After
PCIFIC Esports' narrow loss to BBL Esports in their
VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA
KickOff debut, Felix
"al0rante" Brandl spoke with
Sheep Esports in a post-match interview. He discussed his first Tier 1 appearance, the unique pressure of playing on stage, how the team recovered from a nervous start, and why they were assembled later.
This was your first match in VCT EMEA. What did you feel when you walked on stage and loaded into the server, and what stood out to you the most?
Felix "al0rante" Brandl: "It’s a different environment and a different feeling when you play on stage. It’s not comparable to sitting at home. The biggest difference is being on stage with the team and seeing the opponents across the room. It’s a very good feeling, and I enjoyed it a lot no matter the result. I think we showed a good face. For a first game, we’re also a very fresh team, probably the latest-built team in the league. There’s a lot of room to improve and a lot of potential for upward growth. Overall, I’m happy with how the day went.
After a difficult first map, what did the coach and the team say to help you get back into the match and win the second map?
al0rante: The first half of map one was mainly nerves. For four of us, it was our first VCT game.
Breeze also hasn’t been back for long, so we don’t have much experience with it. But in the second half, we got more comfortable, and it became really close; we could have won that map. There wasn’t anything special said, just a normal pep talk: focus on what we practiced, play to our strengths, enjoy what we’re doing, and it worked out.
On Pearl, you played Sage. Can you explain that choice? Was it personal, or part of a bigger plan?
al0rante: qpert
(Mateja Mijovic) played something similar in
Liquid Academy and had a good experience on it, so we decided to try it. It worked pretty well in scrims. In this match, we hadn’t faced a defense like theirs, Cypher bunker setups with Odin spam. We didn’t find the solution to that. But overall, the comp suits us, and I don’t think the comp itself was the issue. We got useful data from this game.
Right after the game, what do you think you were missing today against BBL to secure the win?
al0rante: Experience as a team, experience playing different comps and playstyles, and experience on stage, especially on map one. That’s what was missing. With time, I think we’ll have a big chance to beat teams like this and perform the way we can.
On this roster, what is your main role, and what is expected from you in key moments?
al0rante: People always expect shooting from me, of course. But another big thing is leadership. Even though it’s my first time in VCT, I think I’m good at being a leadership personality. I keep everyone accountable, make sure we do the right things, improve every day, and become the best team we can be. That’s my biggest responsibility.
How did your integration into this team go, and did you feel a difference in intensity compared to Tier 2?
al0rante: You can feel the level is higher individually, and the standards are higher. Everyone in this league can shoot; everyone is very good. It comes down to which team is the best at the end. For me, the biggest difference is that it feels like you’re playing with mechanically and individually better players.
Pacific Esports are entering with their Ascension 2025 trophy at the VCT EMEA tournament. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Was there any player who surprised you, either in scrims or in the official?
al0rante: Honestly, seven (Johann Hernandez) on my own team. He destroyed on the second map. I didn’t follow Tier 2 Americas much, so I hadn’t seen him a lot, but he’s an insane gem. I’m not sure why he only got into Tier 1 now. I think we’ll see a lot from him this year.
You looked calm during the match. How do you handle stress and adrenaline in your first Tier 1 official? And did you manage to sleep the night before?
al0rante: Everything was normal. I treat this as an opportunity to enjoy what I’m doing, and I’m very grateful to be here. Enjoying it helps release stress. Sleeping was fine too, I have good people around me, so there’s never an issue with those things.
Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek is a world champion with a lot of experience. As a younger player, do you ask him for a lot of feedback, and what does he help you with the most?
al0rante: He’s shared a lot of experience with us. He’s been in Tier 1 and VCT for a long time, so he knows how everything works, how to treat yourself properly, and he helps a lot with that knowledge. He also helps a lot on the server. But I think we complement each other well. It’s not that he does everything; everyone has their own part, and it works well together.
Being in VCT means spending a lot of time in Berlin. How do you handle life in a gaming house and being around teammates all the time?
al0rante: I was skeptical at first about Berlin and living together, but we found the right people for it. There have been no issues, the location is great, and there’s nothing to complain about. We’re all really happy, and it works the way we want it to.
After a loss like this, what are your main priorities in practice this week to be ready for the next match?
al0rante: We’ll keep going and keep doing the same work. We know what to improve and what we need to fix to succeed long term. We’re young together and fresh, so we’re taking Kickoff as a big learning experience. We have a very good plan, and you’ll see a better version of us after Kickoff. I don’t want to go into details, but we know what to fix.
What are your goals for this split and for the year, individually and as a team?
al0rante: Individually, I want to show everyone I belong here. I was stuck in Tier 2, but I believe I’m meant to be in VCT, and I can play among the best. As a team, we want to become the best version of ourselves and reach the goals we set. We want to reach Champs. We also take Kickoff with perspective because it’s our first official tournament together, so we’ll learn a lot from it. Of course, we want to reach the top and go to
Masters Santiago, but we’ll see, it’s in the stars."
