BBL Lar0k: "My dreams are broken now and that's it"

Beaten by Fire Flux Esports this Sunday, BBL Esports and Lar0k will not participate in the VALORANT Champions despite a very decent year.

Lar0k after the loss against Fire Flux. Credit: Sasha Safronova/Riot Games

"I hope we can keep the same roster but I don't know. It's our coach's decision"

BBL Esports’ season in VCT EMEA has officially come to an end. The Turkish team missed their first opportunity to qualify for VALORANT Champions against FUT Esports a few days ago, before seeing their second chance slip away on Sunday with a defeat to Fire Flux Esports. With these two losses, the team’s season ends just one step short of their ultimate goal.

Despite putting together a strong rookie season, Yusuf “Lar0k” Kanber, one of the contenders for the Rookie of the Year award, will go no further. Following this major disappointment, he spoke to Sheep Esports after the team’s final match.

What is your first feeling after the game?

Lar0k: “I feel nothing because we played too badly, and I can’t think about anything. My dreams are broken now, and that's it. I'm just too sad after the game.

What do you think went wrong during this match?

Lar0k: On this game, we played so badly. The Fire Flux game style is like full peek, and they are playing like ranked and relaxed, and every time they are going to peek, and they are going to sometimes shoot. If you need to look overall, they are just better at shooting, and that's it.

Fire Flux came out of play-ins and eliminated Team Vitality yesterday, so what did you think about them before going to this game?

Lar0k: Their game style is a little different because they are playing Tier 2, and on Tier 2, it’s not that much of a tactical game but just shoot versus shoot, and they played like this against Vitality and us and in the other teams. We couldn't adapt to this game style, and they are playing well.

Among your opponents is Samet "Kachoww" Arıcı because he made a really impressive start in VCT during Play-Ins and actually made a really good game today as well. So, what did you think about him?

Lar0k: Kachoww is a young player, and he has good aim, and he peeks and shoots everyone. He can take kills, but maybe if someone needs to adapt to their game style, they could win them. If someone adapts to Tier 2 gameplay, I think they are going to win. But I hope they will be going to Champions.

You had 3 weeks off before the beginning of playoffs. Did you meet any issue during this period that kind of made your team more inconsistent or downgrade?

Lar0k: We don't have too many problems actually, but in the game we made some micro mistakes, and really we are losing both games, FUT and Fire Flux. We are losing from micro, and we need to fix it, but if we can't fix it, we can’t reach anything.

What does it feel to miss Champions after the year you just had where you were the best team in EMEA and Kickoff and recently even finished first in your in Stage 2?

Lar0k: In Kickoff, we were the best team in EMEA but actually, and it's not ego; if we play normally, I think we are still the best team in EMEA. But for officials, you get pressure and you can't make anything. In practice you can make everything, but officially if you get pressure, you can't make anything. I'm too sad to miss Champions because it's my dream; it's the biggest stage on VALORANT, I wanted to go to it in my rookie season. Eventually I can't but I need to improve myself, I guess. We need to improve, I mean. And let's look what we are going to do next year. I hope we are going back like the kickoff, but I hope we can go to the Champions this time.

As you said, it was your rookie year in VCT, how did you find your own performances across the year? Are you satisfied with how you've been playing individually this season?

Lar0k: Actually, I didn't like my performance on this season. I think I'm not playing like I should do. It happens sometimes; it’s a team game, obviously, and if you are human, sometimes you can have some bad days. In this season, I played well in some matches, but if you need to look totally, I wasn’t playing like myself, and I didn't like my performance this season.

How do you imagine your future in VCT and with VBL and with your teammates? I know you've been very close and you've been playing together since last year. How do you imagine the future with the team now?

Lar0k: I hope we can keep the same roster, but I don't know. It's our coach's decision. Maybe we could have been eliminated in Play-Ins too, or we could have won the Champions, I’ll still love my team, no matter if we win or lose. I love my teammates; I love my coaches. I think they are the best friends forever. I love them and that's it.”