Eternal Fire player Ali "Wicadia" Haydar Yalçın shared his thoughts on the team’s impressive victory and their preparation for the match. In an interview with Bo3.gg, he reflected on defeating legendary players like NiKo and m0NESY, highlighted the importance of team chemistry and communication, and gave his take on the recent changes in CS2, including the reduced M4A4 price and the strength of force buys.

Congratulations on your victory! It was a great game. Could you imagine a few years ago that you would defeat legendary players like NiKo and m0NESY?

Yeah, it was actually a dream of mine. But they’re a new team, and they’re great. They’ll develop soon. We had beaten them before, so we were prepared. It was a good game for us.

How challenging was this match? How would you rate your performance from 1 to 10?

I don’t want to be disrespectful, but maybe a 3.

Three? No way! To rate yourself?

Myself? Seven, yeah.

What was the key factor in winning this game? Communication, team chemistry?

Our chemistry was perfect, and we analyzed them for a long time, so we were prepared for their set tactics. That was the key.

What makes your team strong right now? What’s your unique factor?

Our chemistry is at its best, especially with jottAAA. It’s amazing.

How would you describe Jota in three words?

When we lose a round, like a 1v3, he starts screaming and making everyone laugh. He has a great mentality and lifts the team up.

Is there anything you’d like to fix before the next match?

Not really. We’re playing well. If we keep this up and improve a bit, we’ll be fine.

Who’s supporting you at the tournament? Do you feel the energy from the crowd?

For sure. We have a lot of fans in Turkey, and their support means a lot to us.

Let’s talk about CS2. What do you think about the reduced price of the M4A4? Will you use it?

Even before the price change, I was using the M4A4. This update is perfect for me. I also think the MP9 got nerfed, so it’s a good change overall.

Have you tried the FAMAS?

I don’t like it, and I don’t think I’ll use it.

What do you think about the CS2 meta, where players buy Tec-9, MP9, and MAC-10, jump around, and still get kills?

Strafing has never been this good in CS, so it works well in CS2. It makes force buys really strong.

Is there anything in CS2 that annoys you and needs to be fixed immediately?

cl_bob.

Do you know about the new Valve rating system for Tier-1 tournament invites?

No.

Eternal Fire defeated Falcons and advanced to the semifinals in Group A of IEM Katowice 2025. You can follow the news, schedule, and tournament results at the link.