Interview with Luminosity LeX: “We have nothing to prove, nothing to fear. All the pressure is on the great teams to live up to their renown. We have none, we are the misfits—the underdogs. And we like it that way.”

Luminosity has managed to clinch the second seed position above the likes of Elevate and Team Liquid in the North American division of ESEA s18 to make it into the LAN Finals. I sat down with Alexander “Lex” John to talk about how difficult the season had been and the state of counter-strike in North America going into ESEA’s s18 LAN finals.

What do you think your toughest matches have been this season?

Lex: Our toughest matches this season were definitely the last two: Elevate on Season and Denial on Dust2. Simply because we ran the numbers and knew, either we win out or we don't make LAN. Regardless of where the chips fell around the rest of the league, we had to win. There was no other option. The pressure to win was more real than ever, but when match time comes around we shine, and honestly we feel like, as the adage goes: No pressure, no diamonds.

Previously you guys were playing under the name Mythic. How did the organization change affect the season?

Lex: Unfortunately, vetting various organizations for support provided a large distraction to the team mid-­season, when we needed to be working the hardest. We turned down a lot of organizations that had a lot to offer for the perfect fit. Luminosity provides us with all the support we could ever want, and locking down our Twitch sponsorship made the full-­time practice schedule a reality.

You had a close loss against 16-14, Liquid, and two against Cloud 9 this season. Were you confident going into the end of the season that you could make top 4?

Lex: Absolutely. We can contend with the best teams and believe by the beginning of next season that we will be considered a “Top 3” team without a doubt being raised. That's just prospective talk, and I'm not a fan of it. But we're prepared to walk the walk.

After your overtime win against Area 51 Gaming did you guys think you had a chance to make ESEA LAN and edge out elevate for a LAN spot?

Lex: Honestly, we lost both of our Cache matches after being the #2 ranked team in ESEA, and simply chalked it up to being bad at the map. As now it is one of our strongest, that has proven to be untrue. We took it for granted that we would make LAN (needing 3 wins to get there, with 5 matches left). We realized after the Area ­51 match that our practice schedule was not cutting it. It was a wake-up call. We had gotten comfortable, almost lazy. After solving that issue, winning out was a simple thing to do.

Do you believe you will be able to perform well against top tier European teams?

Lex: Yes. We have nothing to prove, nothing to fear. All the pressure is on the great teams to live up to their renown. We have none; we are the misfits — the underdogs. And we like it that way.

I would consider you guys in the top 3 in North America at the moment. Do you believe your team will continue to progress and possibly upset some European teams at ESEA LAN?

Lex: Do I believe that? I know that we will continue to progress. Every day we get better. Every day, if we aren't getting better, we're doing it wrong. European teams share this same workload and we want to bring our work ethic to the LAN and show the world how much the grind will pay off. At the end of the day, if we earn a 'W,' we've done our job.

What has your guys’ preparation been for your matches this season? Did you guys watch demos and focus on anti-­starting, or did you guys play your own default set-ups?

Lex: We don't share the common notion that “anti­-stratting” is essential to victory. We play to our strengths, not their weaknesses. But watching demos and studying our opponents is a common task. In order to know their strengths, we watch closely and avoid them if possible. But we show up and play our game; make them play how we want them to. Hades always has a plan; we all have our jobs. We roll with our confidence and punish those who stand in our way.

What are your personal goals in relation to your team’s goals looking forward in 2015?

Lex: I've been on Luminosity (Mythic, NCG, BDS) for over a year and a half. My personal goals have already been far surpassed. Every goal I have involves taking my team to the next level. This isn't a stepping stone for any of us. This is the other side of the tracks. We go all the way together or we don't go at all.

That’s all the questions for now. Any shout-outs for fans or sponsors before we are done?

Lex: I'd like to thank Buuyyaakkaa for launching the Luminosity brand around us and making the necessary efforts to support us on all fronts. The man has been a godsend and made all the organization business that we were previously dealing go away by shouldering the load. Big thanks to John over at Twitch, who has allowed all of this to happen and has impacted our lives more than he may ever know. He has helped us promote our brand and pushed for Twitch to make full-time gaming a reality for North American Counter-­Strike. We must also thank all of our sponsors for their generous support: Twitch.tv, Gamers Apparel, esportsify and, of course, the overwhelming support from our amazing fans. They motivate us to get better daily and compete at a high level. #LGLOYAL