sjuush: I have so much that I can bring to the team, and I think I am doing a big difference

Do you know the meme “This is fine”? A dog is sitting in a house that is engulfed in fire while watching passively as the world is burning. It was sort of the same scenario for both René "TeSeS" Madsen and Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck back in the fall of 2023 when they saw the successful HEROIC lineup fall apart after Martin "stavn" Lund and Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard left the team in turmoil.

- It was a hard period. Everything went so quick from one thing to another thing, and suddenly it was just me and René "TeSeS" Madsen on the team. I felt like since Casper 'cadiaN' Møller was out, and the first step was taken, you just didn’t feel motivated, because you didn’t see any future. But since we got this team from the start of January, I felt way better both mentally and, in my body, Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck explained in an online interview with Pley.gg before the start of HEROIC’s journey at ESL Pro League Season 19.

The former MAD Lions player was one of the least vocal players on the old Heroic lineup, but that is something that has changed since the dramatic months last year.

- I can feel that I want to take more charge and more initiative and take some space as well. In the old team I didn’t feel like I had that much space to take because we were so many voices, and if everyone speaks, there would be so much chaos. I just kind of gave up that space to give the space to the other guys, because they honestly did a good job as well. In this team I have so much that I can bring to the team, and I think I am doing a big difference.

What did you learn from the situation and all the drama that happened last fall in HEROIC?

- I think it’s taking more responsibility and believing in myself, that I am also smart, and that I can bring something to team as well. Because I felt like we were missing so many things on the last team, that I tried to bring, but didn’t get listened to. I feel like on this team, everyone listens to pretty much everything that I have to say, and it builds more confidence in myself, that every single day I can bring something, and people just take it in. So, it’s a really good feeling that I have in my body when I am able to do that.

When asked to give an example of some of the things, that Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck had not been able to come through with on the old HEROIC lineup, the 25-year-old mentioned communication as a focal point.

- It could be how you communicate with your teammates in pressured moments. Do you have to have a calm voice, how do you need to think about what words you are choosing, and what that can do for the team? If it doesn’t do anything, then you shouldn’t say it, because it doesn’t matter. That’s something I tried to do on the old team, where it became too much sometimes.

HEROIC’s new lineup is four months old now, and has yet to deliver on the same level as the previous roster. At the Major in Copenhagen, HEROIC reached the Elimination Stage but suffered a humiliating defeat in their first elimination match, where paiN won a comfortable victory.

At ESL Pro League, HEROIC is set to face a decimated Ninjas in Pyjamas roster, who are missing Fredrik "REZ" Sterner, who is out with a virus infection.