Right after their victory over
Shopify Rebellion Gold in the grand final of the
VALORANT Game Changers
Championship, the members of
Team Liquid Brazil took part in a post-match
press conference. Amidst emotions and compliments, the TL players and coach answered questions from the media alongside their first international trophy, reflecting on the season, the grand final, and more topics.
Questions for Natalia "daiki" Vilela
You mentioned that Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo de Alcântara Sguario has been a mentor figure for you. Did he say anything to you before today’s match?
daiki: "While we were playing the Championship, he wished me good luck. I’ve been using his Brazilian keycaps the whole time, and I also spoke with his wife; they both wished me luck. Even on my way here to Korea to play Champs, he was sending messages of support.
It looked like the emotions really hit you when you went through the hugs, with the Shopify players. Why was that the moment when everything caught up with you?
daiki: Playing against them is very difficult. They are an extremely strong team, and they have already won the world championship twice. All of them are an inspiration to me. We talk a lot about meL (Melanie Capone), but every single one of them is exceptional in their own way. Winning against them moves me emotionally because it is not just any victory; it is a win against back-to-back Champions. For me, that carries a lot of weight.
When you walked away after receiving the MVP, it looked like you were trying to pull off a heist and run off with the bracelet. What actually happened in that moment?
daiki: We had rehearsed on stage beforehand, and in my head I had decided that after receiving the bracelet I would immediately go and lift the trophy again. So when I got the MVP bracelet, I just switched to “auto-pilot” and started walking away, completely forgetting there was an interview to do.
What advice or message would you give to other Game Changers players and to women who love the game and might want to follow a similar path?
daiki: I’ve been trying for a long time, and I haven’t even been a professional player for that many years yet. It is genuinely difficult. There will be moments when you feel like you are worthless, like you are a complete failure. The key is not to give up. You need to hold on to the belief that you are capable and surround yourself with people who truly support you. That is what kept me grounded when I started doubting myself, the people close to me who reminded me I was still capable. And of course, you have to practice. There were times when I played well and times when I played poorly, and I wasn’t satisfied with my level. The only way to move past that is to keep training and keep working."
Question for Julia "Jelly" Iris
How do you feel you’ve changed as a player under this new structure, and what about this squad allowed you to finally win a title alongside them?
Jelly: "I think everything I did in 2024, I’ve done twice as hard or twice as well in 2025. I’ve grown tremendously with this squad. They helped me adapt to my role, adapt to their system, and from the moment I joined, they treated me like family. That was the main thing for me. The key to our victory was how united we are and how much we trust each other."
Photo by Moon Suwon/Riot Games
Questions for Vitoria "Bizerra" Vieiraa
This was the first time we’ve really seen Veto used in an official VCT competition. What are your impressions of this agent, and what do you think are the key features that helped your team, especially considering your high rating on Bind?
Bizerra: "Honestly, I don’t think I did that much individually in the game against Shopify, but I was able to explore a lot of what the agent offers. I think he is very strong, especially because he is still new. Many teams don’t have much experience playing against him yet and haven’t practiced properly against that style. His utility is powerful, and people are still learning how to counter it. Even once teams know how to play against him, I still think he is a good pick; he is not easy to deal with. I felt I made very good use of him on defence, which is why it was so difficult for them at times. I remember several rounds where they simply couldn’t enter the site because I cancelled everything with my abilities, and there was very little time left on the clock. On attack, I think I could have explored his kit a bit more, but one of his strengths is that you can be very defensive and still take space, step forward and fall back. That flexibility makes him a very useful agent.
How do you reflect on your evolution, and on the importance of winning this title with your mother and brother travelling to Korea even before qualification was secured?
Bizerra: When I think back to my time in TBK and Cruzeiro, it never crossed my mind that I would one day be on Team Liquid, or that I would win a World Championship. Everything that is happening to me feels very significant.
My mother and my brother bought their tickets before I was even qualified to come to Korea. It was a leap of faith. My brother always dreamed of travelling to Korea, and when I found out World's would be here, I told him, I’m going to pay for your ticket. I’m going to make sure you go to Korea. My mother bought hers as well.
Now they are here, living this dream with me, and it’s something I never imagined. They travelled from one side of the world to the other just to see me play. At the same time, I’ve spent every day away from them, living with the team. We really have become a family. To experience this title with these girls, and then share it in person with my mother and brother, means a great deal to me."
Questions to Isabeli "isaa" Esser
You’ve been together with this team for a long time and grown into world champions. What would you say is the main area in which the team has evolved the most, and which helped you win this trophy?
isaa: "This year, we talked a lot about adaptation. It was something we weren’t particularly good at before, and we chose to focus heavily on it. I would say that this one factor alone increased our team’s level by a huge margin. For me, that focus on adaptation was what ultimately made us champions.
Early in the tournament, some maps were below your usual standard, but in the grand final you completely turned that around. Did the criticism ever affect you, and what changed for you to reach this level in the final?
isaa: I was fully aware that my performance was below what it should be. I don’t see criticism directly because I don’t use Twitter or other platforms, but I knew I had played poorly against G2 Gozen and that I could have played better against Shopify in the earlier stages. I think I was trying to be a player that I am not. I was trying to play in a style that isn’t mine. I was making impulsive decisions and not really thinking things through. Without wanting to sound arrogant, I know I’m a smart player, and I wasn’t playing like one. The pressure affected me a lot and pushed me into that state. Before the final today, the first thing I told myself was that I needed to play my game, to think clearly, and trust my own style instead of forcing something else. That shift in mindset was crucial."
Question for Letícia "Joojina" Paiva
How do you see the journey from that Joojina to today’s world-champion Joojina?
Joojina: "I don’t think the reality has fully hit me yet. I’m the kind of person who takes a while to process emotions, so the feeling hasn’t completely settled. But when I look back, I see that I did everything I could. My family is far away, and at first, I thought I would feel very isolated, but over time, this team became a family to me. I don’t have any problem not being the star or not having the highest number of kills, because I know the girls trust me. And I know that when they need me, I will be there."
Header Credit Photo: Christina Oh/Riot Games
