Interview with DIG CSGO Fe coach, Xp3
Xp3 talks about his professional CS past and how it feels to switch to a coach position.
David “Xp3” Garrido is the coach of the Dignitas CSGO female team. Having been with the team since 2014, he saw them grow in the server until they eventually became world champions not one, but two times. David tells us about his past in ESL Pro League, how the opportunity with Dignitas came to be, and how impactful he can be to the squad’s performance.
Hello David. Can you tell our readers a bit about you and your backstory in Counter-Strike?
Xp3: I'm David "Xp3" Garrido and I've been playing Counter-Strike for 15 years already. I've started in France, that's where I'm from originally, I played on teams like aAa, which is one of the biggest names out there and then I moved to America and played on Complexity and some other big names. Up to CSGO, I played on eLevate and Winterfox, which was pretty much the teams that I've played for the longest in my career.
You’ve been coaching the Dignitas female team since February 2017. How is the experience as a long-term coach been going so far?
Xp3: It's been a bit more than that, actually. For Dignitas, it's been since 2017, but with the team has been since 2014, I would say. When they first started, I started coaching them, so it's been a long road. The experience has been good. It's much different from playing, because when they're playing, I can only help them so much. The game isn't going to be in my control, it's not like when I'm in the server playing. It's a whole different experience and a whole different perspective that you must take on to the game.
It’s been a very successful run so far, with two World Championships and several other major trophies. How do you see the evolution of the team in general?
Xp3: The evolution has been really good, at least for me as a coach, and to watch them grow as well. They've come a long way since they started, they're on a completely different level. They had so much to learn and nowadays we can actually call them professional, because they put in the time, they work hard... they want to prove to themselves that they can compete, but also that they belong here and I think I can only be proud of their journey.
You also had a rather successful past in professional CS:GO, having most notably played for eLevate and Winterfox during the first and third season of ESL Pro League. What made you take a step back and abandon playing in the top tier of competitive Counter-Strike?
Xp3: It was mostly a series of unfortunate events, I think. Mostly started with Winterfox and after that with Denial, where we had conflicts with the organization. At the time, when we were in Pro League, the organizations would own the spots to ESL Pro League and at the end of one season where we had a pretty bad placing, we ended up at 8th place overall or something along those lines, so we wanted to make a roster change and make the team better for next season, but the organization simply denied that, so I decided to take a risk and leave, forfeiting my pro spot and from there we went from a bad organization to another, that was Denial and it was just a down spiral from there.
It’s relatively known that you still play with some lower tier teams, mainly in ESEA. Can you tell our readers what you’ve been doing lately?
Xp3: I was playing a season ago, which was around 3-4 months back but this season I didn't play at all, simply because I wanted to put in a little more time with the girls and help them out, but also because playing has to mean something to me. I don't want to just play for the sake of it. I want to play to compete and if I see an opportunity that is interesting enough to make that happen I will probably try and take it, but I'm not really pushing for it.
Going back to your current job as a coach, what do you usually do on a regular day with the Dignitas squad?
Xp3: I'm just the extra person, I give my input when they practice, I try to be on and watch their games, their matches, their demos... the usual stuff that I would do with my teams as a player, basically. It's just that this is time I'm not playing. It still kind of revolves around the same. I have to develop strategies, make sure the players are comfortable, that they like the spots they play, that they learn how to play them properly, and it's up to me to keep track if they're doing their jobs.
The girls usually tell me that you have the most important voice in hard situations, mainly when they are down in a match. What do you generally say to them in those situations?
Xp3: I just remind them that the game is just a game, that what they have to do to succeed is simple, they don't need to overthink anything, and that they just have to trust their abilities and they can make it happen if they believe in themselves. I mostly try to give them a confidence boost, in order for them to stop hesitating or doubting themselves, and usually I have enough impact that it works.
You’re now in a rather difficult situation, preparing for one of the most important tournaments in the team’s history, as the winner will get a spot in DreamHack Open Rotterdam, while playing with a stand-in. How have things been working out so far in practice and matches?
Xp3: Things have been working out great. Our stand-in has been doing an amazing job to fill in the gaps that were left out, and she's been adapting great with the team. I think the girls are all happy with her, so far, so good and hopefully it shows in DreamHack Valencia!
Do you have any closing words?
Xp3: Thanks to Dignitas, thanks to everybody that supports us, that's pretty much why we do this!
I’d like to thank David for the interview! Don’t forget to follow him in social media:
