Following 100 Thieves’ 0-2 defeat to Cloud9 on August 7th in the
VCT Americas Stage 2 group stage, Timothée
"Timotino" Lavigne Dupont reflected on the team's first major setback since their impressive run at the
Esports World Cup. The 100 Thieves Duelist spoke with
Sheep Esports about his recent performance, how the team has prepared since the EWC, the challenges of playing Neon in the current meta, and areas where the team needs improvement before the playoffs.
This interview was conducted before 100T’s victory against LOUD.
How are you feeling after the game and the team’s performance overall?
Timothée "Timotino" Lavigne Dupont: “I'm a bit disappointed, in all honesty. We have pretty high expectations of ourselves, and we didn't play that great today. We had a pretty poor day or week of practice leading up to this match, so we kind of failed today. We just have to be good next week, actually, in two days. Everything's going to be fine.
People often say it’s better to lose in the group stage than in the playoffs. Do you think this loss could be good for 100 Thieves?
Timotino: I think so, yeah. I didn't want to go into the playoffs undefeated, you know, with a ten-game win streak. You keep getting better from winning, but losses also build you as a team. So if we're going to lose, this is the moment to lose. We'd rather lose right now than lose in the playoffs. It is what it is.
We haven't had the chance to speak since you lifted the EWC trophy. How have you been doing personally since Paris?
Timotino: It's been great. Obviously, we've been winning a lot and we've been having so much fun as a team. It's just been so insane coming back from winning an international tournament. I can't wait to qualify for Champions and hopefully go to Shanghai. Maybe I'll meet you there.
Did you feel like you had enough time to recover after EWC, reset mentally and properly prepare for Stage 2?
Timotino: The G2 match was a bit weird. Obviously, for that specific match, we had very little time, so it was a bit hard. But aside from that match, I feel like overall we've been really good. Our preparation has been great, our scrims have been okay, and overall it's been really good coming back from EWC.
You've managed to carry the momentum from EWC into Stage 2 and have been rolling through the competition. What do you think has been the biggest reason behind this consistency?
Timotino: I would say it's our coaching staff. They've been doing an insane job putting us on the same page and preparing us for each match. But in my opinion, a lot of it also comes from our individual form. Every single one of my teammates has been playing absolutely insane ever since EWC. With the playstyle that we have, it helps us a lot because a big part of our style is based on micro-level decisions, little things, people winning their fights, and winning team fights together. Having everyone in great individual form really helps us. Recently, we've been on top of our game, aside from today, of course.
Your role as a Duelist has been one of the roles most affected by the meta shift this year. How do you remain consistent when the agents you're expected to play can change from one week to the next?
Timotino: I think it's definitely hard consistency-wise with Neon. It's an agent that's super inconsistent in itself because of so many factors. I would say it's one of the hardest agents to play consistently, if not the hardest. So I've been trying to adapt and make sure my Neon is as good as possible. In all honesty, if I could build the meta from scratch, I'd put myself on Jett. I really enjoy playing Jett, the slower, aggressive, Operator-type style. That's really what suits me best. But to help our team win, I'm trying to learn and get better at Neon every single day. I want to show that I can be the best Neon. It is hard, but I'll try my best.
Does the current meta allow you to play to your strengths as a Duelist, or are there aspects that force you to adapt more than you'd like?
Timotino: It's 50-50. I'm really good at changing the pace and knowing when to go in and when not to go in. That's what Neon is really strong at, so I think that suits me well. The part that's harder for me is Operator. I personally love aggressive AWP, and on Neon it's much harder. You have to play a bit more passively than you would on Jett. So I'd say one of the weaknesses of the current meta for me is that I can't Operator as much. It's 50-50. Some things don’t complement my playstyle, and there are things that are harder for me.
Looking at 100 Thieves right now, what do you think is still missing for this team to become truly dominant in every aspect of the game?
Timotino: I think we're getting there in every aspect. Obviously, one issue we've had in the past was remaining calm under pressure. When situations became hectic, I feel like we struggled a little bit with that today, which normally doesn't happen. So we have to keep that in check and also make sure we're all trying our best to be in the best form we can be. We lost some fights today that I felt like we usually wouldn't lose. Me included, definitely. It's just about making sure we're staying calm and enjoying the game as much as possible.
You've already proven that this team can win on the international stage, while also putting together a ten-game winning streak. What did you learn from the EWC run that has helped you perform better in Stage 2?
Timotino: For me, it's really about playing with confidence. When I played at EWC, I felt like I was way more aggressive. I was constantly playing off-angles, re-taking space, and looking for those kinds of opportunities. It's something I'm really good at, and I kind of abused that playstyle during EWC. It's something I want to replicate in every single match because it's one of my strengths. I can definitely do that more often.”
