TL Kicks after facing KC: “It was the first official match where we faced a team like this outside of practice”

Team Liquid just missed out on the first seed in their group of VCT EMEA Stage 2, losing 2-1 to Karmine Corp on Saturday. Although this result secured KC the top spot, Team Liquid gained valuable experience from playing under real pressure in this series, which Kimmie "Kicks" Laasner believes will benefit the team heading into the playoffs.

In a post-match interview with Sheep Esports, Kicks reflected on the team’s performance against Karmine Corp, explaining how Liquid had approached their chaotic and aggressive style of play. He also opened up about his ongoing adaptation to the controller role and other topics.

Kimmie "Kicks" Laasner: “It was a good game. I think it was the first game, other than the first one against Eternal Fire where we played with LohaN (Ivo Albino), where we were actually under real pressure. It was a constant back-and-forth, trying to find answers to what they were doing. Overall, I think it was a really good experience for us before playoffs because if we had won comfortably without being pressured, we might have been caught off guard later on. Even though we lost, there are a lot of positives to take away from this match, and honestly, it was a fun game.

Kicks: We kind of knew how to deal with it because we actually play in a very similar way. We also enjoy playing in chaotic situations. On Haven especially, it really felt like we shared the same philosophy. They were constantly playing aggressively, making it difficult to predict what they were doing. Sometimes we were one step ahead, sometimes they were.

It was the first official match where we faced a team like this outside of practice, where every round required us to constantly think about where they would fight or what they were trying to achieve. Since both teams like to create chaos, it became even more chaotic, and at times we got lost in what they were doing and what we wanted to do ourselves. That led to some stupid mistakes which ended up costing us rounds. But again, it's valuable experience that will help us if we face teams with a similar style during playoffs.

Kicks: The biggest adjustment is definitely my role. I've had plenty of time now to get used to playing smokes. I started playing it toward the end of my time with Vitality, and I had played it occasionally before, but it still doesn't feel completely natural. I don't have as much experience on Smokes as I do on other roles. I feel comfortable, but I still think there are many ways I can improve by finding my own style rather than just thinking, "This is my job, I'll do it, and that's it." I want to figure out what really works for me in this role. Flash Initiators always felt very natural to me, but unfortunately that's not the role that's meta anymore. So my biggest focus is still improving my own understanding and comfort on smokes. Aside from that, I think I've adapted to the team really well.

Kicks: It depends a lot on how I'm feeling that day. If I feel confident, if everything is working, then I'll keep following my instincts. If I feel my ideas are working, I'll keep building on them. But if I feel like it's not that kind of game and that it's better to play more with the team and be less individually aggressive, then I have to take a step back. Today I actually struggled with that balance.

At the start, I wanted to be aggressive, then I realized it wasn't necessary. Later it became necessary again, and it worked. Toward the end of the game, I wasn't sure anymore because everything had become so chaotic. Every round I kept wondering if I should try something creative again or just play more standard. I think that's another part of mastering this role: finding the balance between making aggressive or unconventional plays and simply letting the game come to you.

Kicks: In my previous teams, our focus was much more on the macro side of the game. We wanted everyone on the same page regarding how to approach attack, defense, each map, and overall strategy. Here, I've learned that macro isn't necessarily the most important thing. We've had a lot of success by focusing much more on the micro aspects of the game: making sure our set rounds, executes, retakes, and teamfights are as clean as possible.

If those things are executed properly, you can rely on them instead of trying to play perfect macro every round. The current double-Duelist meta also influences that philosophy. I'd never played in a team like this before, and seeing how nAts operates with all his experience as both a player and IGL has been a really valuable learning experience. I've realized that both approaches are completely viable.

Kicks: That's a really deep question. I don't think I'd say much specifically before my first professional game. It's more something I'd tell myself throughout my career. Going back to what I mentioned about Smokes, I think I often accepted whatever role the team wanted me to play. I'd always say, "Okay, the team wants this, so I'll do it," even if I wasn't completely convinced it suited me. While it's good to be flexible, you also need to know when to say no. You need to recognize when something isn't the best fit for you and be honest about it.

Looking back at Vitality, when I permanently switched to Smokes, I believed I could do it, but I also had doubts. It was a completely new role, and I wasn't sure I'd have enough time to truly master it across every map. Maybe I should have spoken up more and said that Initiator was working really well for me and tried to find another solution. So I'd tell my younger self to think a bit more about what's best for me instead of always prioritizing what's best for the team. Hopefully that's something younger players can also learn from.”