Recently, MOUZ rifler xertioN sat down with Thorin for an interview, discussing the current Israeli CS talent boom, his experiences against donk and Spirit, among other topics. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
Q: Israel is currently producing top talents like you, flameZ, Spinx, and HeavyGod. What do you think is behind this surge of Israeli CS stars?
A: Honestly, I’m not too sure either, because we’re surprised as well. When I started out in the MOUZ academy, people didn’t know much about us, so our good performances were unexpected. We made it into the HLTV Top 30 as a academy team. Then Spinx suddenly emerged, followed by flameZ. Guy Iluz | NertZ is also very talented but had to serve his military service first. Now you can see how great he is performing after coming back. To be honest, there’s no magic involved; everyone just trains hard, playing 10-15 platform matches a day. Spinx especially played crazy on the platforms before joining a pro team. Maybe it’s just a matter of quantity leading to quality.
Q: Tell us about your first Major (Rio Major) run where you reached the semi-finals.
A: Yeah, I remember performing well in the Challengers stage of the Rio Major. I felt comfortable on stage as well. Getting to the quarter-finals, I had some clutch moments. It was crucial for me, given my limited experience in big events before that. So, yes, the Rio Major was a fantastic experience. Although some might argue that the tournament wasn’t of the highest quality, I still believe that’s unfair because the teams that made it to the playoffs had to beat strong opponents to get there. Beating Cloud9 and almost defeating the eventual champions was a great start to my career.
Q: You were teammates with Petr Bolyshev | fame earlier in your career, and you faced him in the Major semi-final. Did it feel strange to be opponents?
A: Even today, I have a good relationship with fame. I gave him a big hug backstage. Playing against him is always interesting. Initially, I lost more often, but now the tables have turned.
Q: Let’s talk about FaZe. They’re a team that often struggles in groups but shines in playoffs. Why is playing against them so challenging?
A: As you said, it’s mainly their experience. On paper, MOUZ is stronger than FaZe, and we’ve shown that multiple times. However, we haven’t defeated them in playoffs yet. When we face FaZe, our players are confident and have solid game plans. But FaZe’s players are also excellent, having years of experience at the top level. Karrigan and rain, for example — he’s one of the best AWPers in my position, and I respect him a lot. Facing them is tough, but MOUZ needs to keep following our plan, and eventually, we’ll beat them. Once we overcome FaZe, that mental barrier will be broken. It won’t be long now.
Q: What’s your opinion on donk?
A: He’s indeed a fantastic player. We have similar roles, and I’ve watched his demos. To me, he represents the new generation of aimers. He knows how to peek, how to engage in gunfights confidently. He doesn’t overthink in-game, which is impressive. People used to say that donk was just a good aim bot, but if you analyze his demos, you realize he’s clever and has his own ideas. He’s been the best player in my position for a while now, and his stats are impressive, making me feel like a rookie.
Q: MOUZ is the only team consistently beating Spirit. What’s the secret?
A: I think it’s because both teams have similar styles, but we execute them better. When we meet on the server, even though I know donk is great, I want to beat him, that’s my mindset. Since I often go head-to-head with him in matches, even if I die, I try to help my team trade kills. We’re just a more team-oriented squad, with four players capable of stepping up before siuhy’s recent excellent form. By somewhat containing donk, Spirit tends to struggle since his level is not matched by the rest of the team. Sh1ro is great too, but he’s not an overly aggressive AWPer. With MOUZ’s style and firepower, we handle Spirit quite comfortably.