IEM Sydney was a successful tournament for OpTic Gaming, as they achieved a top-four finish. However, this result doesn’t tell the whole story of the team. Ever since stanislaw, their respected in-game leader, left, OpTic has been struggling to find a suitable fifth player and leader.
In Sydney, hazed from CLG stepped in as the IGL, replacing JasonR. OpTic had some difficulties against SK Gaming in the semifinals, but they performed well against lower-tiered competition in the group stage.
interviewed Tarik about the leadership situation, OpTic’s future plans, and their map pool.
Effectiveness of hazed as a leader
Hazed stepped into a difficult situation. He had very little practice with us before the tournament, but he performed remarkably well considering these circumstances. It’s not easy to transition into the role of an in-game leader on short notice, so he deserves credit for his performance. We want to keep him as at least a coach for sure, but we’re still undecided on the fifth player and what our next steps will be.
Relationship between hazed and the team
Our previous experience with hazed in CLG made it easier to work with him as the authority figure. He has already made a positive impact on our team, both in terms of strategy and team environment. He helped with our structure and boosted the overall atmosphere. We are optimistic about his role as a coach.
Responsibilities of a coach
Hazed is taking on both in-game and out-of-game responsibilities as a coach. While in-game strategy is his top priority, he also plays an important role in maintaining a positive attitude and preventing complacency within the team. His assistance with our structure has been invaluable, especially since our previous IGL, JasonR, had to take on the role without prior experience.
The process of bringing Jason into the team
Finding a fifth player and a suitable IGL has been a challenging task. There are very few IGLs available in North America. Jason was someone we thought had the skill and willingness to take on the IGL role, so we decided to give him a chance. Things went well at the summit, where we placed third, so we’re continuing to work with him. However, we are still uncertain about our future plans with him.
Potential role for RUSH
We have considered the option of one of us, like RUSH, taking on a more emotional guide and mediator role rather than a strategic one. Whether we choose this path or not depends on the person’s willingness. We are still exploring our options and need to make a decision soon, considering the upcoming tournaments.
Individual game and adapting to leadership changes
Adapting to changes in leadership has been difficult, but we can’t make excuses. We have to focus on our individual performances and do our best with the situation at hand. Transitioning between different in-game leaders is not easy, especially when we don’t have a stable five-player lineup to practice with. It has been a back and forth process for us.
Integrating playstyles and maintaining OpTic’s identity
We are open to incorporating hazed and Jason’s playstyles into our team while also maintaining our own successful playstyle. It’s important to adapt to meta changes and what works for other teams. Both hazed and Jason are bringing their ideas to the table while also respecting what has worked for us in the past.
Factors behind OpTic’s success
While stanislaw was a smart IGL with good ideas, the success of OpTic was a result of the collective contributions from all team members. Any of us could make calls during a round, whether it’s me, NAF, rush, or oskar. Everyone has been involved in developing strategies and making decisions during mid-rounds. We just needed one person to have the final say and take on the pressure of being the IGL.
Lessons learned from successful moments
The moments of success showed us that we still have something to fight for and a chance to improve. We were confident and expected a better performance against SK. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned. Now, we need to analyze the situation and learn from it.
OpTic’s mentality for the future
We need to focus on solidifying our fifth player and ensuring our roster is complete. Practicing and working hard is crucial. Finding a stable fifth player is challenging, but once we do, everything will fall into place.
IEM Sydney, OpTic Gaming, CLG, hazed, IGL, leadership, map pool, in-game leader, playstyle, stanislaw, finals, fifth player, coach, strategy, team environment, adaptation, success, future plans.