kas: “Making [UKIC] Div 1 playoffs and HLTV was a big confidence boost, just a pure moment of joy”

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Travelling home and feeling the post-LAN blues can be the worst, but UKCSGO has you covered with content coming out this next week for you to relieve LAN all over again. First up is an interview with Irish import Kuba “kas” Capala. Previously playing under the banner ‘Halal5’ they impressed many people by making it to UKIC Divison 1 playoffs last season, kas‘s first HLTV game. Since then they have been picked up by returning organisation Belfast Storm.

Representing the Irish organisation at the LAN they placed top-eight, eventually being knocked out by GET BDOG’D in an intense three-map affair. After they were eliminated, kas sat down with UKCSGO to talk about how the LAN went, what it is like playing with players more experienced than himself, and expectations for their team.

Firstly, How has LAN been? It has been fun watching all your drawn-out long games.

It is not anything different from online CS, all our games are close online like they have been on LAN. Last season of UKIC it was just 13-11 and overtimes every single game. I think we are just that type of team to grind rounds out, just like the UK VP, paid by the rounds [laughs].

You guys had a pretty disappointing end losing to GET BDOG’D. Are you still happy though with your performance?

I think we definitely could have done better. In hindsight, we had an extended break after the season ended, realistically it should have been a top-six finish but I am not disappointed. We have been teaming since April, so it is only up from here. There is nothing to be sad about.

There were flares of inexperience showing when times got rough. Is that something to do with some inexperience on your team?

Definitely, I think that is where we just go into a prac server and work on that. We are getting a coach… whoever it might be, I am not allowed to leak, contractually. With the new coach, we will be working on this.

The more tournaments we play in and the more LANs people attend will just get better. There are definitely some issues, not throwing anyone under the bus but if they work on it then the sky is the limit.

What is it like playing with three very experienced players as an inexperienced player at this level like yourself?

I think I am learning a lot. I don’t want to say I am so inexperienced because I have been to Irish LANs and have been around for a while, but I haven’t taken it as seriously ’til this team. Every day you learn something new, Nem, dexie and Finui are all great help in every aspect, I am glad they’re here. I am learning a lot from them for sure.

You guys got recently picked up by Belfast Storm, does the organisation add any support?

How that came about actually was just a random Twitter DM from the org owner. He approached us and told us what he could offer and what he could do to support us. Basically, they are not a brand new org because they have been around for a while, but they have never been at a level like this. They probably don’t know what to offer and stuff like that, but have been very helpful. For our online season, they have supported us every step of the way there, and for LAN, we just got picked up three or four weeks before. We had already paid for it and we decided to represent them at LAN. They have been good so far.

Before the season ended, you made UKIC Divison 1 playoffs and made HLTV, was that something you expected and what was your first HLTV experience like? 

So we came into that season without any expectations. Our season started off with us using Midgard and Igor for UKIC and ESEA Main. We were practising before the last season started but went into the games with dexie and I casting them because we couldn’t play. So our season started a bit rough [laughs].

I’d say if we had played the whole season with our full five we would have had more wins under our belts and wouldn’t have had that six-way tie in the groups.

Our expectations weren’t that high. Our mindset from the very start of the team was just to keep gradually improving, whatever we get, we get. Try to improve as we go. Making Div 1 playoffs and HLTV was a big confidence boost, just a pure moment of joy. I was just thinking, ‘holy shit I am on HLTV’. I will tell you, playing that game on HLTV, I just couldn’t believe it. I was starstruck. I think the nerves crept in a bit when I knew that my name was going to be there and it was my first HLTV game for myself and Frosty. The first map was definitely kinda shakey.

Didn’t you win map one?

I know [laughs]. We were just kinda shaking from excitement.

What is next for Belfast storm and what are your expectations?

Up next we have the UKIC Divison 1 season and ESEA Main. We are trying to see if we can go to an Irish LAN as well maybe. I know there are few QUBLANs coming up, maybe a GamerFest we can go to which would be great craic. The events are run really well, and compared to before covid when the LANs were full grassroots with a few boys in a university hall or hotel basement, it is completely different.

Now playing at GamerFest and having the organisation there done really, really well and it going really smoothly was crazy to see. I just thought that Irish CS would never reach this level. Especially in Ireland, I thought no one would have that type of interest. But when you have an event at a gaming convention like that it legitimises it and gives Insomnia vibes. People who are not interested in CS watch it because they are at the event.

For expectations, we want to make playoffs in both UKIC Divison 1 and ESEA Main, we want to finish the season strong. Other than that, in ESEA Main we could maybe grind out ESEA Advanced if we put time into it. For UKIC Divison 1 we would love to get top-four and in groups, we get five wins and earn the spot legitimately. Last season anyone could have gone through and we don’t want that to be the case this time.

You mentioned you had played so many Irish LANs, what is it like to go from the Irish scene to the UK scene and why did it take so long?

I think to be honest, for a good while I felt like the UK scene wasn’t for me. I have no idea why I thought that because when I got into it, and made friends, everyone was great. Especially with the team I have around me now, Luke [Nem] and dexie are great people, cracking jokes every day. I am not sure where I got that stigma from personally about the UK scene.

The Irish scene seems to be a little more secluded, there are not a lot of people that make that jump to the UK scene. There are so many good Irish players around that would make a great asset to any of these EPIC.LAN teams, but they are either just not arsed or a bit scared to bridge out. The Irish scene is very cliquey and it is hard to go from your comfort zone, with all of your mates, to fully tryharding team CS. Players I would love to see branch out are Nathan [N8] and Jackmon. I lost a LAN to them, unfortunately [laughs].

They are my good friends and I would love to see them at least try.

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