FF batujnax about facing Joblife: "It’s going to be an easy game for us, not going to lie. Tomorrow will be funnier than today"

Fire Flux Esports suffered their first defeat of the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Play-Ins. The Turkish team saw their first opportunity to qualify for the playoffs slip away to Enterprise Esports, who secured another victory following their VCL EMEA Stage 3 final triumph.

Fire Flux Esports will play a second, decisive elimination match this Sunday against Joblife, with their playoff hopes on the line. Ahead of the crucial matchup, the team’s player Mehmet Batu “batujnax” Özaslan spoke to Sheep Esports about his team’s level of play and outlined his ambitions ahead of the encounter.

Mehmet Batu "batujnax" Özaslan: “It was a close game. We just threw so many rounds. We gave so many rounds where we had a number advantage, but we lost. It was exciting to play. I think that's also why we lost the game

batujnax: These rounds, actually. It was 4v2, and we ended by giving rounds, or 5v4, and we lost, you know? We were taking the first kill, but then, I don't know what happens; we are losing the round somehow. We couldn’t use the numbers; that was the problem for us. We were a bit excited today also because of the playoff qualification match. Everyone was good, but they were just a bit excited because we are new here as well.

batujnax: It was a close game, to be honest, like I said. We lost because we trolled, so if you play against them next time, probably we can fix this problem because right now we know why we lost. We lost because of our excitement. Next time, if we face them, I'm going to speak about this with boys because I swear like today was too much, like everyone was so excited. We just need to be relaxed sometimes, like when we plant the bomb, we end up running on them for no reason. We can wait, we can play contact like we have 40 seconds, but we play like we have 10 seconds or something. So if we play against them again, I think we will play better. We just need to be relaxed.

batujnax: First of all, our old coach created this team to be able to play in the playoffs in the Turkish league first. We were expecting to go to the playoffs, and then we finished second the first time, then we finished first in the EMEA stage 2 and continued on our way. Right now we are feeling so good actually. We weren't expecting that much from us, but you know, it's life. We are winning and we are here, everyone is so happy, everyone is so focused. We are one match away from going to the playoffs, so I think it's a big achievement for us. We were in tier 2, now we are in tier 1, it's feeling good.

batujnax: He's a great person. He's a great kid, I can say. He's young and he's actually so insane. He's aiming insanely well. Last time I saw the same aim, it was on florescent (Ava Eugene), to be honest. Same aim, I feel like. And he has no experience also, so he's new to esports, he just started last year at 16. We are doing well right now; he's doing well too. Sometimes people can play badly. Sometimes people can play insanely well. It's VALORANT, if you are on your day, you can win. But if you are not on your day, sometimes you can choke, or you cannot kill. It happens, it's VALORANT. Today it wasn't our day and we just lost. I can say that. But he is actually such a good player.

batujnax: It feels good because when I went to Apeks, it was too early for me as well. I had just played one season in the Turkish League, and I joined Apeks without having much experience in esports. And when I was playing with Apeks, they took me first as a flasher or support, and then in Stage 1 they gave me a Sentinel role, and then on Stage 2 they gave me a Flex role, like they changed my role fully. So that's why maybe I couldn't show myself good on tier 1. But right now, I came from the beginning with the boys. We know each other, we are like a family; we are not just teammates. We are sleeping together, we are walking together, we are doing everything together, we go to the office together, we go to a hotel together, we are doing everything together.

In Apeks, I wasn't an IGL; right now it's my first year as one. And I'm feeling great that I am playing on VCT again. It doesn’t feel as hard as before. In Apeks it was, because we were getting all rounds, but not the last one. We were getting 12, but we couldn't get 13 because it wasn't that easy for us. But right now I'm thinking easily. Sometimes if you overthink on VALORANT, you can't finish the game. But I'm not overthinking right now, I'm just saying what I'm thinking. I'm not thinking about the enemy team, what is the enemy team doing? I'm just focusing on myself. It’s insane to be back; I'm happy about that.

batujnax: Not really because I feel like a lot of tier 2 teams are better than tier 1 teams right now. If you're going to ask me why, it’s because in tier 2, people really want to win games or really want to play games, and they're having fun when they're doing it. But, let's say there are like 10 teams in tier 1, I will say only 4 really like to play. I feel like others playing for money. But in tier 2, they really want to win. And yeah, I'm not surprised actually. I was waiting for that because next year is going to be crazier, to be honest. It's going to be so fun because there will be

batujnax: Of course. We are here, and we are one match away from the playoffs. And in the playoffs, whoever comes, we need to play and face them. I believe if we just fix this exciting problem, we can do everything.

batujnax: I feel fine because we never lost versus them. I feel like they will have some pressure on them. I think it’s going to be an easy game for us, not going to lie. Tomorrow will be funnier than today.

batujnax: No, I don't think so, because we know how to stop him.”