TaZ gave a two-hour interview in Polish; here’s a translated TL;DW

Interview

Shamefully taken from an HLTV post:

On coaching and G2:

The main challenge was transitioning to using English, especially since he already had some experience from his time with VP – we had to prepare strategies and communicate with the team right away. There wasn't enough time to learn things gradually – we had to start building the team's unity immediately, because they weren't in the best condition when I joined.

Regarding G2 and its community, the toughest part is how much they love memes. They tweet constantly, and you need to be mentally strong to handle that kind of online pressure. When you join a team like G2, you have to earn trust and respect. Also, it was a bit disappointing that Hooxi wanted full control of the T-side, while I was responsible for the CT side – I thought it was kind of weird.

On changes:

From the beginning of the year (2025), I knew there was tension. I could see the team wasn't heading in the right direction. I tried to do everything I could – I even tried to inform the organization – but in the end, we weren't able to fully accomplish what we had planned. Still, I'm not mad or disappointed.

Throughout the second half of 2024, the players knew that NiKo was going to Falcons, but everyone stayed committed and gave their best. I genuinely believe that if NiKo hadn't decided to leave, and we all knew the team would stay together going into 2025, we could have won the Major. But knowing it was our last tournament together added a lot of pressure.

Pressure is always there, but it depends on how big the pressure is. This team was struggling mentally, and we had to rebuild that from the ground up – we even went on to win BLAST after losing 0–13 to Liquid.

About the G2 manager saying I was brought in mainly as a mental coach:

The CEO doesn't see how the team works on a daily basis or what our preparation actually looks like. Of course, he gets reports, but those go through several people, and you don't always get the same picture you would if you were there in person. What he said was honestly a bit funny – maybe they did need a mental coach, but they already had a sports psychologist.

If that's why they brought me in, then I like to think I still did something right. I also used that time to develop our tactical side.

I'm not upset about people criticizing me – the players know exactly what I bring to the team. Being G2's coach always comes with huge pressure because this is an organization that's expected to deliver results.

Can you get less offers in the future, because of (negative) twitter comments?:

I don't think it should affect future offers. Staff usually does more in-depth research on people. I just hope that if any organization is considering hiring a coach, they'll at least talk to me first. A proper conversation usually shows whether someone is competent or not.
I believe I can bring a lot to many teams – but I'm not desperate to find a new home at any cost.

About structures:

Structures start with basic things – like who's responsible for which position, how they move around the map depending on where we're attacking, which grenades we're using, how we fake, how we rotate – these are all core elements of structure.

Some teams have very defined systems. For example, they'll call "Let's play NaVi" and everyone knows exactly what to do from A to Z – until the push happens. After that, you have to improvise, because that's often how it plays out anyway.

Then you have teams that operate mostly on defaults. Take Dust2, for example: you want to take lower and then move up to short. These are the key positions you want to control when playing a default. After that, the team decides what round to execute. That's also a form of structure – but it's a different one. And players usually want some level of freedom.

When you're running structured plays while taking space, you need to have all your grenades prepped and coordinated from A to Z. For instance, if you know there's a chance they'll push lower, it's good to have someone set up in upper tunnels and to know exactly which molotov goes into lower and what flashes you're throwing when you take control of it.

But then there are players who prefer to do things faster or slower, to feel out the game, set their own tempo – and that's when the structure can start to fall apart.

Did you prefer Hooxi IGLing or Snax calling? Of course they have completely different styles:

Honestly, it's hard to say – they have completely different styles. Hooxi's approach was probably easier for these players to follow, but Snax's style was more unpredictable, which made it tougher for opponents to read. Both had structure in their own way. Hooxi was already part of G2 before I joined, so I didn't see how he built things from the beginning. But I believe that throughout the year, we (TaZ and Snax) made huge progress in building solid structures.

I honestly can't give a definitive answer to that question. Snax's system needs well-rounded players – those who are vocal and willing to suggest ideas mid-round, especially when playing on the lurk.

Some ex-G2 player said he wouldn't play with Hooxi, and it was a condition to replace him back then. Can you confirm?

I can say there's always some truth in that, but I don't want to go too deep into it – it's history now.

Snax joining "process":

Sometimes you have to forget about past things, and we talked everything through (later). I thought he might fit the team, and he can shoot well too. We hadn't spoken before I contacted him about potentially joining, but I think he did a really good job. If he had received more trust from others, I believe he would have continued (in G2). He's still a relatively new IGL, but I think he really developed in that role during our time together.

About m0NESY when NiKo left:

When NiKo left, I felt like Ilya didn't really want to be in the team anymore. I think he tried, but it just wasn't the same. It's hard to blame him – when you lose players who inspire you, it changes everything.

I've always said that NiKo is difficult to communicate with (in the way that he doesnt agree with everything ofc), and it was hard to align things with him sometimes – but I actually appreciated that. We're both from the old school, and having different opinions was part of finding the right direction. I think he helped me a lot, and I helped him too – even at that stage in his career. He always wanted the best for the team, and he made a real effort to understand the plan and help develop it. There are very few players like him.

There's this opinion that NiKo is an "IGL killer," but it's just that he has a lot of confidence – he wants to dominate. You have to know how to use a person like that the right way. When NiKo truly trusts the IGL, the sky is the limit. You can achieve a lot with him when he's fully behind you.

You said that NiKo is a generational player – I'm wondering what is the reason that he didn't win major yet. Is he just unlucky?

I don't think it's about luck. I think NiKo still has things to learn – not about the game itself, but about how to use his leadership qualities and how to grow mentally. For me, he's one of those rare players you don't see often on the scene. These types of players can be tough to work with, but when the teamwork clicks, they can inspire the whole squad and turn your team into a contender for years.

Will NiKo win a Major?

I don't know, because I don't see how things work behind the scenes at Falcons. But I really hope he does. He's invested so much time and effort – it would be well deserved.

Were you informed through the media that you and hades were out after the Major?

I started to read between the lines about a month into the year. During bootcamp, I got the first signs that they were looking around, although nothing was certain at the time. But as someone who's spent a lot of time on the scene, I knew right away – it was 100% confirmed in my mind.

There are two ways to react when you hear about changes three tournaments before it actually happens:

– You stop caring and, in a way, destroy everything you've been working toward

– Or you say, "It is what it is, we focus on our job – they've made that decision, and now I'll try to make the most of what's left".

I respect the organization for giving me the chance in the first place. They want to head in a different direction – fine. Then I also want to take a different path and prove that they made a mistake by helping another team win tournaments.

There are leaks that huNter will become the IGL. Do you think it's a good decision?

huNter has a lot of qualities that make him a good fit to be an IGL – he works hard, he can prepare strategies, and he remembers what we want to play. But the truth is, he didn't really want to be an IGL for a long time. And if you don't truly want that role, it might not work out well. It's not just about the pressure from the organization – G2's community is a very unique one. They're usually supportive, but sometimes less so, and it matters how they react.

I think we'll also see some position changes. malbs will probably go to anchor roles, and heavy will take on the smaller bombsites.

Who was the one you had the best teamwork with, except Snax?

NiKo and huNter. When NiKo was still in the team, we used to talk a lot and even went to the gym together. And huNter – he's just a great guy. He's always kind, he has a family and easy to have conversations with.

s1mple or ZywOo in CS:GO?

s1mple

Old NiP or Vitality?

Vitality