We sat down with Kevin “xccurate” Susanto at the PLG Grand Slam 2018 before games begin. xccurate sheds light on the progress of TYLOO this year, his take on Indonesian CS:GO and what he hopes for the upcoming year.
CSGO2ASIA: Hey Kevin, it’s been some time since we spoke. How are things going for you?
xccurate: Yeah, things are going well. This year we’ve had a lot of good results overall and been attending a ton of events, so I am really happy!
CSGO2ASIA: Super! Since we last met, you guys have had a really busy tournament schedule all over the World, not just in Asia. Walk us through some of your biggest lessons learned in these past few months?
xccurate: Attending all these tournaments at the start, we really kept doing just the same things. I think the biggest takeaway has been that we need to learn to change things around after each tournament. Facing all the better teams now, we’ve learned that our old ways of playing – very rigid, it just doesn’t work. We also need to focus on expanding our map pool to give us a better chance when facing teams in best-of-three matches, because this is really a problem for us.
CSGO2ASIA: Got it. So, It’s no secret that your in-game communication in TYLOO has had issues. Has this improved at all do you feel? And do you have a system in place now after playing with each other for most of the year?
xccurate: Haha, I think it’s kind of 50/50. I really feel that sometimes it just works really well, and sometimes it’s terrible. So, I can’t say that it has actually improved. Maybe it’s just our confidence in each other, and individual plays that have definitely improved. Also, I think maybe we just understand each other a bit better, but communication still needs work.
CSGO2ASIA: What do you think has been your single biggest breakthrough this year, personally?
xccurate: Well, one big moment for me was winning StarLadder Chongqing. I think this really made people recognize me and the team and gave me a lot of confidence. Of course, the second moment has to be qualifying for the FACEIT Major. This was such a great moment and really changed everything for me.
CSGO2ASIA: How has your success been received back home? Both you and BnTeT have put Indonesian CS on the map in 2018, has this had an impact on the local scene yet? If so, how?
xccurate: Right now, the scene has definitely progressed. There is a lot of tournaments, LANs and even an Indonesian Pro League. But despite this, when you see viewership numbers and stuff, it’s still really low. I don’t really know why actually. Maybe it’s because CS:GO wasn’t free to play before, and I feel Indonesian’s are just a bit hesitant for non-free-to-play games, haha.
CSGO2ASIA: Do you think the new free to play update will change that?
xccurate: I don’t know, I hope it makes a difference. I would really like to see more people playing CS:GO, we have a lot of talent there. I mean, there is now an ESL Indonesia Premiership, and I thought they would include CS:GO, but it’s only Dota 2. For the local teams, it’s still really hard for them. You see a lot of good teams in Indonesia but whenever they go overseas to face other Asian teams they just can’t do much. We shall see, and let’s hope it makes a difference!
CSGO2ASIA: Ok. Let’s talk about some of your most recent results. You had a good run at the Toyota Masters Bangkok last month (2nd place) and went on to play much tougher opponents at the Supernova CS:GO Malta. Do you think there is still a big skill gap between TYLOO and these top-tier teams or is it something else preventing you from breaking out in group stages against the tougher competition? Help us understand this from your point of view.
xccurate: Well, first of all, I think our communication is still a big problem. Secondly, I think not having a coach that can help analyze our plays, work on strategies and correct our mistakes is a big disadvantage for us. Even just someone to look at specific things on CT or T side and correct that, we really lack that. I mean, we have Hansel putting in all this work but sometimes I feel maybe we need someone else, someone to respect outside of the game that can tell us what to do. Another problem I feel is our motivation, we have moments where we all feel so confident and motivate each other, but sometimes we all feel down and depressed after losses and it doesn’t help. Also, our map pool really needs work as I said. You know that’s the thing I don’t get sometimes, we play our strongest map in a best of one and we just lose it, that really demotivates me, so I don’t want to rely on these maps anymore, haha.
CSGO2ASIA: Yeah, that makes sense. So in terms of how you guys practice, because you and BnTeT spend a lot of time in Indonesia, do you think this is a problem, and do you even get a lot of time to practice now with the way your schedules are?
xccurate: No, I don’t think so. We have a strict schedule from Monday-Saturdays. The problem is only how we apply this practice. We scrim a lot, we dry run a lot, but when it comes to the official matches, things just go haywire sometimes. It’s as if nothing we did in practice even matters.
CSGO2ASIA: Right, haha. So that is why a coach will help. How is this search going and what are you looking for in a coach?
xccurate: Yeah. The last I checked, we have some candidates in mind and we will probably make a decision very soon. Of course, we need someone with a strong understanding of the game, someone who understands our weaknesses and can help us improve, someone who understands the Asian CS scene a bit…
CSGO2ASIA: Do you think that is necessary, or wouldn’t someone who understands the wider CS:GO scene be better since you are trying to improve your overall game and not just versus the competition in Asia?
xccurate: Yeah, I mean, I think the most important thing is they need to have a good understanding of our team, like what is TYLOO. They need to know the habits of my team, what our strengths and weaknesses are and help us understand that better.
CSGO2ASIA: Ok, cool. We’ve heard rumors that Captain Mo will be retiring in January, can you comment on this, and if so, is your team actively looking for a replacement?
xccurate: Right now, I’m not sure. I can’t really say what will happen, but let’s see after the Major.
CSGO2ASIA: Spicy! Lastly, what can we expect from TYLOO in 2019? What are your goals as a team and for you personally?
xccurate: Well for next year, as a team, we definitely want to finish at least top 8 at the Major and secure the legendary spot. On top of that, I would like to see us take at least another 2 or 3 trophies and make it back to the Top 10 in the World. For me, I want to remain stable and consistent as a player and earn an MVP award, that would be cool.
CSGO2ASIA: Awesome. Thanks a lot for your time and good luck here, Kevin!
xccurate: Thank you, nikh!
