After a rough start and a roster change along the way,
Team Heretics have rediscovered their winning form with a streak of three consecutive victories in
VALORANT Champions Tour Stage 1. Following their win against FUT, TH’s newest player, Martynas
"Koshmaras" Namikas, sat down with
Sheep Esports for a post-match interview. He discussed the current meta, his playstyle that heavily revolves around Neon and the Judge, and more topics
How are you feeling after these games against FUT?
Martynas "Koshmaras" Namikas: “It feels amazing. Just amazing!
FUT are known for their aggressive playstyle. For you, does that require a lot of adaptation, or, conversely, do you perform better when there is more chaos?
Koshmaras: Definitely yes. I thrive in chaos, so I guess playing against a team like FUT is way better for me than playing against more structured teams. Even though I didn’t play that much better compared to some other games, I still feel like it helps me a lot because I thrive in chaos. So it’s good.
We’ve seen you adopt the Neon and Judge playstyle quite a lot since the beginning of your run. What is your approach to this meta and this kind of playstyle?
Koshmaras: I mean, for me, I’ve been playing Neon for maybe two years now, so it’s kind of the same style. The meta hasn’t really changed anything for me personally. But with all the other agents being nerfed, for me, it’s actually like a buff, because there are fewer abilities. It means I can play more freely. There’s no Yoru anymore to catch you from behind, for example.
You recently joined Team Heretics. How has your integration into this roster been so far?
Koshmaras: I mean, it’s been really simple. I feel like the boys welcomed me really well, so it wasn’t hard at all to integrate. Also, I think they saw that I’m a good player, so that made it easier for them to trust me and for me to fit into the team.
You are taking your first steps in Tier 1 EMEA. What is the biggest difference in your opinion compared to Tier 2?
Koshmarasq: I mean, the biggest difference is the stage. In Tier 2, I only played on stage maybe one time. Here, there’s a crowd, a big crowd. That’s the main difference. But overall, gameplay-wise, it’s not that different from my experience in the DACH Tier 2 stage.
Team Heretics during the game against FUT Esports. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
When you stepped into the VCT EMEA stage for the first time, did you feel any pressure or stress before the match?
Koshmaras: No, not really. I didn’t feel any pressure or stress. I was just there to play my game.
You’re surrounded by players who are used to Tier 1 competition. In-game, do you feel like you have a voice and can express yourself the way you want in comms?
Koshmaras: Yeah, definitely. I can feel the experience that the whole team has, and I can still integrate myself into that. Even though I don’t have much experience, everything feels natural. I can express myself in comms without any issues.
So you fit naturally into the voice comms during the game?
Koshmaras: Yeah, exactly.
We talked about Neon earlier. I would like your overall opinion on the meta. And if you could remove one thing from this meta, what would it be?
Koshmaras: If I could remove one thing, it would be the Operator.
Joining in the middle of the season can be complicated. Do you feel any pressure to achieve the results Team Heretics want to, or are you just focusing on doing your best and moving forward?
Koshmaras: No, I don’t feel any pressure. I’m just here to ride the wave and help Team Heretics reach what they want.
To finish this interview, which aspect of your game do you think you need to improve the most, and where do you think you currently stand out?
Koshmaras: For improvement, I would say confidence in voice comms, speaking more confidently. Sometimes, in my head, I know what’s going to happen, but I’m not always confident enough to say it because I don’t want to make a bad call. And for my strength, I would say my dueling.
