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FUT Esports is one of the most hyped teams ahead of the VCT EMEA 2024 season. The outfit already showcased an impressive performance at Red Bull Home Ground and is looking to replicate the same at VCT Convergence 2023. Fans are especially excited to see how well Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek will perform with an all-Turkish roster after being away from his home turf for almost two years.
Convergence 2023 will serve as the perfect opportunity for FUT Esports to end the current year on a high note and establish themselves as a powerhouse team in the upcoming EMEA season.
Ahead of VCT Convergence 2023, Sportskeeda Esports had the opportunity to have a chat with FUT Esports' Sentinel player Eray "yetujey" Budak and assistant coach Alp "sw4y" Özkuvancı.
The former had plenty of praises to sing about FUT Esports as an organization and the comfort level that he feels with the team so far. The latter delved in-depth into the workings of the Turkish Valorant scene and provided valuable information surrounding his addition to the roster as well.
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FUT Esports' yetujey and sw4y talk about their experiences so far with the team and the potential of Turkish players in VCT
Q) How has the experience been with FUT Esports so far as a rookie in the tier-one scene?
yetujey: It is really good to be a part of this team, as my teammates have a high level of experience. The team environment is like a family, and that makes me feel quite comfortable.
I have a lot of trust in my team, and Red Bull Home Ground was a good event for me as I am still a rookie for now. But I trust my team and me, so we are ready for Convergence as well.
Q) You replaced mojj, who was the longest-tenured player for FUT Esports and someone the organization could always rely on. Did this move give you added pressure to live up to expectations, or did it give you more confidence seeing that FUT Esports gave you a very prestigious opportunity?
yetujey: There was a little bit of pressure for me, but the team and the organization are really good as well. They made me feel more comfortable, and I felt like I was in their family.
When I had to participate in the first tournament with the team, which was the Red Bull Home Ground qualifier in Istanbul, it went fine despite me having some pressure on my shoulders. But I just trust myself and have a lot of trust in our game, so it is cool.
Q) How has it been working with the IGL MrFaliN and head coach GAIS so far?
sw4y: When my tryout with FUT Esports started, I learned something new on the first day. Similarly, I learned more new things on the second day and onwards. That gave me the motivation to work with them.
My career was about to go downhill as a Turkish regional team dropped me out. My tryouts with FUT Esports gave me the motivation to work again at the top level. I hope I can continue to work with them, and I hope it will be good.
Q) Turkey is a region with an enormous amount of talented players. What are your general thoughts on the Turkish scene? Do you think the team’s former Duelist player qw1, who has recently returned to the tier-two scene, can make a comeback and get opportunities with VCT EMEA teams?
sw4y: There is so much potential in our region. The people in our country are totally crazy about games. When you are in a game with a Turkish person and if he loses, he will not stop until he wins because that is our culture, and that’s how we develop ourselves.
There is a Turkish saying that all Turkish men are born soldiers. The tier-two scene in Turkey has a lot of soldiers in it. They work very hard, and they all try to be stars.
In that sense, qw1 is a really good player. He is a player that you can’t always find in many regions. I would compare him to David Beckham, as he played in mainstream clubs and then had to fall back to Championship level teams.
He came back to the Premier League and got far better. I think qw1 is in a similar boat, and he will be better than ever if he comes back to the tier-one scene of VCT.
Q) Do you think Turkey is the best overall region in EMEA Valorant for finding talented players and having a structured system to develop and field highly skilled players?
yetujey: In Turkey, the players are much more aggressive and they have a lack of respect towards their opponents in the game because they always have a feel for the game.
They always want to win every time, and therefore, the VCT Turkish League is the best right now, in my opinion. The second best region in EMEA might be Spain at the moment as I think they are really good as well.
sw4y: Turkish teams provide an easy opportunity to find lots of talented players. In Turkey, it is quite hard to just earn in your life through gaming. If Turkish players are in a team and are able to earn well in life through gaming, it means they have a drive and the makings of a star within them.
That is why all Turkish teams have a lot of star players. I also think Riot should give more help to the tier-two scene so these talented players can develop better and find spots in franchised teams.
I think earning well enough in life is the hardest thing to do in the tier-two scene. So, this will be the best thing that Riot can do for these talented players in EMEA and Turkey.
Q) Are you looking forward to playing against any particular Sentinel players in VCT EMEA? How excited are you to play against your former teammate, Wo0t, during the regular season?
yetujey: I already played against him during the Red Bull Home Ground qualifiers, and I managed to beat him. If I play against him again, then I will defeat him once again. He is my friend and like a brother to me, but on stage, I have no respect.
I want to play against Alfajer and beat Fnatic as well. I think they are a very strong team in EMEA and are like gods. However, I will make them lose to us.
