The end of 2024 marked a turning point for TSM’s Counter-Strike 2 roster, as the organization exited the competitive scene, leaving behind questions and unfulfilled ambitions. In an exclusive interview, coach Rejin opens up about the challenges of building a team from scratch, the lessons learned during their journey, and his reflections on the year. 

How did you react to the news that you are out of the roster and the whole thing with TSM has collapsed?

It’s just like it is written in the announcement. There's not really much to do about that. I was told after I got home from the RMR that some changes were happening. So I'm not surprised that it happened now, but they decided to go that way, and you just have to respect that, right?

In your estimation, how was the year you spent there, and how would you assess the results? Do you agree with the organization’s decision? Or do you think you could have done better with more time?

When I joined TSM, that was at the start of 2024, and we had to get a core of three people ready for 2025. So our goal was 2025. It was not to make the Major this year or do anything significant this year, basically.

Of course, it's nice to win some tournaments and go to some LAN events, but that was not the idea. The idea was 2025. We have to be ready for that.

So, when you consider that, I think we did fine. We didn't do really well, but we also didn’t do badly. I’d say it was okay because we picked up free agents in the first part of the year. We wanted to wait until after the Major to make sure we made the correct signings and didn’t just buy players. We got everybody as free agents except for Zyphon.

I think I managed the team pretty well. I think our general manager did well too—he worked super hard to get the lineup we wanted. Of course, we didn’t get the lineup we initially planned for, but with the pieces we had, we managed to grind a lot in the summer, qualify for the closed qualifier, and then go to the RMR.

We didn’t make it to the Major, but in some ways, I think we overperformed. I don’t know if that makes sense because no one expected us to be where we were, right? So, in some ways, we overperformed. But in other ways, of course, it wasn’t good enough.

In which ways do you think you overperformed?

Well, being at the RMR, right? That wasn’t even a goal, and no one believed in us. When we made the team, we had zero points on HLTV or in the rankings, right?

So we had to grind a lot. We made it through the closed qualifier, and I think we overperformed in some ways. Of course, you can argue whether that’s just what’s required, but we had a month to prepare, and we made it work.

Do you think there was a disconnect between your performance and the organization’s expectations, considering you believe the team overperformed?

It’s hard to say. My main communication was with the general manager, and he worked extremely hard to keep the project moving forward. From what I understood, our goals were aligned for 2025.

That said, I think there may have been financial issues within the organization, which affected their ability to support the CS:GO division. This is just my assumption—I don’t know for sure—but it seems like shutting down the division was a financial decision. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes that’s just the reality of the situation.

Was the focus on 2025 established from the beginning, or did it evolve over time as the roster developed?

Our goal was 2025. If we had successfully signed blameF and k0nfig as we originally planned, our goals for the first and second halves of 2024 might have been different. But since we couldn’t get them and had to go with our backup plan, the goal ultimately remained the same. I hope that makes sense.

It’s a really long time—a year of preparation for another year. From a financial standpoint, wasn’t it clear that this approach could be tedious?

Sure, you can say that, but at the same time, remember that the roster we had in the first half of the year was just to keep our points, keep our slots in the Challenger circuit, and ensure everything stayed in place. It was always a temporary solution.

Our goal was to assemble the lineup we wanted after the Major—the first Major, which was in Copenhagen. When we didn’t get the players we were targeting, we had to move to Plan B. I think it’s a bit unfair to say, "Oh, you need to qualify for the Major with this lineup." I think that’s unreasonable.

At the same time, we were close, so you can argue whether it’s reasonable or not. But the fact is, that was our goal, and it was aligned with our general manager. That’s all I can explain because I don’t think there’s much else to add.

Can you share more about your strategic approach to the team’s preparation throughout the year? For example, I’ve interviewed coaches like Kane, and they spent nine months with the same roster, constantly on bootcamp with the Passion UA lineup. From my experience, this is a common and effective approach. I remember AVANGAR did something similar back in the 2018-19. Can you explain your approach and how things evolved?

So, you have to look at it like this: we had KWERTZZ, poizon, Joel, Zyphon, and Valde. The only two players I knew we’d keep were Zyphon and Valde. If you cut three players, you lose all your points because it’s a new core.

So it didn’t matter much if we grinded officials early on because we’d essentially reset the team anyway. We were playing, but not as intensely as we did later.

Also, Valde was new to in-game leading and wanted to try out a lot of ideas. So that’s why it might seem like we weren’t pushing as hard in the first half of the year.

There’s a clear link between the number of official games played and a team’s form. Was it only because Valde was new to IGL? 

Yeah, he had to learn a lot. When I joined, he was just starting as a full-time IGL. I think he did okay — not amazing, but not bad either. He’s a really good leader as a person.

Would you say he’s a natural-born leader?

Yes, absolutely. He’s calm, authoritative, and takes responsibility. His biggest issue is a lack of experience, but that’s something he can gain over time.

He learned a lot over the year and improved significantly. I think with another six months to a year, he’ll be a really strong IGL. He just needs time to refine a few things.

Do you think we, as community, are sleeping on him, as captain?

I think so. People outside the team often just look at scores and don’t consider the details.

For example, our T-side win rates were really high overall, so we must have been doing something right. Of course, it wasn’t against top-tier teams, but you can only play as well as you can with the resources you have.

Our main issue with TSM was the lack of firepower on the CT-side. We didn’t get those easy multi-kills, and it made things really difficult.

That makes sense. Moving forward, what are your plans for 2025? Do you have any offers, or are you planning to take a break?

I definitely need some rest right now. I had another interview where I might have said something wrong, but the truth is, I need a break.

That said, I’m not stepping away from coaching. I love the game too much. I don’t have anything concrete yet, but I’m in talks with some people.

If you were to join a new project, what are the key things you’d look for?

It just needs to be interesting. Of course, I’d love to join a Tier 1 team right away, but I understand why there might be hesitation.

I’d also love to continue with the same roster we had at TSM, but a lot of things would have to align for that to happen.

Ultimately, I’m not done with coaching. I love CS too much, and I enjoy putting in the hours. For now, I’ll relax in December, spend time with my kids and family, and recharge.