Snappi: "CS2 is really bad at the moment, but it's our job to accept it as professional players"

Despite his stance that Counter-Strike 2 was released prematurely, the Dane is setting a positive mindset about the switch.

After they finally secured their first trophy at IEM Dallas, ENCE have been consistent grand-finalists. They finished second at ESL Challenger Katowice before the summer break, from which they returned with two more runner-up spots at IEM Cologne and Gamers8.

ESL Pro League S18 was their next test, and ENCE joined the playoffs in the quarter-finals due to their flawless group-stage performance. The Marco "⁠Snappi⁠" Pfeiffer-led squad comfortably dispatched Movistar Riders in two maps to move on to the EPL last four, where they will face off against the winners of G2 vs. MOUZ for the chance to make their fifth straight grand final.

Following their victory, Snappi joined HLTV for a chat about their game against the Spaniards, his preference for semi-final opponents, and the state of Counter-Strike 2.

Congrats on the win, you avoided the upset in dominant fashion. Walk me through the series from your perspective.

I think we just played good Counter Strike. They were actually close to breaking our economy on the CT of Overpass. Had they done that, it would've been a little bit of a different match, and it would've been a little bit tougher. But since we stabilized and got a 13-2 half, it was just smooth sailing from there. We also won four pistols, so it was also a rough game for them, coming in as an underdog. When you are an underdog, you need to get some of the advantages if you are going to upset, and they didn't get them today.

Talking about SunPayus, he's been with you for over a year now. Are these games still special for him because he seemed a bit more fired up, especially on Anubis?

I don't think it's more special for him because he is good friends with all of them. I think he played with adamS in Iberian Family, so that goes far back, and they're friends, they play FACEIT every night. He plays paddle with mopoz and Alex. In general, I don't think he has any bad blood or anything there. So he treated it like any other match, and he sees them as friends, I assume. So it was not a grudge match.

You've qualified for the top four, and many favorites are already out of the tournament. How do you feel about your chances for the title here?

We think we have good chances, but we think we have good chances no matter who's in the tournament. Regardless, the match tomorrow is gonna be really tough. You have a G2 coming in, firing on all cylinders, or if you would play MOUZ, who have played amazingly this tournament. It's gonna be super tough, and we need to be ready just to get past the semi-final.

Do you have a preference for tomorrow's opponent? Do you think maybe someone's play style fits you more?

I think we would maybe like to play G2 and get revenge for Cologne. Obviously, it's not granted we're gonna get it, but it would be good.

And I also want to touch on your Anubis, your pick today. I spoke to jL yesterday, and he said he feels NAVI have the best Anubis in the world. How do you feel about his comments?

If we play them, I think we'll put that to the test.

Just a general question now that CS2 is out. You will probably start practicing it soon, but how do you feel about the game in general?

The game is really bad at the moment. But as professional players, it's our job to accept it. The game is gonna switch, and we just have to adapt. We have to play, we have to have positive eyes on it. I think everyone knows that the game is bad currently. There is 64-tick, there are a lot of issues with the game, and they released it prematurely. But with that said, it's our job to accept that and work with it, try our hardest, and just accept it with positive arms despite it being a shit game at the moment.

In CS2 we will also see the end of franchise leagues, which is something you have been very vocal about. Do you think that this will be a net positive for the scene in general?

It's a misconception that I'm against franchise leagues, a big misconception. I was never against franchise leagues to begin with, if that is what the ecosystem and the economy need in order to thrive, and see us have the best opportunities for teams, organizations, players, whatever, I welcome it with open arms. It was only the way BLAST is running their franchise league that I was against because at the end of the day, I just want it to be a competition, and I don't think their tournaments are competitions. To me, it's exhibition matches.