FURIA’s Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato said the team’s packed schedule has started to affect them mentally, even after they beat 9z and advanced to Spodek at IEM Katowice. He said a talk inside the team on Wednesday helped FURIA look “way better” in the win.
The result sends FURIA into the playoffs and gives KSCERATO his first main-stage appearance at Spodek. It also comes during a stretch in which the team have been dealing with constant travel, a heavy tournament load and the uncertainty around Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s future.
FURIA say the travel has made focus harder
KSCERATO said the team have been under strain because they are playing so many events back to back. He described the recent run as stressful and said FURIA have had trouble staying sharp while moving from tournament to tournament.
“It’s been hard, bro. Not going to lie, it’s been hard to be focused.”
He said the group have tried to ease that pressure by cutting back on practice when they can and by not forcing themselves to grind through every gap in the schedule. KSCERATO also said the roster still loves competing, adding that they are “made for this life,” but that passion does not erase the fatigue.
That fatigue, he said, shows up in decision-making. When players are tired, he said, they are more likely to miss the best call in the round and let frustration spill over into the next moment. FURIA have discussed that issue internally because the schedule has left them mentally drained.
He described the effect as cumulative, saying the frustration builds quickly when a team is already exhausted. The problem is made worse by the fact that FURIA are not just playing matches; they are using those matches as a form of practice because they do not have much time for structured work.
Only about 10 maps of practice in the last month
KSCERATO said FURIA have had around 10 maps of practice in the last month. With so little time for preparation, he said the team have had to learn on the fly and rely on what they can solve during games rather than through full practice blocks.
That has made it harder to work on strats in detail, especially with so much travel mixed in. KSCERATO said the team are trying to stay confident anyway and approach matches with the belief that things will work once they get into the server. He said that mindset has helped them make the most of the limited practice they do have.
The 9z match was a better example of that than some of their earlier games. KSCERATO said the team talk before the series helped improve the mood, reduce complaints and stop players from losing focus after mistakes.
“We had a very good talk yesterday about it, and today was way better.”
That was important against 9z, where FURIA looked steadier and earned the win they needed to move into the next stage of the event. KSCERATO said the team still have to keep working on how they react when things go wrong, but the signs were better in this match than they had been before.
He also pointed to the wider tournament load when discussing why those conversations matter. With so many events and so much travel, he said the team cannot afford to let one bad round snowball into more mistakes. FURIA have been trying to solve that by talking more about decisions and by staying aware of how tired they are.
FalleN’s future is still hanging over the lineup
Another issue hanging over the roster is FalleN’s retirement timeline. KSCERATO said he is tired of talking about FalleN retiring, but he also said the team are trying to give him the best end to his career and chase trophies while they still can.
He said the group are taking things day by day. The future is still open, and KSCERATO said he and FalleN talk about it often. He did not offer a firm answer on what comes next, but said his heart will have to choose right when the time comes.
His own contract adds another layer of uncertainty. KSCERATO said his deal runs until the mid-summer break next year, so the roster’s future is something he is already thinking about. Even so, he said the team are focused on what they can control now rather than trying to settle every question at once.
The immediate goal is to win the tournament. KSCERATO said that would matter because it is the only trophy FalleN does not have. For FURIA, that makes the run in Katowice about more than just another playoff appearance; it is also a chance to finish this stretch with a title.
The schedule does not really lighten up before playoffs either. KSCERATO said he will not get a proper day off because there is a media day on Thursday, but he expects the team to rest a little before the next stage. Even with the travel and the short turnaround, he said FURIA will try to carry the better mood from the 9z win into the rest of the event.
For readers following how the rest of the bracket is shaping up, our earlier 9z interview with luchov covered the team’s own push toward Spodek.
10 maps of practice in a month is wild for a team at this level. no wonder KSCERATO said they’re solving stuff in matches instead of actually drilling it.
Is that really the main issue though? Some teams still look sharper with weird schedules, so maybe FURIA’s mid-rounds are the bigger problem.