On the final day of the group stage at IEM Dallas, Heroic defeated the PGL Copenhagen Major champions, Natus Vincere.
Nico Tamjidi, playing as a stand-in for Heroic under the nickname nicoodoz, delivered an impressive performance to help his team overcome the strong opposition. Following the match, nicoodoz spoke to the media about his performance and his future plans after leaving Heroic.
Q: Congratulations on beating the new Major champions, NAVI. What do you think you guys did right in this match?
A: Before the game, we prepared and studied their playstyle, knowing we had a good chance against them. They were quite beatable, and we approached the match with confidence, knowing what they would bring. We had a solid plan and executed it well, which led to our victory.
Q: So far in the tournament, your individual performance has been quite solid. Any secrets behind that?
A: Honestly, maybe it’s because I was benched. When you’re benched, all the pressure is off. From that perspective, I have nothing to lose. I just need to showcase my best and hopefully have a chance to join another top team after this event. Right now, I’m giving my all for the team, and I’m grateful to everyone in the squad. I enjoy playing alongside them, and there are no personal issues.
Q: Speaking of being benched, are you using this event to prove your worth?
A: To some extent, yes, but I came to Dallas to do my job. I knew I’d be attending this tournament regardless due to visa issues with the new player. I was ready for it.
Q: With Abdul Gasanov | degster already a few weeks into his time at Heroic and them developing new strategies, did the rest of the team hold back during practice, keeping their new tactics secret from you?
A: I trust my memory, so even though they haven’t trained with me for three weeks, I still remember all our setups and such. Since they only had five days with degster due to ongoing competitions, they didn’t add too much new content. Any additions were mainly Dust2-related, and thankfully, we haven’t played Dust2 much so far. Overall, Heroic hasn’t changed too much, and I’m still aware of what the team is doing.
Q: Were you incorporated into their system with degster?
A: Yes, they showed me some things that degster brought in, so it was a good learning experience. I get to learn from another great AWPer and see how he approaches certain rounds, which is valuable.
Q: Beating NAVI puts you one step away from the playoffs. What would making the playoffs mean to you?
A: Advancing to the playoffs with Heroic would be a fantastic way to end my time here. We’ve had some good results, but never made it to the arena. For me personally, it would be the perfect ending.
Q: Next up, you’ll face either BIG or Virtus.pro. Thoughts on that?
A: We’re confident against either opponent. We lost to VP in our first match, but we identified areas for improvement. Maybe the lack of practice together made our teamwork a bit rusty, but we’ve been feeling confident in recent matches.
Q: After your time with Heroic ends, have you considered returning to Danish CS or are international offers more appealing?
A: I’m open to all offers and will see which one suits me best.
Q: Have you received offers as a primary or secondary AWPer?
A: I’ve received offers as both an rifler and an AWPer, and I’m considering which role would be the best fit for me. Personally, I lean towards being an AWPer because I feel it allows me more freedom to showcase my skills.
Q: Can you talk about your playstyle? Why do you sometimes opt for a rifle instead of the AWP?
A: It adds more flexibility for both sides, allowing faster movement around the map without making too much noise. The AWP can be limiting in terms of angles and how you approach certain situations. Sometimes, a rifle can pick up the pace and give me more versatility.