"Im not comfortable. Making playoffs means nothing. We could be undefeated right now, and be having the same conversation" Zellsis on his mentality

VALORANT esports is truly a gift that keeps on giving as day 2 of VCT 2023 - Americas League’s week 5 produced yet another entertaining matchup between two premier NA teams: Sentinels and Cloud9. With a record of 2-3 going into the matchup, Sentinels were looking to improve their record for a better chance at a Playoff spot, whereas Cloud9 was looking to improve their seeding on the table and come toe-to-toe with LOUD.

Cloud9 have had a magnificent event so far, despite the surprising roster changes made just week before its commencement. Following today’s matchup, they now boast a 5-1 record with a guaranteed spot at Playoffs. After improving their chances of a potential Masters Tokyo qualification, Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro sat down with THESPIKE.GG in a post-game interview expressing his thoughts on the game, personal performance and factors to improve on for next week.

THESPIKE.GG: As soon as the result became apparent, what were your immediate thoughts? How did you guys react on the win?

Zellsis: I think the entire match, emotions for me personally, were pretty high. Obviously, I have some history with Sentinels, I have a lot of love for them, so it was good to beat them in the fashion we did, but I think the main thing for us was just making sure that no matter the score, we were making sure our heads were on every run.

THESPIKE.GG: Cloud9 lost Pistol, Eco and then even bonus on Lotus, but then came back so strong. What changed in that round or what changed to give you such a big push and momentum?

Zellsis: Yeah, we felt like we were going to lose. We started really flat on Lotus, it was only about three or four rounds or something, but in Valorant, three or four rounds can make a huge difference in a game. So after those three or four rounds, we only won one round. At that point, I basically told everyone that we needed to play more aggressively. We couldn't play scared like we had been in the first two rounds. We were playing defensively and kind of respecting the other team too much. I think the biggest thing for our team now is that we can't respect our opponents too much. We have to show that we're here to play and that we're here to win. After the other team went up 3-0, 4-0 with their run, you saw Jake starting to peek and Zellsis just running at people. I was trying to make sure that we were all fighting together. We had gone in with a game plan, but we later adjusted it when we saw what the other team was doing. I read into what they were doing, so on defense, we made sure that we were fighting together and doing team plays

THESPIKE.GG: When you guys have big momentum pushes, how easy is it to lose concentration of yourself and letting go of the gas paddle and giving them a chance to come back?

Zellsis: Something that I really focus on now is making sure everyone's breathing. Making sure every round, even if we win with five alive, I'm saying, 'Alright, next round, we're focused’. We were up 8-0, 7-0 on Fracture and the guys were laughing. I'm like, 'Guys, it's great, we're winning, but focus on the next round. Stop talking about the last round, stop discussing, giggling, whatever it is. The game's not over. You can go up 8-0 and you can lose 8-4. You lose pistol, you lose the eco, whatever, it's 8-8, then all of a sudden, you're screwed.' So I think the biggest thing is just making sure every round, I'm telling them to breathe. A big thing within this team is that these guys respect me a lot, and I think I owe it to them to make sure that we're staying focused. Everyone here wants to win, so their concentration doesn't really let go in matches.

THESPIKE.GG: How about the time your roster has had? How well has your practice or your scrims been and how has the success been so immediate?

Zellsis: I think the biggest thing bringing in Jakee and Runi is that they were super hungry. They still are super hungry, and I think that's the biggest thing with rookies. You'll see a lot of vets, they're not as hungry or not as motivated as they were before. The rookies want to be here, they want to win, they want to prove themselves. So, they're super eager to get in the server and play well. I think the biggest thing with them is our coaching staff and our six men, mCe and Qpert. I think they do a lot in terms of our comps, in terms of our server time, in terms of making sure that we're all present at certain times, or when we have practice, that we're there on time, stuff like that. Matt (mCe) really focuses on making sure people have their breaks. Like if we're eating, we're not eating at our desks, we're eating together, we're eating at a table, we're eating somewhere away from our workspace. Or in between scrims, if we have a bad scrim, he takes everyone outside or one by one, talks to them, chills with them. In between, he makes sure they get some sunlight, calms them down, whatever. I think that's a big thing on mCe. And then with Qpert, Qpert puts in a lot of time with our strats. So, I think both of them, with the support we have from them, it allows the rookies and us to play our best.

THESPIKE.GG: Now that you guys have a very good record in the league, and have made the playoffs? How do you think you guys can keep the same winning mentality going into your next matches?

Zellsis: I'm not comfortable. Making playoffs means nothing to me. Anyone can make playoffs. I don’t care that we're, we could be undefeated right now, and we could be having the same conversation. I want the first or second seed. I think the buy in the first playoff round is huge, and I don't want any of my players, and I don't want anyone to think that we're comfortable. I don't think anyone should be comfortable, and I think that's what we should, every team should be aiming for. I don’t think throwing matches is in my forte, and I don't want my teammates to think that either. I want us to come in every week, pretend we are 0-0 and not in playoffs playing like our lives depend on it, and I think that's how it should be looked at.

Make sure to check out our VCT 2023 Hub for all the information about the VALORANT events this year.

Featured image courtesy of Riot Games.