As your second international event you entered the first Extreme Masters qualifier at Games Convention in Germany, and despite your newly modified line-up you managed to come out on top after two straight wins over NiP and fnatic. Tell us now, how did this feel?



Naturally it felt really good. I mean, a lot of people thought we wouldn't stand a chance before those games and of course it feels great to prove them wrong. It's so even in the top today so mostly everything is about having a good day. If you have a good day you have the flow and timing on your side which makes you the winner for the day.

Did you expect such an early success with the new team?



Maybe not. But as I said, when we have a good day we can beat any team, so of course we didn't count the possibility out.





With what mentality, in a tactical point of view, did you enter the tournament? What made you win?



I've never played in a team that has five players who want to play as a team in all ways, but now I believe I do. This is probably our greatest advantage over other teams. If we get a decent start and keep our communication going we know we could be dangerous for the other teams. And that's how it ended up, so I think the communication, in other words the teamplay, together with some individual performances made us victorious at the end of the day.





This win made you the first team qualified for Extreme Masters that is played online. People often say that online competitions don't matter so much – is this starting to change?



Well, that depends on which tournaments we're talking about, doesn't it? Tournaments like NGL One is taken seriously, tournaments which you know involves a lot of money and prestige. You hear that this tournament has a lot of prize money so naturally we will compete in the tournament with 100 % focus. What differs online competitions with LAN events is that people is sitting comfortably at home, which means that people don't need to play at special computers with new tables and chairs. Also you don't feel the nervousness and tension as well as when it's an important match at a LAN.





How seriously will you take Extreme Masters as a tournament?



Like any other big tournament I guess. I don't know all the information about the competition but from what I've heard so far the tournament will be really cool and there are no reason not to prioritize it like any other big event.





If we move back in time for a bit, back to the time when all the player changes occured. Tell us, how come ahl and SpawN were the ones who left the starting five?



There were all different reasons for Micke (ahl) and Abdi (SpawN). Micke felt that he wasn't as motivated as before and as we all know you can't continue playing day in and day out with a team that hasn't the same goals and wills. So he simply took a step aside for someone else.



The reason why Abdi left was mainly because we had under-achieved for a while and that he didn't feel passion in this team anymore and that he wanted to try something new. I really don't blame him for this.





Who was it that made the decisions about the changes?



It was a team decision which we all made together. Regarding Abdi it was himself who told us that he wanted to leave. Naturally it felt sad, because Abdi is one of the world's best players. But on the other hand it never hurts to get a fresh start, something that both Abdi and we were looking for. So perhaps it all was good for both parts.





Did you have any idea of what the new SK would look like before you decided to recruit Snajdan and allen? And why did you choose these guys?



The most important part was to recruit two hungry players. Allen is definately such a player. Perhaps the allen recruit was a little gamble but I still thought I had a good idea of his ability after I've been playing with/against him. So that was well enough to give him a chance, a chance which he took instantly. I think he has played really well when we have practiced as well as when we were in Germany and met NiP and fnatic in the Extreme Masters qualifier. So he has proven at least to me (and probably everybody) that he is more than skilled enough to play on this level. I spoke to Snajdan a bit when he was away from the team and he told me that he has never played so much CS as he did then and that he was really motivated in rejoining the team. It didn't take long for us to decide to welcome him back.





Was it a mistake to let Snajdan leave the team a couple of months ago?



Snajdan had lost his motivation and wanted to do something different for a while. We still had him in SK so a comeback was always a possibility.





How has the team's playing style changed after the changes?



I think we'll be playing more as a team rather than focusing on individual skill. Even though we tried to play like that before I believe it will be different this time. But it's really tough to tell. We'll just have to wait and see.





In an earlier interview you told us that with the old team you had to adjust the team's playing style to SpawN, who himself has quite a unique playing style. How do you think SpawN will work out in NiP's game?



I think NiP is playing more with the individual skill rather than tactics/teamplay so I think it will be just fine with Abdi in the team.





Has SpawN's presence in NiP contributed to a new and increased rivalry between SK and NiP?



No, I really don't think so. Abdi has been and will hopefully remain a really good friend of us so I'd say it's more the opposite now. But of course, both teams really want to win when SK and NiP is head-to-head, it will always be a little special.

