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On Week 5, Day 1 of the VCT 2023: Pacific League, two exciting matches were played. The first game was between Paper Rex and Global Esports, which saw Paper Rex emerging victorious with a 2-1 scoreline. The second match between Gen.G and DRX was a far more one-sided affair, with DRX securing a comfortable 2-0 victory.
After these matches concluded, Rishabh Kalita from Sportskeeda Esports got the exclusive opportunity to have a conversation with f0rsakeN. Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto is a professional Valorant player from Indonesia who's currently playing for Paper Rex. During the conversation, the esports athlete spoke in-depth about their match against Global Esports, shared tips on how to improve in the strategic shooter title, and more.
PRX f0rsakeN speaks about his team's performance against Global Esports in VCT 2023: Pacific League, the most underrated team in the league, and more
Q. Hi Jason, how are you feeling right now?
f0rsakeN: I am feeling super, super grateful because we could win against Global Esports. Even though we lost the first map, we are still very happy.
Q. How do you think you played in today's match?
f0rsakeN: I think, in today's match, I feel like I didn't show up to people that much. I mean, I am not doing that well. I don't know why, maybe because I am a bit tilted actually. But yeah, I can do better next time.
[Tilted? What caused this?]
I am tilted because of the first map, it's just that we were too afraid of the Harbor walls and, yeah, it was kind of tilting.
Q. What are your thoughts on your team's overall performance today?
f0rsakeN: Looking at d4v41, something, Jinggg, and mindfreak, they are all doing pretty well. They are all doing really well, actually. I am just supporting them, you know, from behind.
Q. Were there any moments in today's game where you felt surprised or thrown off by something Global Esports did?
f0rsakeN: Yeah, for example, in the first map, their pistol round was different. They pushed us at B. We kind of expected them to do that, they will push every round on the pistol especially, but as I said, we just didn't play like (we did) in practice. Global Esports, I mean, they do really well on pistols. I think most of the teams are trying to use the same concept in pistol rounds now. They just go together as a team. So, yeah, I think they are doing a really good job.
Q. Looking back on the match, what were some of the key factors that you feel contributed to your team's win today?
f0rsakeN: On the second and the third map, we just played our own way. We didn't think too much about them because, on our first map, I feel like we were kind of afraid because we were overthinking their strategies. But in the second and third maps, we did our own thing, we played as we practiced, and we won the maps.
Q. During a recent conversation with Monyet, he mentioned that he has a lot of respect for you outside of the game, but that when you guys meet in-game, he will have no respect for you. What do you have to say about this?
f0rsakeN: I mean, it is true because I feel the same way in matches. Don't give too much respect to people just because it's a competition. But now, I won, so Monyet, I think you... [laughs]. Never mind. Nothing, nothing, it's nothing... [laughs].
Q. Are there any specific professional Valorant players or teams that you look up to or consider as your role models, and why?
f0rsakeN: I think I kind of play flexible. I sometimes play Initiator and at other times, I play Sentinel. I don't have any players that I am inspired by. Because I just play how I play on Sentinels and Initiators. I don't really copy someone's playstyle. So, yeah, I just do my own thing.
Q. In your opinion, which team do you believe is the most underrated in the Pacific League, and what factors do you think contribute to their lack of recognition?
f0rsakeN: I think maybe RRQ. When we scrimmed against them, they were doing really well. They beat us on some maps. I think RRQ, yeah, they can perform well.
Q. As a player who frequently plays Duelists, how do you maintain your sharp aim over time? What advice would you offer to aspiring players who want to improve their accuracy and consistency in the game?
f0rsakeN: I think that you just have to be calm and try to shoot calmly. I feel like people know it by now. They're already playing like yay, you know? They are all copying yay's playstyle, which is very calm at shooting. I think it's good. I think for Valorant, it's very, very good. As for my opinion, you just have to be calm and confident.
Q. What do you like to do when you aren't playing Valorant?
f0rsakeN: Sometimes, I play football with teams. But... actually, I always play Valorant [laughs]. Every day.
Q. Paper Rex will be facing Talon Esports next. What do you think of the team?
f0rsakeN: I mean, you can see the score, they aren't doing really well. But I hope that next week, we can have a great match against them. Maybe they will show us something, we don't know. But yeah, we'll just enjoy the game.
Paper Rex will be facing Talon Esports next in VCT 2023: Pacific League. The upcoming matchup is currently scheduled for May 1, 2023.
