

hvoya: For me, Lotus is currently attack-favored, especially in this meta without Breach. Previously it was more CT-sided with agents like Cypher and Breach, which made defense easier. With our comp now, attack is stronger, when you hit a site, you can seal gaps with utility walls, nades, and you have plenty of tools for post-plant. On defense, our issues today were more about us, a few wrong rotations, some ill-timed peeks, and occasional whiffs. Overall, the comp is better on attack.

Question to Deng "Happywei" Minwei:

You earned MVP on two maps today. Does that bring you greater confidence for the upcoming matches, and in which areas do you still want to improve?

Deng "Happywei" Minwei: One hundred percent we gained confidence from today since it’s our first win. In terms of improvement, we should focus more on communication. Overall, things went according to plan.

Your previous performance wasn’t as expected, but today you excelled. How did you adjust so quickly to reach this level?

Happywei: I had some personal issues and wasn’t feeling well, so I couldn’t practice properly. Recently, I’ve been grinding hard with my teammates to make sure we’re fully in sync. It’s much better now.

Question for Arthur "Rarga" Churyumov:

Today’s win is the first for the CN region at Champs Paris. How do you feel right now, and what are your expectations for the next match?

Arthur "Rarga" Churyumov: We want to make playoffs. The next step is to beat GIANTX in the elimination round.

There was a broadcast moment noting that Happywei sometimes helps Rarga by speaking Russian. How does that affect the team in critical moments? What kinds of things are you discussing?

Happywei: If he’s about to do something I strongly disagree with an obvious mistake, I’ll tell him quickly in Russian. It doesn’t disrupt the others because I then give the brief in English. You can ask Rarga.

Rarga: Mostly crucial reactions: “don’t do that,” “go to the other site,” things like that.

Comparing Masters Toronto with Champs Paris, what has improved for you?

Rarga: I used to worry about what people said about me. Now, on my coach’s advice, I deleted social media and just grind. That’s what I’m doing.

In the opening teaser, you said you wanted to prove you’re not “just a bot” to prove yourself. Does today’s performance qualify as proof? Where did this confidence come from?

Rarga: My English is poor, that “bot” line wasn’t what I meant. We still have a lot to improve, but I feel confident I can play on the international stage now. As for where the confidence comes from, I’m not entirely sure, maybe from experience. Chronicle (Timofey Khromov) also helped, he talked with me about handling pressure and how to use it. His advice worked today.

Question for Colin Patrick "coconut" Chung:

How has your time in Paris been so far? Have you gained anything from this experience? In Toronto you said you didn’t know how to answer a similar question, what would you tell your past self now?

Colin Patrick "coconut" Chung: I’d tell myself not to carry the weight so heavily. It’s just competition. Our opponents are strong, but the process matters more than the result. Train hard, practice well, play well. After you step on stage, many worries fade. I wouldn’t be as down as I was in Toronto.

Question for James "NoMan" Man:

You’ve spent a lot of time in the European circuit, especially VCL Northeast and the UK. How does it feel to return to Europe and play on EU servers, besides being on the biggest stage of the season?

James "NoMan" Man: It’s lovely to see many friends I can’t usually meet because of regions. I absolutely hate the prices in Paris, and the UK everything is so expensive compared to China. That’s been the biggest wake-up call. Otherwise, it’s nice to be back. Even the air smells different in Europe, in a good way.

On loading into the maps, you all had GIANTX banners. Whose idea was that channeling your inner GIANTX to beat Sentinels or nodding to your next opponent?

NoMan: Our lovely coach, coach hvoya. Call it a bit of voodoo it seemed to work today, so we might keep it up. It’s just something fun, and somehow it worked. If no one beats GIANTX, though, maybe we’ll have to use our own banner or Paper Rex!