"I think we are the best team in the world aim-wise" - Wo0t on Team Heretics' current form and qualifying for Masters Shanghai [Exclusive]
Team Heretics is the second team from the EMEA region to lock in their spot at VCT Masters Shanghai. This will be the second international event for Team Heretics this year and they will be looking to have a much better performance compared to Masters Madrid. A big factor in their recent success and hot win streak has been the arrival of hyped-up rookie Mert "Wo0t" Alkan.
The flex player for Team Heretics was ineligible to play until Stage 1 due to age requirements. Ever since his debut in VCT EMEA, Team Heretics have been undefeated with only a single map dropped against Karmine Corp. After their 2-0 victory against FUT Esports, Sportskeeda Esports had the chance to have a conversation with the victorious Wo0t.
Team Heretics' Wo0t talks about Boo's IGLing, comebacks on Split and Lotus against FUT Esports, and more
Q: Hello Wo0t! Congratulations on the win against FUT Esports. You have secured your spot at an international event after just four games in the tier-one scene. What are your initial thoughts after this success?
Wo0t: I am feeling so happy. I am currently playing with a 100% win rate and I just want to keep it up.
Q: There are a lot of strong teams attending Masters Shanghai. What are your early thoughts and how excited are you for the event?
Wo0t: There are indeed a lot of good teams at the event but we will have time to prepare this time. Throughout this season, we didn't have any time for preparation. We will improve ourselves and come back stronger for Shanghai.
Q: Are you somewhat nervous going into your first international event or are you feeling confident?
Wo0t: I think I am somewhat confident right now on the server. I am doing my best in the game. I am just fully focused on the game and I think I will be even better.
Q: Did you feel frustrated with all the delays you had before you could play in Stage 1? Did it affect your morale in any way?
Wo0t: I was so down mentally and I was not feeling good when I was watching the games. I was happy because our team was insane and had good performances at Masters Madrid and Stage 1. I was happy but also a bit sad at the same time.
Q: Your next match will be against Fnatic. Team Heretics previously defeated them 2-0 a couple of weeks ago without you on the roster. Do you think the team can win even quicker with you this time around?
Wo0t: The last time Team Heretics played against FUT without me, we still won and it was the same result today with me on the roster. Therefore, we can win against Fnatic in the same manner.
Q: Team Heretics had a great comeback on Split to win the map on overtime. The last few rounds of regulations from the team were exceptional to watch with methodical map control and decisive reads. How was the overall mood and communication for the team during the comeback?
Wo0t: Boo is an insane IGL. That is all. Boo is a really insane IGL. When we are losing most rounds, Boo is giving the correct calls but we are not able to act on it or we make mistakes. Boo is the best IGL I have ever seen. He never gives wrong calls but it's just that we are interpreting and executing his calls in a wrong manner.
When we are losing, we are kind of going down but even a single-round win gets us very hyped and makes us motivated.
Q: I had a chat with yetujey before VCT Convergence. When I asked him about playing against you later this year, he said that you are a great friend and a brother to him, but he would have no respect on the server for you. Do you think he should give some respect for you after this win?
Wo0t: It's the exact same thing for me. He is one of my best friends and he is a really good guy but I have no respect for him in the game. Our old coach, marqnue, taught this. We don't have any respect for each other in the game.
Q: Do you think playing with no respect for your opponents is a good or bad thing to have as a player?
Wo0t: The main reason why we were able to win Split and Lotus was because we played with confidence. Our team has insane aim and all we need to do is fight together during the mid-round, late-round, and the post-plants. All we need to do is fight together over and over again and that's all we need to do in order to win a match.
Q: Do you think Team Heretics is the best team in the world aim-wise?
Wo0t: I think we are the best team in the world in terms of aim.
Q: Do you have anything to say to the fans supporting Team Heretics?
Wo0t: Just keep supporting us. We will be better and you can be sure about it. We have a lot of potential. I think we didn't play to our full potential in the last two games. We made a lot of mistakes but we will not do that in our upcoming matches so we will do better.
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