Redgar says Gambit are still at “60 percent” of their potential
Riot GamesGambit Gaming’s in-game leader, Igor ‘Redgar’ Vlasov, said in the aftermath of the VCT Stage 3 Masters victory that his team are still far from their peak.
The Russian team ended North America’s hegemony in international Valorant by sweeping Envy 3-0 in the grand final of the VCT Stage 3 Masters Berlin, bringing EMEA its first trophy in the game.
After finishing second to 100 Thieves in their group, Gambit kicked into another gear and went on a tear. Highlights of their flawless playoff run include a 13-0 mauling of G2 Esports on Icebox and a close 13-11 victory against Envy on Haven, a map they barely play.
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesEveryone, from casters to opponents, was in awe of what Gambit showed in Berlin, but the team still have plenty of room for improvement, according to Redgar.
“I know that we are still far away from that playstyle that I have in my mind,” he said in the post-match press conference. “We need to continue to train a lot, to be able to show this kind of performance at Valorant Champions. We will do our best.”
When pressed on how far away exactly from that ideal level they are, he added: “We are playing right now at about 60 percent of what is in my mind.”
Org praise
2021 has been the year of Gambit. The Russian organization has risen to the top in both Counter-Strike and Valorant with young and vibrant CIS-based squads, showing an incredible ability to identify and nurture talent.
One of the biggest reasons behind Gambit’s success appears to be their CEO, Konstantin ‘groove’ Pikiner. The 38-year-old, who up until recently was coaching Gambit’s CS:GO team, was credited by Redgar for the role he played in helping the Valorant squad to overcome one of the biggest challenges that they have had to face in the short time they’ve been together.
“groove has helped us a lot with our communication, which we had a lot of problems with,” Redgar said. “When he came to us, he just said, ‘Okay, guys, I know what to do. I know about the situation. Let’s work on it.’
“We fixed a lot of things. We are really grateful to him. I guess that’s why we played like this in the tournament. We will continue to improve, day after day. We should become stronger.”