cNed: “We couldn't agree on the contract terms with BBL”

The Turkish VALORANT esports scene is incredibly promising, and Mehmet Yağız "cNed" İpek quickly caught everyone’s eyes domestically and internationally. cNed’s iconic 6-man kill highlight on Jett during the Twitch Rivals: VALORANT Launch Showdown - EU #2 showcased his potential early on in the game’s life among participants from both content creators and professional players. Reports even came in that FNATIC are setting their sights on the Turkish player to kick off their tactical shooter’s roster.

THESPIKE.GG got the opportunity to sit down with cNed to discuss what caught his eye in VALORANT, the potential growth of the European scene, his own aspirations and achievements, and what is next for him and the nolpenki squad.

Answers edited for grammar and clarity.

cNed admitted VALORANT’s trailer instantly grabbed his attention with Jett’s smokes and dashes on display, which suits the player’s aggressive style. Once he was able to obtain a closed beta key, he sank several hours into the game, and it quickly paid off.

Despite his young age, cNed was involved in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitive scene. However, “there’s not much investment for CS:GO in [Turkey], which means that Turkish players can’t achieve or earn what they deserve. Therefore, I chose VALORANT not only because Riot Games has offices in Turkey, but also because I anticipated that it would be more popular among Turkish players.”

Every player in the VALORANT scene wants to be recognized as one of the best and be remembered by both professional colleagues and community. This is exactly what cNed is working towards, as one of his “future goals is to be one of the players that have their name always remembered in the VALORANT universe.”

His 6-man kill highlight during the Twitch Rivals: VALORANT Launch Showdown EU #2 captured the attention of many, which he described as an “an unforgettable moment.” He attributed their semi-final victory to the regained self-confidence following this play.

“That was an unforgettable moment for me. I was performing pretty bad that match, but after I had that 6-man clutch, I regained my self-confidence and we won that semi-final. No wonder we have an aggressive playstyle, and my agent also contributes to this. This is probably why I am successful. Honestly I feel bad for saying this, but yeah, I sometimes play out of the plan.”

During his tenure with BBL Esports and with every passing game, cNed’s potential shined through his impressive gameplay, proving his skill set is relatively superior than his teammates. This often put him in situations where people were expecting more out of him. To him, it meant he needed to “always work hard and try [his] best to be the best player in the team.,” he continued, “so this is not something limited to the BBL team. I try to be the best in every match and team.”

He eventually made the move to nolpenki, ranked 13th in THESPIKE.GG European Rankings as of November 2nd, 2020. The player confirmed during the interview he didn’t leave BBL Esports willingly, but the reason behind it was due to negotiations falling off between the player and the organization.

“I didn't leave BBL Esports for nolpenki. We couldn't agree on the contract terms with BBL and then I reviewed offers from other teams and eventually we formed the nolpenki roster. Now I'm walking on this path.”

In the following period, he “reviewed offers from other teams” and settled for nolpenki. When asked about the potential possibility of joining FNATIC, with their entrance into VALORANT probably coming towards early next year, he refused to answer or comment on the matter.

With 54 competitive matches registered on Jett, cNed is sometimes seen as an agent one-trick. Obviously he is capable of piloting other agents, however, the feedback from his teammates and coaching staff kept him on Jett due to his abilities.

“In both teams I’ve played (BBL,nolpenki) I stated that I can play agents other than Jett, but the feedback from my teammates leaned towards the idea that I should play Jett and think about nothing else. That’s why I listen to my team and try to do my best.”

“When Jett is utilised correctly, she is an ultimate game changer agent. She shines out with her mobility, thanks to both her knives and other abilities. Being able to instantly retreat after taking a kill grants a great advantage to the team. But of course, it’s important to be able to utilise this correctly,” said cNed.

Considering there aren’t many Turkish players shining on the international stage, cNed is one of the few that managed to capture the attention of many. He believes that “many Turkish players are incredibly talented but they don’t know how to use it, and therefore struggle forming a successful team. If this gets fixed, Turkey can have a great impact in the VALORANT scene.” He even continued to rate the Turkish scene as the third right behind the European and North American.

With the First Strike Europe: Open Qualifier A kicking off today, nolpenki is setting their eyes on the prize, and Mehmet Yağız "cNed" İpek revealed they have been “training hard and smart.” Him and the team’s roster are going to do their best to earn their place in the top 8 and qualify for the VALORANT First Strike Regional Finals.