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Global Esports took to X (formerly Twitter) on September 20 to announce that Russel "Russ" Mendes was joining their Valorant roster for the upcoming VCT 2023 season. He is one of the four confirmed members of the GE squad so far, the other three being Lightnigfast, Benkai, and blaZek1ng. It has also been confirmed that Russ will be taking on the role of the team's in-game leader (IGL).
Fans are surely excited to see how the addition of Russ, as well as the other players, will have an impact on GE when it comes to results in the upcoming VCT season. Before VCT 2024 kicks, Abhipsito Das of Sportskeeda Esports had the chance to pick Russ' brain in an exclusive interview, where he spoke about playing in the Tier 1 scene after a long time, his ex-teammates, Sayf and Leo, and more.
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Global Esports' new IGL Russ shares his expectations from VCT 2024
Q. The 2024 season will mark your return to the tier 1 Valorant scene after a fairly long absence. How are you feeling about it?
GE Russ: I'm really excited. I've been working incredibly hard throughout the whole year, and I've made major improvements to my game. I wish to show my true potential next year on the main stage.
Q. What major adjustments do you think you might have to make playing with Global Esports in VCT Pacific compared to how things worked in Europe?
GE Russ: The major adjustments would just be the structure of the team in terms of I'll be implementing a different playstyle that they're not used to.
Q. Staying away from home is hard. Did being a player of Indian origin factor into your decision to join Global Esports and move halfway across the world?
GE Russ: Yes, it did play a factor in the decision, but it was mainly due to wanting a fresh start & everything seemed right to me with Global Esports. Whereas I've had offers from other teams in the EU where I felt like there was just something missing.
Q. Coming to more GE-specific stuff. You must have seen some of their games from last season. While the team showed potential, they failed to close out maps. What are some things you can bring to the table to get better results in the upcoming season?
GE Russ: I will be bringing my EU experience in terms of teamwork and my leadership to the team. I know how to work with people and get the best out of them. I know what needs to be done.
Q. You have played alongside Sayf and Leo, considered some of the best players in the world. Can you share some things you learned from them that you plan on taking to your new teammates?
GE Russ: I feel like I've learned a lot from them, but it's honestly really tiny things, especially how they can take over games, and I just know what I needed to do for them to succeed.
Q. Lastly, with how rosters have been shaping up so far, do you have any predictions for the 2024 season of the VCT?
GE Russ: The 2024 season will be crazy, I honestly feel like it will be a lot more competitive this year as there is not really a full roster lock till the end. But like I'm sure it won't be the same teams next year staying at the top throughout the year. I have hopes for FNATIC, but it will be x2 harder in the 2024 season.
You can also follow all the roster changes taking place across the world ahead of VCT 2024.
