Ukrainian player Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov gave a big interview to Leninew after his B8 victory at CCT Season 2 European Series 18, where he shared his emotions, discussed the importance of Valve rankings, upcoming tournaments and his game assessment.

Winning the CCT and the importance of points

Headtr1ck emphasized that this victory was very important for the team. In addition to the prize pool, the main motivation was to maintain and increase rating points that affect invitations to top tournaments.

“Of course, points are very important now. We knew that BC.Game also had a lot of points, so winning the final was doubly important: both for confidence and for the rating.”

He also noted the strength of the team, which was able to rehabilitate after the defeat on the first map, showing a comeback on Anubis and Ancient.

PGL Astana is the next big challenge

B8 will not directly qualify for the main stage of PGL Astana 2025, however, most likely, if they are ranked as of 3.03. will get a chance in the closed European qualification. The player noted that this tournament is the team's top priority in order to get such important points in the rankings to be able to compete for a passage to the Major.

“Our main focus is the Major. We need to prepare well, qualify and approach the tournament at the peak of our form.”

Assessing B8's progress and integrating kensizor

Headtr1ck praised his teammates for the growth of the game, in particular kensizor, alex666 and esenthial, who have added a lot of progress recently.

“Kensizor is in great shape right now. He started to take more initiative, which is evident in his game. But I believe that this is not his peak yet - he has a lot of potential.”

He also spoke positively about the change in the roles of alex666, who moved from an active position to a more passive role in the site's support.

Valve rating and problems of online tournaments

The player noted that the current Valve ranking system forces you to play every official match to the maximum, as defeats against weaker opponents can significantly reduce your position in the table.

“If you lose to a team from the TOP-50 or TOP-60, all your points are simply rolled back, and you need to fill up the winstreak again to get back up.”

The topic of online game integrity was also raised. Headtr1ck recalled the scandalous semifinal against the 500 team, where he felt that the opponents were acting suspiciously. The player supports stricter control measures, such as the use of additional cameras during online matches.

Tournament MVP and plans for the future

Headtr1ck became the best player of the CCT. He said that he improved his individual game by increasing the number of hours in the game, watching demos, and additional training at demo matches.

“I realized that I needed to reach a new level, so I started playing more. It's also important to stay focused during matches and not be distracted by other things.”

How will he celebrate the victory?

The player admitted that after a long tournament, he is going to just relax, spend time with his family and maybe watch a movie.

Next tournaments for B8:

• ESL Challenger - an opportunity to enter the ESL Pro League
• Closed qualification for PGL Astana

B8 continues its way to major tournaments, and winning the CCT is just one of the intermediate goals. Will the team be able to make it to the Major? We are waiting for the next performances!