Following an excellent 3-0 week for Vitality, Vetheo sat down with our reporters in this exclusive interview to discuss the team's evolution in the LEC 2024 Winter Season. Mentioning confidence, his goals, and his expectations, he goes in-depth on his views regarding the 2024 season.
Vetheo, competing in the 2024 LEC Winter Split.
| This week must be re-assuring for the team! How do you feel after beating G2 Esports?
Vetheo: "It's going really well; it was a good week. After all, I don't think the team we played against had a major impact. We were really focused on ourselves this week, and I think it worked well. We worked on our strategy, and we were very confident. Our drafts were just better, and it was quite straightforward to play."
| You mentioned in an interview wanting to dedicate 2024 to your personal improvement. How's that going so far? What do you think you've worked on the most?
Vetheo: "Currently, what I'm focusing on the most is the laning phase. I'm particularly working on my movements, especially in lane, and my knowledge of match-ups. I think this aspect will continue to be at the center of my efforts throughout the year. Of course, there will be other aspects to work on over time. There's a lot to consider, but for now, I would say my main focus is really on the lane and movements."
| This year, you joined Vitality. Last year, you were with Excel, then Heretics. How's your integration with Vitality and its coaching staff? Are you happy to reunite with Carter, with whom you worked at Misfits?
Vetheo: "Very well. Initially, the atmosphere is often very good. But when I compare our 0-3 week with the one I had with Excel, it's not the same at all. Whether in terms of ambiance or atmosphere, I think the difference lies in the fact that I'm working with people I really want to work with. Moreover, these are individuals who also want to work with me."
"My teammates are talented players who want to win, so it's quite easy to get along with them. Of course, there's no problem at that level, but for me, the most important thing is the staff and working with people who want to work with me and trust me. That's really the feeling I have, and I'm really content."
| Last week didn't go well. Now, you're completely opposite with a 3-0. What changed between the two weeks? What did you improve?
Vetheo: "I think we mainly needed time; we still have a lot to improve, and it will take a few months. We worked on specific aspects that we identified as lacking last week. By strongly focusing on these concrete aspects, I think it really paid off for us this week."
"That's what makes the difference when teams are not fully prepared. In retrospect, I think last week, we should have won at least two matches, especially the first one where we made a bad decision trying to finish, leading to our defeat. For the last match, we simply weren't ready. Although we made mistakes, it allowed us to improve this week, so it's a blessing in disguise."
"This week, we also made a lot of mistakes, and we will continue to learn from them. I believe it's just a matter of time for us to improve, maybe even at a faster pace than other teams."
| Being a professional player is tough. Most people think it's just playing and living your passion. With social media, fans, haters, how would you say you handle the stress and pressure of your job?
Vetheo: "Social media does impact me less compared to before; it's been quite a while that I'm here now. Maybe not at 0%, but so little that it's insignificant to me. Being a professional player relies a lot on confidence; it really makes everything."
"Last year, when I played the worst, it was when I had lost that confidence. It wasn't going well, especially because of that. Now, I manage it better, especially thanks to the people I work with. As soon as we lose or something bad happens, we find the reasons and work together to find solutions. Losing self-confidence is the worst thing that can happen to a player. That's when you start doubting everything: yourself, the environment, your actions, strategies, mechanics... it's a vicious circle. It's really one of my goals this year too; I want to ensure that we all have faith in our teammates. When players in a team lose confidence in each other, it's the end."
"With regard to social media, I think most players in the LEC are mentally strong, especially when they've been around for a while like me. Being a professional player requires having a thick skin. There aren't many players who survive the professional league environment without it."
| How do you feel about the meta? Does it favor you?
Vetheo: "For me, I think I've reached a point where I can play almost all champions. Maybe not all at the same level; I have champions that I'm better at than others. But in any case, in all metas, I'll find my place in the middle. I really like the game, the meta. I think the changes they made are really good. It brings a lot of freshness to the game. It's been a long time since I enjoyed playing Solo Queue so much. It's my job to play what's strong, and I think in almost all metas, I'll manage to find my place, so there are not too many problems with that."
| Do you think the recent matches have infused new confidence within the team? Have Vitality's goals changed?
Vetheo: "No, I don't think so at all. What I really consider most important for us is that when we were 0-3 in the first match, everyone was relaxed; everyone was laughing before the games. I think that's a really good thing; it didn't impact our confidence at all. Moreover, we had a very good training week, which obviously helps when you start 0-3 and then lose all your scrims."
"But the training week went very well for us. I really think we didn't lose confidence at all, and it showed this week. Sometimes we play too confidently and make mistakes, go too far, or something like that, somewhat silly mistakes. But I think the team's goals for now remain unchanged."
"Whether we're at 0-3 or 3-0, it doesn't change anything, except that when it was 0-3, of course, we need to start winning games to reach the top 8. We know what we're capable of. We still have two players and a staff who have already won the LEC. These are individuals with a lot of ambition, and I think regardless of the result for now, the goal is to progress, given how quickly we're progressing and how much we've evolved between the first and second weeks."
| Which champions would you like to see buffed and nerfed?
Vetheo: "I would say buff Zoe because it's been a long time since I could play her in competitive."
| Everyone remembers your Zoe when you played for Misfits!
Vetheo: "She's one of my favorite champions! Akali is strong right now, so I don't need to change her, but Zoe, it's been a while..."
"For a nerf, I'm not sure. Maybe a mid laner who's often present, Azir? Actually, maybe Jax; I'm tired of losing a ban on Jax all the time. I think this champion is not normal. Otherwise, I think there's rarely a champion much stronger than the others."
Vetheo, winning in the LEC.
What's next?
Now sitting at 3-3, the team is poised to enter the third week of competition and try to improve on its past record while maintaining its upwards trajectory. Facing SK Gaming next week-end, the team is set to be faced with fierce opponents and will have to show great levels of play if they want to compete with the higher teams in the standings.
Week 3 Vitality LEC Schedule:
- Saturday 27th - VIT vs SK
- Sunday 28th - VIT vs TH
- Monday 29th - VIT vs MDK
