Koosta: "I don't let things like a scary opponent get to me."
April 11 2016
In Liquid's barnstorming run through the DreamHack Malmö qualifiers—an undefeated stroll past ex-Astral Authority, Renegades and CLG—fans may have noticed a new name lining up with their favorite players. One of North America's hottest prospects, Kenneth "Koosta" Suen, debuted for Liquid during the qualifiers, and he immediately made an impact.
Koosta's reputation as one of the rising stars in the AWPer role preceded him, and it was on full display. He was instrumental in our successful qualification, and on first inspection he looks like a perfect fit for the team. A glorious flick against Renegades was just one of his many highlights:
He even had time to shank JDM on the way to 15-1 against CLG:
Malmö will be the very first time fans will get to see him compete live with Liquid. Due to lineup rules, he was be unable to join Liquid for MLG Colombus, where adreN filled in admirably. A semi-final berth confirmed North America's growing stature in the CS:GO scene, and Liquid wants even more. As the boys get ready to hop on a plane to Sweden, we had a chat with "The North American KennyS" to find out his thoughts on joining Liquid and what the future holds for the team.
Koosta: Shooting for the Big Leagues
Hi Koosta! First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to the fans?
Hi, my name is Kenneth Suen. I was born in New York, New York in 1996 and I started playing CS full-time this December after withdrawing from Rutgers University. Before Counter-Strike, I played a lot of Quake, AVA, and TF2. I've been to a few LANs, but I've only been playing CS competitively for 2 years now (started in ESEA Season 17). I'm good at math, piano, and pushing myself through a well-formed line.
What was life like before and after you decided to turn pro? Did your parents support your decision?
Life was pretty standard. I was doing the whole college thing but CS started taking up more and more of my time. Going pro was a big change in my life—I spend a lot more time sitting now, for example, and CS is taking up even more of my day. My parents didn't support me playing pro CS at all, and still don't really, but they've come around a little.
As one of the hottest prospects in NA, you were probably a hot commodity once you hit free agency. What made you decide to join Liquid?
I was only a free agent for a short period, actually. But I knew I wanted to join Liquid after I heard that I could get free Quest protein bars, J!NX apparel, Razer peripherals, an HTC phone, even a Liquid-branded NeedForSeat chair!
Well that takes care of our sponsor plugs I guess, good job. You've faced Liquid on numerous occasions in the NA scene. How do you think you'll fit into the squad?
We all get along, which is always good. GBJame^s (Team Dad) holds hands when needed, but other than that there are no real problems.
You and s1mple are both known for the AWP and are both new to the team. Do you plan to share AWPing duties, will one of you switch to a different role, or are we going to see double AWPs?
I'm primary AWP, and s1mple is secondary. He tends to pick it up when we have a high economy or just off a body, and always hands it over to me if there's only 1 AWP. And yes, double AWPs are going to be a thing and I think that our double AWP is going to be extremely strong.
People are calling you "The North American KennyS" because of your name and skills. How does that make you feel?
Well it certainly is a similar story isn't it? From Recursive (NME) to EnVyUs (Liquid), the only thing missing is the international success but we're from NA so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Well, you qualified for DreamHack Malmö off a crazy perfect run, which is pretty great. This is going to be your first offline Premier tournament so it may be your chance to prove yourself on the big stage. How do you feel?
I'm excited. I've never been to a LAN with a huge audience that I expect Malmö is going to have. Other than that, we're going to be the newest team there (a little under 2 months old) so to make it out of groups would be a great result in my opinion.
Are you nervous? Excited? Are you used to performing on stage? Do you think there will be any differences from playing online? A lot of really good players shrink once the spotlight is on them. How do you think you'll fare?
Not nervous for sure, I feel like I've been pretty good about performing on LAN; I'm not a very emotional player, and I don't let things like a scary opponent get to me. I'm also used to playing on WiFi, 60 hz, etc. so having an actual good setup on a LAN connection is in general very advantageous for me.
That's great to hear. We'll certainly expect a lot from you! Do you have any predictions for the event?
Just hoping we don't get a group of death 
Okay, and now for the serious question. If your family was kidnapped by Somalian pirates, which 4 players would you take with you to rescue them and why?
Pasha, because apparently he lifted a car once. JW, because he can pick up a sawed off after Pasha knocks someone out and go nuts with it. Relyks, so he can start talking endlessly to give Pasha an opportunity to knock someone out. And lastly, MAiNLiNE because he smells like hot dog water.
[Editor's note: I'm not sure how smelling like hot dog water helps but hey, this is his team]
Awesome. We're expecting great things from you, and I'm sure all the Liquid fans will soon get to know more about you. Do you have any last words?
"Is that a threat?"
[Editor's note: That was, apparently, some kind of joke]
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