In our exclusive interview, Heroic captain Casper “cadiaN” Møller opens up on at IEM Katowice 2023.
Heroic was expected to go far in Katowice, and the squad has already secured a top-six finish. After sweeping the group stage, the Danish team is slated to compete against the winner of Natus Vincere and Outsiders in the semi-finals. WIN.gg caught up with in-game leader cadiaN, who graciously answered questions on his Heroic rivals, preparation techniques, and Katowice’s unique atmosphere.
cadiaN interview before IEM Katowice 2023 playoffs
WIN.gg: Is there a sense of excitement about playing in the capital of CSGO, Katowice?
cadiaN: It’s great to be here today. We had a good experience here last year, but actually, we lost in the semifinals. So, we’re hoping to make it essentially two steps further this time. But yeah, it’s a legendary place in Counter-Strike, so it’s good to be here.
At IEM Katowice last year, you placed third-fourth after a rough exit to FaZe, who is now out. Do you regret missing out on revenge?
I think FaZe is a very tough opponent as well, so I think we are more than happy that they are out of the city.
Is there a certain team you want to up against for tomorrow’s match?
It doesn’t matter to us, we’ll take whoever’s winning. I think it’s never good to hope for someone, it’s always gonna turn out bad.
How do you prepare for a match? Study a particular opponent, or are you ready for everyone?
We watch the demos of the opponents and study their tendencies, but right now, we’ll have to wait until they play their games to figure out who to play., so we don’t have that much time to prepare. But it’s fine, we just do what we usually do. Our analysts and our assistant coach and coach are preparing the videos first. We watch that and then make a gameplan
Any thoughts on the current split between M4A4 and M4A1-S?
I think it’s pretty balanced, but personally, I like the silencer a bit more. We have four guys on the team who use the silencer, and then (Rasmus “sjuush” Beck) is the one without, but he’s just really good with the M4A4 as well. So yeah, I think it’s a very balanced situation, and it’s nice that both M4s are being played.
Are there any other games that you like to play outside of CSGO?
I don’t have too much time, but back in the day, I played a little bit of FIFA. In the early days, I played some H1Z1 and PUBG as well. But lately, there’s not really much time to play any other game than Counter-Strike. Even though I see a lot of people playing the new Call of Duty and stuff and having good fun, there’s no time.
Was there an exact point when you were playing CSGO and realized you could make it as a pro?
No, because when I started playing, there wasn’t really money in Counter-Strike the same way there is today. It was something that happened all along the way. When Counter-Strike developed, and I developed as a player, it kind of just happened. In 2013 or 2014, I figured I might have a chance, but I didn’t expect to make a living out of it for 10 years like I have now. I was thinking maybe two or three years, and then I do something else, but yeah.
