Rodrigo “
f0rsaken” de Carli has become one of the main links between
Evil Geniuses and the Brazilian
VALORANT community, bringing a local audience to the organization through his co-streams. On Sunday, September 6, at the
VCT Americas Finals, the EG streamer spoke exclusively to
Sheep Esports about experiencing a
VALORANT event on Brazilian soil and the atmosphere created by the local fans.
During the conversation, f0rsaken also discussed
LOUD’s unexpected run through the lower bracket, the importance of Brazilian support for the team, and the “
underdog” mentality he believes part of the country’s community still carries. The streamer also explained his relationship with EG, the organization’s increasing presence in Brazil, and his hopes for the team’s current roster heading into the next season.
How was your experience co-streaming the VCT Americas Finals in Brazil?
Rodrigo “f0rsaken” de Carli: “It was so cool, because it had been a long time since we had an event here. The last one was LOCK//IN, three years ago. Tournaments in Brazil are always crazy. The fans make a party; they scream; they break everything down there. It’s incredible.
How important do you think was the Brazilian crowd to LOUD’s unexpected run?
f0rsaken: Absolutely important. LOUD’s fanbase is huge. And having a tournament in Brazil, the players feel it. When everyone is cheering for them, there’s so much noise. They know it, they get more hyped, they have more motivation. I have to admit that LOUD surprised me a lot because they came from the lower bracket. One mistake, one bad game, and you’re out, you’re going home. They played against
G2 and
NRG, and played extremely well against
100 Thieves, who were the favorites, even so. They grew a lot. I’m sure the fans have a huge impact on that.
Do you think Brazilian fans need to believe more in their own teams?
f0rsaken: I think that regardless of how the results of the other teams are, whether they’re foreign or Brazilian, we have to believe. We have to believe in Brazil because we’re Brazilian. We’re all together. It’s everyone cheering for the same dream and wanting to win. Regardless of who we’re playing against, it could be Brazil against a world champion, and we’re going with Brazil, until the end.
How do you see your role in EG’s growing connection with Brazil?
f0rsaken: I think my relationship with the organization itself, and with the players, has been really good. I met some of them when I went to Los Angeles last year. I’m sure that Brazilians are very warm. They really embrace a cause. So EG, being an incredible organization like they are, invested in me first. Now they have DGZ (Douglas Silva) on the main team, they brought a Brazilian-inclusive roster. Brazil is becoming more and more connected to EG, you know? People really cheer for them now. They started to like the team. They want to know more; they buy jerseys; they buy stickers. People really engage with EG.
How does your relationship with EG work behind the scenes?
f0rsaken: I talk to them through the staff side of things, generally, with everyone there. It’s crazy because I used to watch EG, for example, in CS 1.6 and Dota. I watched EG, and today I’m part of EG. It’s a very crazy thing. It’s incredible. My relationship with them is also very good. They really like me, I really like them. I give as much as I can here to make their lives easier in Brazil and also to have more people coming after them. It’s really cool.
How closely have you been able to follow EG’s roster throughout the season?
f0rsaken: I went to United States last year to participate in a showmatch, actually, for VCT Americas, which Riot called me for. I talk to DGZ from time to time because he’s my friend. Last year, I talked very little with supamen (Phat Le), but very little because he was at a booth taking pictures, and I didn’t want to bother him too much. But I talked a little with him, and he’s a really cool guy too. The team is looking good. I think with the changes they had, the guys became even more united. They’re doing well, and they’ve really become a family. They get along very well as friends. I hope they continue together, if there’s a way to make it happen.
Do you hope to see the current EG roster stay together next season?
f0rsaken: Hopefully, man. We’ll be able to dream. I’m not very involved with the team itself, but I see them from the outside, so I can have a somewhat closer idea of what’s going on. The team has found the right chemistry. Give them a little more time and it’ll work.”
