Dreamhack Malmö was a huge event for our CSGO squad as they not only took down NiP very convincingly but also beat their main rival Astralis for the first time ever. With Dreamhack Masters Malmö behind us, we sat down to talk with Markus Kjaerbye about the team's performance and their thoughts on the future.
Team Dignitas did very well at Dreamhack Malmö, reaching the quarterfinals of the international tournament. Are you happy with your own performance and that of the team?
Kjaerbye: First of all, I think we can be happy with our group stage performance. Going into the tournament, we knew it would be a tough group, but we came prepared and advanced as first which of course felt great after a full-week bootcamp. With that said, I think speak for all of us when I say we are far from satisfied with our performance against Team EnVyUs. When it really mattered it seemed like we had forgotten key things and mistakes we just had fixed, but that's the past now and that can happen to everyone from time to time.
How did the team react to the 1v5 ninja defuse you performed on Inferno against EnVyUs? Does that boost the morale or impact the next rounds in any way?
Kjaerbye: The team was happy I won the round and it surely boosted the morale for following round, and it always has an economical impact in the game.
During a tense moment like that 1v5 where it all depends on you, what goes through your mind and how do you manage to stay calm?
Kjaerbye: It really wasn't a "tense" moment at all before I started defusing the bomb, all I can say is that I saw the opportunity to make a play and took it as I heard most of my enemies run away from the bomb to make sure I couldn't save my weapon for the next round.
How did the team feel about beating Astralis, your Danish rivals, for the first time ever?
Kjaerbye: Finally beating Astralis was a huge relief especially for me and MSL who had an even longer history against them than our other teammates, including more chokes than I realistically can remember. The win was actually hard for me to understand, and I think I first realized we won when I was doing an interview with Fragbite, as we've always lost against them.
After the first map loss against EnVyUs and the troublesome first half of Mirage, how did the team keep its morale alive for so long?
Kjaerbye: I think we fought back and won like 7-8 rounds or something, but I think everyone knows that you've ruined it for yourself by losing 14-1 in the 1st half. It was a completely unacceptable performance for us that still shocks me, as we usually have a very good and solid T side on Mirage. When that's said, I think it's very unlikely to happen again, as we normally are very consistent on that map.
What is your opinion on upcoming teams such as GODSENT and TyLoo, who have rarely competed at an international level?
Kjaerbye: First of all, I'm happy TyLoo got the chance to compete, and I think they showed us that they deserved the spot. It has to be said that it's a hard thing for a team like that to go in and play so well, while knowing that they don't get many chances to compete on such an international level. I'm also very happy for my former teammates "schneider" that he finally found a Swedish home with a solid lineup. Beating mouz, CLG and G2 doesn't convince me completely that they will continue to reach Semi Finals in big tournaments, but I guess only time will tell.
How does Team Dignitas plan to improve after this successful tournament?
Kjaerbye: We basically sat down and talked about the mistakes and what we could have done better. We also talked about what we did well, which in this case was the group stage performance. After that, we obviously need a few days off and then we go straight into working hard for the next tournaments, by just practicing and going through new stuff as usual.
Of all the places you've visited competing with Team Dignitas, which has been your favorite?
Kjaerbye: This is a very hard question. I've been to what I'd say myself are some nice places. One of my favorite places was our first time in Columbus, Ohio at the CEVO tournament in the end of 2015. The location of the hotel and such made it a really pleasent experience, where you could do a lot of things when not playing at the event, which is much nicer than having nothing to do in a hotel room.
Any shoutouts or words to the fans?
Kjaerbye: Big shout out to all of our great supporters. The number of fans seems only to have been increased since the beginning of the year and our new lineup, and I truly hope that together we will keep rising. Most of all, I need to emphasize how much your support is appreciated by all of us players, the organisation and our sponsors. Thanks & CYA IN THE FUTURE #DIGWIN