Share some views about your team mates! How are they like as persons and what is it really like being their team mate?



fisker: A really nice guy who barely ever whines or gets irritated! I always live at his place when I'm in Stockholm and therefore I really feel that we know each other inside-out. So I really consider him a great friend even outside of the game. CS wise he is without a doubt very unique to have in a team. A player who I believe many other teams miss, a player who can motivate a whole team by himself and keep the mood up even when the team is having a bad day. This is more valuable than you might think! If you see it like that, you could say that he without a doubt is the best you could find at this level. If you are to find anything "negative" about him I guess that would be that he doesn't really understand how skilled he could be when he's playing CS, something he doesn't always do. Although, that might me understandable seeing that his computer shuts down all the time. :)



GoodFella: Mr. Nice Guy himself who surely doesn't wish anyone any harm. It's difficult to find anyone who has been in the top for so long with so much motivation left. It's also a necessity for a team as a whole to have someone who plays a lot of CS and urge the others to play. This is something that doesn't only affect the team, but apparently his girlfriend (Nai) also is affected. She does an extra-ordinary work for us in SK with her blogs and pictures from events. But this is not all there is to Jonas'. Jonas is capable of turning matches around all by himself and he has been around for so long the nervousness shouldn't be a problem for him! Also, I should really not forget what an entertainer he is when he dies in game. I have probably never seen anyone get so mad as he gets when he dies. It's always fun to hear that special "NOOOOOOOOOO" scream, and you turn around to fisker and discovers that he already was seeking for my eye contact with a big smile on his face! =D



Snajdan Here we got the CS community's most special person. He always run his own race without caring what anyone else thinks of him. Either you love him or you hate him. Here's my own little theory about Snajdan: he has, as probably some of you know, a girlfriend named Hanna. I often say that Snajdan is the world's best player when their relationship is on top, but it can also affect him negatively if something is wrong. So you have to keep your fingers crossed that Hanna will give him an extra kiss when it's time for a match or an event! ;) Snajdan is really in my opinion the best all-round player there is. No one can turn a match around as he can, even though he has the worst conditions – wrong mouse, sucky keyboard or headphones – he still does his thing. A player with that little extra. He also has a good sense of tactics and he knows how CS is supposed to be played as a team!



allen: First of all, allen is an underrated comedian. The best part is that he himself doesn't realize how funny he is. I don't know how many times I have laughed at his comments with his special dialect. The whole team has been brain-washed and now it's not only allen who bursts out "SCHÄMTARU ELLEH?" after each and every sentence. To look at the CS part allen is a truly underrated player who has a lot to show the world. You could compare him to Bullen when he was in his prime, a player who is very skilled in 1onx situations, but also very caring for the team play part. I wouldn't be surprised at all if allen will win the prize for the best Counter-Strike player at next year's Esports Awards in Germany. But for that to happen he has to understand that he shouldn't start to play WOW again this winter. But I guess we'll notice if he will listen to that or not at the upcoming events. ;)





In Dallas last winter you told us that you wanted to prove the doubters what you are really capable of at a CS server, and from that tournament and on you have got very good critics on your own playing. What do you yourself think about all this?



I think I have played good from that tournament and on. What people often seem to forget is that it's not so easy to both focus on your own game and also lead the other four. But what the others think doesn't really matter that much, you are allowed to think whatever you want. What matters most is what your team mates think, and it's also fun if other top players consider you good.





Do you think it's a disadvantage to combine the AWP sniping with the in game leading in the team?



No, I've done that for the last four years soon, so I'm used to it. But sure, rather often it occurs that you die with a flash in your hand just because you're directing the others of what to do next. But that's something you'll just have to take. :)





Has your personal playing style changed anything lately?



Well, it feels like I've got better with AK/Colt in tight situations. It's always fun when you feel that you get better, otherwise it's difficult to keep your spirit up!





Where do you see yourself in a couple of years?



I have no idea. I don't like thinking about that, nor trying to "plan" my life. Although it's a heavily used cliché I try to take one day at a time and take everything as it comes.

What does a typical day in your life look like?



It's hard to say what a typical day in my life really does look like, it feels like it's always different due to all the travelling. But when I'm at home and "free" from CS, it often ends up with me and some friends finding something to do. I really like the company and I can't just sit around at home and stare at the computer screen day in and day out (even though that's often the case the days we are playing). So I seldom say no when friends are calling, asking if we should do something.





As we all know you have achieved very much as a CS player, how do you look at all this in the middle of your career – do you have any particular goal left that you want to achieve?



Yeah, at CPL I've been successful. I've played the last four CPL Dallas finals and won three of them. Except the last one, but as you know we didn't attend that time. Things have been worse result-wise at ESWC for example. I haven't been there since 2003, so it would be fun to go there again, placing well. The same goes for WCG, since I have never been there. So it sure would be cool to go there and see what it's like!

As your next event KODE5 is arranged in China later this month. What are your feelings prior to this event?



We'll just try to play as much as we can in order to increase our lowest level. After that we'll just wish for our timing and flow to be on our side when the tournament begins.





What do you think about the competition at the event?



Well, NiP and fnatic have qualified for the event, so naturally the competition will be at its highest level. No doubt about it. It will be fun to face them again!





Good luck at KODE5 and thanks for the interview!



Thanks, thanks. See you at Inferno Online tomorrow, come there and cheer for us in our match against AIK! :)