Gaspar “Stizzy” Rosalen Andres just achieved the best major finish of his career, securing second place at the Raleigh Major. With the team hitting peak form at just the right time, they showcased their potential on Rocket Leagues’ biggest stage. After the event, we caught up with Stizzy to discuss his experience in Raleigh and the preparations underway for a repeat performance at the World Championship.

This was your best major finish of all time so congratulations, you made all the fans proud to watch! At what point did you know this was going to be a great run?

Stizzy: Honestly, I think after we beat Karmine Corp in the Swiss stage, we knew. And then, Gentlem8s took down Ultimates in the 2-2 game. After Ultimates went down, we knew we had a great chance to make a deep run through the playoffs.

This was the first time you played in front of a crowd at an RLCS main event. What was the energy like in the arena? What were the nerves like walking up to the stage?

Stizzy: Honestly, the crowd doesn’t really affect me. I play the same during practice as I do on the stage. I know some players say the crowd gives them extra passion or energy, but for me, it doesn’t change my game at all. With that said, I didn’t really have any nerves walking up to the stage. I just focused on the game and trusted my preparation and my teammates.

How are you able to control your emotions so well to the point where crowd energy has virtually no effect on your play?

Stizzy: It’s just a personal thing. I feel comfortable enough in my game and in those moments with my teammates that I don’t let anything outside of that affect my mental. I will say it was fun having them all on our side though.

What games were you the proudest of during the major?

Stizzy: The win over Karmine Corp in Swiss, for sure. We were sitting at 2–1, and in Swiss anything can happen. The 2–2 match carries almost more pressure than the semifinals, because at that point you’re one loss away from being out. In the semis, of course you want to win, but you’ve already secured a top four finish. Beating Karmine put us in such a fantastic position for the playoffs and gave us a lot of confidence. The win against Vitality was also big, but that Karmine match really set the tone for the rest of our run.

Joreuz mentioned that kickoffs should be a priority for Dignitas, how did the progress you made in that area lead to getting second place?

Stizzy: We do have some kickoff strategies, maybe two or three, but I don’t think kickoffs are that big of an issue for us. The most important thing has been getting comfortable with our overall play style.

What was the most surprising thing about the major to you?

Stizzy: I was surprised by the Falcons playing as well as they did, I didn’t expect them to be so dominant. I was also surprised by Ultimates’ result, I think they played much worse than their potential and that allowed Team secret to grab that last playoff spot.

What was the best part about the weekend outside of the matches? Thoughts on Raleigh as a city?

Stizzy: It was great getting to meet players/fans in the community and spending time with the team all weekend. As for Raleigh, it’s kind of weird to be honest. Where we were wasn’t super important to me though, the focus was really on the competition.

What are your goals and expectations going into the World Championship, is a repeat performance on the horizon?

Stizzy: Given our current position for Lyon, I think we’ll make at least top six. But obviously, our goal is to win the whole thing. If we continue to put in the work we can make that happen.

What has the training been like for the team going into Worlds? What aspects of your game are you focusing on the most?

Stizzy: Nothing super specific, we just have to keep working as we’re doing. Continue to perfect our playstyle and add a few new kickoff strategies. If we keep playing at 100%, I’m confident we’ll be one of the best teams at the Esports World Cup and the World Championship.

What team(s) do you think will make it through the Last Chance Qualifiers?

Stizzy: From North America, I think Complexity are heavy favorites. From Europe, Gentle m8s, though Ninjas could also pull it out. As for South America, I don’t know many teams besides Furia and Team Secret so I’m not sure.

What teams are you most excited to play during the world championships?

Stizzy: I want to play against Spacestation, Ultimates, and ROC Esports from the MENA last chance qualifier. I haven’t played any of them yet, so that would be exciting. Usually, I don’t really care who I play against though, I just focus on whoever is in front of me.

Thank you again for the interview Stizzy, and good luck at the Esports World Cup and the RLCS World Championships in a few months!

If you’re interested in seeing more of Stizzy, you can follow him on Twitter or Twitch.