'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAMBAAMAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAEDBAIABREGFDEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMGEQEBAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADBEEREjH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AIl8BvTXKrtbbLU2UdooKomzktSUkDWhrZ/eaev6VfZXVWspp1ul7G6P2q8+lmjonwP8HHHCuYjx6zJ18OsstHI37L2Vey6aSqVVWgVz/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Week 2, Day 2 of VCT 2023: Pacific League saw two of the most intense matches in the league so far, with both clashes going to the third map. The first bout featured Team Secret and Paper Rex, followed by the match between Detonation FocusMe and Gen.G. Team Secret clinched the first game 2-1, while Gen.G won the second with the same scoreline. After the match reached a conclusion, Rishabh Kalita from Sportskeeda Esports got the opportunity to have a conversation with Team Secret's DubsteP.
Jayvee "DubsteP" Paguirigan is a Filipino player who has accrued several accolades in the game. In fact, the esports athlete was also an active member of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene.
During the talk with Rishabh Kalita, TS DubsteP shared several intriguing insights into the team, qualities that differentiate an average player from a great one, their upcoming opponents in VCT 2023: Pacific League, and more.
TS DubsteP talks about team in VCT 2023: Pacific League, his stress management routine, importance of mindset in esports, and more
Trending
Q. What do you think of your individual as well as your team’s performance today?
DubsteP: I think individually, we were doing great. Expecting Paper Rex, they are always chaotic. They always do this very chaotic setup. They always make the game so entertaining to watch, so it feels like we kind of overcame how chaotic it was. I am proud of my team and proud of everyone who also kept up with how much chaos we were having.
Q. Did Paper Rex employ any particular play or strategy that caught your team off guard during today's match?
DubsteP: Everyone knows Paper Rex is always the explosive team in this tournament. So, I wouldn't be surprised if they really were this explosive because I think in the match we just had, just now, they were really explosive. They had this burst setup, burst executes, so I feel like it's their playstyle and that's their strength.
We had to play against their strengths so it was really hard because we were defending, we kind of choked after winning like five rounds in a row.
Q. During my earlier interview with Borkum, he pointed out that the team's primary weakness was their routine. Did TS make any improvements in that area before today's match?
DubsteP: Yeah, I think everyone has worked to improve their routine so. I think in VCT LOCK//IN we really had it rough. We played too many scrims for the match. But now we are focusing on relaxing and clearing our minds rather than practicing so much. Having scrims so much exhausts your mind. So relaxing and improving what you can do the day before the game is one of the best things that's adjusted right now.
Q. What do you think TS could have done differently to be a more dominating team today, especially on the map Haven?
DubsteP: I think, just fix our defense. We kind of threw in the last half of defense. We did not really retake, we did not really do many things like what we did in the scrims. So I feel like it was the pressure mounting on us. It was obviously our map pick, so everyone was expecting us to win. But yeah, a win is a win.
Q. According to RRQ's Lmemore, Team Secret is one of the most formidable teams in the league. In your opinion, what sets Team Secret apart and makes them such a challenging team to compete against?
DubsteP: I think what makes us different is that we've been teammates for so long. Having the two young guns invy and Jremy, we became a more mature team. I think the two young guns, as young as they are, they feel differently. They are really mature. They have this professional mentality and I am really proud to have them as my teammates and everyone on this team. So I think what sets us apart is how close we are to each other.
Q. Which teams in this league do you view as the most challenging and why?
DubsteP: DRX. They have always been the top one in Korea and we want to show Korea that there's a new sheriff in town [Laughs].
Q. Competing in esports tournaments is a stressful endeavor. How do you manage and cope with the pressure when competing in high-stakes events like the VCT Pacific?
DubsteP: I guess everyone has their own stuff, but for me, like I kind of watch anime, I watch relaxing videos, watch car videos. I love cars, I like modding cars. It was one of my hobbies back in the Philippines, but here in Korea, I can only watch them. So it is really relaxing for me to do that.
I think mentality is one of the most important things in esports. You cannot just train and train mechanically. Taking care of your mental composure is on par with having mechanical skills because the latter is already a given if you are a professional player.
Q. Speaking of mentality, what was your mindset going into the third map? Did you expect the game to go on that long?
DubsteP: We expected it to go but things happen. You can't control it. So going into the third map, I felt like it was going to be a banger match because both teams are playing double duelists. So I was quite excited about that and I am glad that we turned out to be the winners of that map. We wanted to prove a point, and the point was proven.
Q. Team Secret will be facing Gen.G next. What are your thoughts on the team, and how does TS plan to approach the game?
DubsteP: We approach all our games similarly. We give our all, we give our hundred percent. If not our hundred percent effort, we do two hundred percent. So it won't be different in terms of preparation but we need this W (win) so that we can like comfortably go into the next matches without any pressure.
Q. Being an esports athlete that has been active in the scene for quite a while, what do you think separates the best esports players from the rest? Is it talent, hard work, strategies, or something else?
DubsteP: I think the things that you said like talent, hard work, and strategies, those come into play as long as you have the will to win. You don't give up after losing one tournament, or after losing two tournaments. For me, I have lost for years. I couldn't become one of the best. I have lost like four years, five years in a row. I couldn't even qualify for a single major event.
I think what identifies the best esports players is the will to not give up, the will to keep on going, and the will to believe in yourself.
Team Secret's upcoming opponent in the VCT 2023: Pacific League is Gen.G. The match is scheduled for April 10, 2023.
