Twistzz: “I’m nowhere near my peak and it’s going to show this year.”

The only thing on Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken’s mind right now is winning the IEM Katowice Major. A Major is one thing that has eluded him. He could almost feel the trophy in his hands at IEM Chicago last year. He could almost see himself up on stage with his teammates, surrounded by confetti, Team Liquid’s name flashing on screen. Second just isn’t good enough.

Not even close.

“I’m happy with what I’ve learned and the experiences I’ve went through,” said Twistzz of his two years with Team Liquid. “But I’m not close to where I want to be.”

Twistzz is hard on himself, but only because he knows he can achieve even more. He knows that Team Liquid has what it takes to win IEM Katowice. This is it. But until then, Twistzz can only think about it, train for it, fight for it. But for someone like Twistzz, that may just be enough to finally do it. To win IEM Katowice.

“As I keep learning all the roles and different spots, I’ll always improve,” Twistzz noted. “I’m nowhere near my peak and it’s going to show this year.”

When asked how it felt to finally defeat Astralis at iBP after 11 straight defeats, Twistzz all but shrugged it off. It felt good, he said, but for him, it’s beating them at IEM Katowice or nothing.

“The iBUYPOWER win was nice, but it doesn’t change anything,” stated the rifler, “until we do it consistently throughout the year.”

Twistzz and the rest of the roster made the most out of the days leading up to IEM Katowice with some rigorous bootcamping, from scrimming to studying the fine details of each map. It was also a time to practice more with newcomers Jacky “Jake” “Stewie2K” Yip and coach Eric “adreN” Hoag.

Even though Stewie was there for the impressive iBUYPOWER win, Twistzz knows there’s always room for improvement. To work together more efficiently. To communicate more clearly. Luckily, Stewie is the man for the job.

“He has helped us overcome certain obstacles that weren’t clear to us before,” explained Twistzz. “He’s been an amazing teammate and is fitting in well in and out of the game.”

The addition has left Twistzz with less “freedom” in the game, he admits, leaving him to fill in support/entry roles more often than not. But if that’s what it takes to win IEM Katowice he could really care less. It’s about what’s best for the team, he said. Whatever adreN says goes, in Twistzz eyes, since he’s a coach who focuses on whatever is necessary to succeed.

“He’s awesome,” Twistzz said. “He brings a lot of energy and a new approach to the game. Looking into the team from the outside, you wouldn’t be able to see the impact he has, but on stage he’s really calm.”

Calm.

Focused.

Twistzz was more of a shy and timid teenager when he first stepped onto the CS:GO scene. But he’s evolved as a person and a player. A lot of wins will do that to a guy. But this is just the beginning of his transformation. Just the beginning of his achievements. He’s not even close to where he wants to be, but a win at IEM Katowice could easily change that.

Currently, our boys are sitting at a 2-0 record after the first day. It’s an amazing start. But Team Liquid is there to end it with a first place finish.